Banzembo 115
1 Na biso te, Yawe, na biso te, kasi pesa nkembo na Kombo na Yo mpo na bolingo mpe boyengebene na Yo.
Yahweh, people should praise [only] you [MTY]; they must praise you, not us, because you faithfully love us and always do what you have promised to do.
2 Mpo na nini bikolo eloba: « Wapi Nzambe na bango? »
It is not right that [RHQ] [other] people-groups should say about us, “[They claim that] their God [is very powerful], but [if that is true], why does he not [help them]?”
3 Nzambe na biso azali na Lola, asalaka nyonso oyo alingi.
Our God is in heaven, and he does whatever he wants to!
4 Kasi banzambe na bango ya bikeko ezali ya palata mpe ya wolo, esalema na maboko ya bato.
[But] their idols are only [statues made of] silver and gold, things that humans have made.
5 Ezali na minoko, kasi elobaka te; ezali na miso, kasi emonaka te;
Their idols have mouths, but they cannot say [anything]; they have eyes, but they cannot see [anything].
6 ezali na matoyi, kasi eyokaka te; ezali na zolo, kasi eyokaka solo te;
They have ears, but they cannot hear [anything]; they have noses, but they cannot smell [anything].
7 ezali na maboko, kasi esimbaka te; ezali na makolo, kasi etambolaka te. Minoko na yango ebimisaka ata makelele te.
They have hands, but they cannot feel [anything]; they have feet, but they cannot walk, and they have throats but cannot [even] make any sounds!
8 Bato oyo basalaka yango mpe bato nyonso oyo batielaka yango motema bakokani na yango.
The people who make those idols are [as powerless] as those idols, and those who trust in those idols [can accomplish nothing], just like their idols!
9 Bana ya Isalaele, botia elikya kati na Yawe! Azali lisungi mpe nguba na bango.
You, [my fellow] Israeli people, trust in Yahweh! He is the one who helps you and [protects you like] [MET] a shield.
10 Bakitani ya Aron, botia elikya kati na Yawe! Azali lisungi mpe nguba na bino.
You priests [MTY], trust in Yahweh! He is the one who helps you and [protects you like] [MET] a shield.
11 Bino bato oyo botosaka Yawe, botia elikya kati na Yawe. Azali lisungi mpe nguba na bango.
[All] you who revere Yahweh, trust in him! He is the one who helps you and [protects you like] [MET] a shield.
12 Yawe akanisaka biso, akopambola; solo, akopambola bana ya Isalaele, akopambola bakitani ya Aron.
Yahweh has not forgotten us; he will bless us Israeli people [MTY]! He will bless the priests,
13 Akopambola bato oyo batosaka Yawe kobanda na bato pamba kino na bato minene.
and he will bless [all] those who revere him; he will bless important [people] and people [who are considered to be] unimportant, [everyone!]
14 Tika ete Yawe afulukisa bino, bino mpe bana na bino!
I desire that Yahweh will give many children to you [my fellow-Israeli people], and to your descendants.
15 Tika ete Yawe apambola bino, Ye oyo asala likolo mpe mabele.
I desire that Yahweh, the one who made heaven and the earth, will bless [all of] you!
16 Likolo ezali likolo ya Yawe; kasi apesa mabele epai ya bato.
The [highest] heavens belong to Yahweh, but he gave [everything that is on] the earth to [us] people.
17 Ezali te bakufi nde bakumisaka Yawe, pamba te bango nyonso bakendaka na esika ya kimia.
Dead [people] are not [able to] praise Yahweh; when they descend into the place where dead people are, they are unable to speak and cannot praise him.
18 Kasi biso, tokopambola Yawe, kobanda sik’oyo kino libela na libela. Bokumisa Yawe!
But we [who are alive] will thank/praise him, now and forever. Praise Yahweh!
