Banzembo 78
1 Nzembo ya Azafi. Bino, bato na ngai, boyoka malako na ngai! Bopesa matoyi na maloba ya monoko na ngai!
My friends, listen to what I am going to teach you; pay careful attention [IDM] to what I say.
2 Nakofungola monoko na ngai mpo na lisese, nakosakola makambo oyo ebombama wuta na tango ya kala.
I am going to give you some sayings that wise people have said. They will be sayings about things that happened long ago, things that were difficult to understand [MET],
3 Makambo oyo toyoka, oyo toyebi, oyo batata na biso bayebisa biso.
things that we have heard and known previously, things that our parents and grandparents told us.
4 Tokobombela yango bakitani na bango te, kasi tokoloba na bikeke oyo ekoya na sima nkembo ya masanzoli ya Yawe, nguya na Ye mpe bikamwa oyo asalaki.
We will tell these things to our children [LIT], and we will also tell to our grandchildren [about] Yahweh’s power and the glorious/great things that he has done.
5 Apesaki malako mpo na bolamu ya Jakobi, atiaki mibeko kati na Isalaele, apesaki mitindo epai ya batata na biso ete bateya yango epai ya bana mibali na bango,
He gave laws and commandments to the Israeli people, [those who are the descendants of] Jacob [DOU], and he told our ancestors to teach them to their children
6 mpo ete bikeke oyo ekoya sima eyeba yango, ekeke ya bana oyo bakobotama. Tika ete batelema mpe bayebisa yango na bana na bango,
in order that their children would [also] know them and then they would teach them to their children.
7 mpo ete batonga elikya na bango kati na Nzambe, babosana te misala ya Nzambe mpe babatela mibeko na Ye.
In that way, they also would trust in God, and not forget the things that he has done; instead, they would obey his commandments.
8 Boye, bakozala te lokola bakoko na bango, oyo bazalaki mito makasi mpe batomboki, oyo mitema na bango ezalaki sembo te na miso ya Nzambe, mpe milimo na bango ezangaki boyengebene epai na Ye.
They would not be like their ancestors, who were very stubborn and kept rebelling [against God]; they did not continue firmly trusting in God, and they did not worship only him.
9 Bato ya libota ya Efrayimi basimbaki batolotolo, kasi na mokolo ya etumba, bakimaki.
[The soldiers of] the tribe of Ephraim had bows [and arrows] but they ran away [from their enemies] on the day that they fought a battle with their enemies.
10 Babatelaki te Boyokani ya Nzambe mpe baboyaki kotosa mibeko na Ye;
They did not do what they had agreed with God that they would do; they refused to obey his laws.
11 babosanaki bikamwa na Ye mpe makambo minene oyo atalisaki bango.
They forgot what he had done; they forgot about the miracles that they had seen him perform.
12 Na miso ya bakoko na bango, asalaki bikamwa kati na Ejipito, na etuka ya Tsoani;
While our ancestors were watching, God performed miracles in the area around Zoan [city] in Egypt.
13 akabolaki ebale monene mpo na kolekisa bango, atelemisaki mayi lokola mir.
[Then] he caused the [Red] Sea to divide, causing the water [on each side] to pile up like a wall, with the result that [our ancestors] walked through it [on dry ground].
14 Na moyi, azalaki kotambolisa bango na nzela ya lipata; mpe na butu, na nzela ya pole ya moto.
He led them by a [bright] cloud during the day and by a fiery light during the night.
15 Apasolaki mabanga kati na esobe mpe amelisaki bango mayi ebele, lokola mayi ya bibale;
He split rocks open in the desert, giving to our ancestors plenty of water from deep inside the earth.
16 abimisaki mayi wuta na libanga mpe asalaki ete etiola lokola mayi ya ebale.
He caused a stream of water to flow from the rock; the water flowed like a river [DOU].
17 Kasi bakobaki kaka kosala masumu liboso na Ye, kotombokela Ye-Oyo-Aleki-Likolo, kati na esobe.
But [our ancestors] continued to sin against God; in the desert they rebelled against the one who is greater than any other god.
18 Bamekaki Nzambe na nko, na kosenga bilei kolanda posa na bango.
By demanding that God give them the food that they desired, they tried to find out if he would always do what they requested him to do.
19 Balobaki mabe na tina na Nzambe: « Boni, Ye Nzambe azali penza na makoki ya kopesa biso bilei kati na esobe?
They insulted God by saying, “We don’t think he can supply food for us [here] in this desert!
20 Solo, abetaki libanga, mayi ebimaki, mpe ebimaki penza ebele. Boni, akokoka lisusu kopesa biso mapa to misuni epai ya bato na Ye? »
[It is true that] he struck the rock, with the result that water gushed/flowed out, [but] (can he also provide bread and meat for [us], his people?/we doubt that he can also provide bread and meat for us, his people.)” [RHQ]
21 Tango Yawe ayokaki bongo, asilikaki makasi; moto na Ye epelelaki Jakobi, mpe kanda makasi na Ye ekitelaki Isalaele,
So, when Yahweh heard that, he became very angry, and he sent a fire to burn up [some of] his Israeli [people]. [MTY, DOU]
22 pamba te batiaki elikya na Nzambe te, bandimaki te ete akoki kokangola bango.
[He did that] because they did not trust in him, and they did not believe that he would rescue them.
23 Nzokande, apesaki mitindo na mapata mpe afungolaki bikuke ya likolo,
But God spoke to the sky above them; he commanded it to open [like] a door,
24 anokiselaki bango mana lokola mvula mpo na kopesa bilei, apesaki bango ble ya Likolo.
and [then food] fell down like rain, [food which they named] ‘manna’; God gave them grain from (heaven/the sky).
25 Moko na moko aliaki mapa ya ba-anjelu. Atindelaki bango bilei ebele penza.
[So] the people ate the food that angels eat, [and] God gave to them all the manna that they wanted.
26 Wuta na likolo, atindikaki mosika mopepe ya Este; mpe na nguya na Ye, amemaki mopepe ya Sude.
[Later], he caused the wind to blow from the east, and by his power he also sent wind from the south,
27 Anokiselaki bango misuni lokola putulu, bandeke ebele lokola zelo ya ebale monene;
and the wind brought birds which were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
28 akweyiselaki bango yango kati na molako na bango, zingazinga ya bandako na bango ya kapo.
God caused those birds to fall [dead] in the middle of (their camp)/the area where the people had put up their tents. [There were dead birds] all around their tents.
29 Baliaki mpe batondaki makasi; Nzambe apesaki bango biloko oyo bazalaki na yango posa.
[So] the people [cooked the birds and] ate the meat and their stomachs were full, because God had given them what they wanted.
30 Liboso ete posa na bango ekoka, wana bazalaki nanu na minoko etonda na bilei,
But before they had eaten all that they wanted, and while they were still eating it,
31 kanda ya Nzambe ekweyelaki bango, abomaki bato minene kati na bango, anyokolaki bilenge ya Isalaele.
God was [still] very angry with them, and he caused their strongest men to die; he got rid of [many of] the finest [young] Israeli men.
32 Kasi atako bongo, bakobaki kaka kosala masumu, bandimaki kaka te bikamwa na Ye.
In spite of all that, the people continued to sin; in spite of all the miracles that God had performed, they still did not trust that he [would take care of them].
33 Boye, asukisaki mikolo ya bomoi na bango lokola mopepe, mpe mibu na bango ya mbotama kati na somo.
So, he caused their lives to end as quickly as a puff of wind ends; they died when disasters suddenly struck them.
34 Tango nyonso Nzambe azalaki koboma bango, bazalaki koluka Ye; bazalaki komizongisa noki epai na Ye.
When God caused [some of] them to die, [the others] turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God [to save them].
35 Bazalaki kozongisa na makanisi na bango ete Nzambe nde azali Libanga na bango, ete Nzambe-Oyo-Aleki-Likolo azali Mosikoli na bango.
They remembered that God is [like] a huge rock ledge [under which they would be safe] [MET], and that he, who was greater than any other god, is the one who protected/rescued them.
36 Kasi bazalaki koloba lokuta, minoko na bango ezalaki kokosa Ye;
But they [tried to] deceive God by what they said [MTY]; their words [MTY] were [all] lies.
37 mitema na bango ezalaki sembo te na miso na Ye, mpe bazalaki kobuka Boyokani na Ye.
They were not loyal to him; they disregarded/ignored the agreement that he had made with them.
38 Nzokande Ye, na mawa na Ye, azalaki kolimbisa mabe na bango na esika ya kobebisa bango; mbala mingi, azalaki kokanga motema na esika ya kopelisela bango kanda na Ye;
But God was merciful to his people. He forgave them for having sinned and did not get rid of them. Many times he refrained from becoming angry [with them] and restrained from furiously/severely [punishing them] [MTY].
39 pamba te azalaki koyeba ete bazali kaka bato, bazali kaka lokola mopepe oyo ezali koleka mpe ekozonga lisusu te.
He remembered/considered that they were only humans who die; they [disappear quickly] [SIM], like a wind that blows by and then is gone.
40 Mbala mingi, batombokelaki Ye kati na esobe mpe bayokisaki Ye mawa kati na bisika ya kokawuka;
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
41 bazalaki kozongela komeka Nzambe, koyokisa Mosantu ya Isalaele mawa.
Many times they did evil things, to find out [if they could do those things without God punishing them]. They frequently caused the holy God of Israel to become disgusted/sad.
42 Babosanaki makambo minene oyo asalaki na nguya na Ye, mokolo oyo akangolaki bango wuta na maboko ya monyokoli;
They forgot about his [great] power, and they (forgot/did not think) about the time when he rescued them from their enemies.
43 babosanaki bikamwa oyo asalaki kati na Ejipito, misala minene oyo asalaki kati na etuka ya Tsoani.
They forgot about when he performed many miracles in the area near Zoan [city] in Egypt.
44 Abongolaki bibale na bango makila; boye, bakokaki lisusu te komela na mayi na bango.
He caused the [Nile] River (OR, their sources of water) to become [red like] blood, with the result that the people of Egypt had no water to drink.
45 Atindelaki bango banzinzi oyo eswaka, mpe eliaki bango; mpe magorodo oyo ebebisaki bango.
He sent among the people of Egypt swarms of flies that bit them, and he sent frogs that ate up everything.
46 Akabaki bambuma ya bilanga na bango epai ya mabanki, mpe mbuma ya mosala na bango epai ya mankoko.
He sent locusts to eat their crops and the other things that grew in their fields.
47 Abebisaki bilanga na bango ya vino na nzela ya mvula ya mabanga, mpe banzete na bango ya sikomori na nzela ya mvula ya pembe;
He sent hail that destroyed the grapevines, and sent frost that ruined the figs.
48 akabaki bameme na bango epai ya mvula ya mabanga, mpe bibwele na bango epai ya kake.
He sent hail that killed their cattle and sent lightning that killed their sheep and cows.
49 Atindelaki bango kanda na Ye ya makasi lokola moto: kanda makasi, kotomboka, pasi mpe ba-anjelu oyo babebisaka.
Because God was fiercely angry with the people of Egypt, he caused them to be very distressed. The disasters that struck them were like a group of angels that destroyed [everything].
50 Apesaki na kanda na Ye nzela ya kopela, abatelaki bango te na kufa; kasi akabaki bango na bokono oyo ebomaka.
He did not lessen his being angry [with them], and he did not (spare their lives/prevent them from dying); he sent a (plague/serious illness) that killed [many of] them.
51 Abomaki bana mibali nyonso ya liboso kati na Ejipito, bambuma ya liboso ya makasi na bango na se ya bandako ya kapo ya Cham.
He also caused all the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt to die.
52 Abimisaki bato na Ye lokola etonga, amemaki bango kati na esobe lokola meme;
Then he led his people out [of Egypt] like [a shepherd leads] his sheep [SIM], and he guided them [while they walked] through the desert.
53 atambolisaki bango na kimia penza, babangaki eloko te; mpe ebale monene emelaki banguna na bango.
He led them safely, and they were not afraid, but their enemies were drowned in the sea.
54 Amemaki bango na mokili na Ye ya bule, na ngomba oyo loboko na Ye ya nguya ezwaki;
[Later] he brought them to [Canaan], his sacred land, to [Zion] Hill (OR, the hilly area) and by his power [MTY] he enabled them to conquer [the people who were living there].
55 abenganaki bikolo liboso na bango, apesaki bango etando lokola libula mpe avandisaki mabota ya Isalaele kati na bandako na bango ya kapo.
He expelled the people-groups while his people were advancing; he allotted part of the land for [each tribe] to possess, and he gave to the Israeli people the houses of those people who had been expelled.
56 Kasi bamekaki Nzambe, batombokelaki Ye-Oyo-Aleki-Likolo mpe babatelaki te malako na Ye;
However, the Israeli people rebelled against God, who is greater than any other god, and they did many evil things to see if they could do those things without God punishing them, and they did not obey his commandments.
57 bapengwaki mpe babukaki mibeko ya boyokani, ndenge batata na bango basalaki; batengamaki lokola tolotolo oyo mbanzi na yango ekeyi na mopanzi;
Instead, like their ancestors did, they rebelled against God and (were not loyal to/did not faithfully [obey]) him; they were as [unreliable as] a crooked arrow [that does not go straight] [SIM].
58 bayokisaki Ye kanda na nzela ya bisambelo na bango ya likolo ya bangomba, mpe bapelisaki zuwa na Ye na nzela ya banzambe na bango ya bikeko.
Because they [worshiped] carved images of their gods on the tops of hills, they caused God to become angry [DOU].
59 Nzambe ayokaki mpe asilikaki makasi, abwakaki Isalaele mobimba;
He saw what they were doing and became very angry, so he rejected the Israeli people.
60 asundolaki Mongombo ya Silo, ndako ya kapo oyo atelemisaki kati na bato,
He no longer appeared to them at Shiloh in the tent where he had lived among them.
61 akabaki nguya na Ye na bowumbu, mpe lokumu na Ye na maboko ya monguna;
He allowed their enemies to capture [the sacred chest], [which was the symbol of] his power and his glory.
62 akabaki bato na Ye na mopanga, mpe asilikelaki libula na Ye.
Because he was angry with his people, he allowed them to be killed [MTY] [by their enemies].
63 Moto etumbaki bilenge mibali, mpe banzembo ya libala eyembamaki lisusu te mpo na lokumu ya bilenge basi.
Young men were killed in battles, with the result that the young women had no one to marry.
64 Banganga-Nzambe bakufaki na mopanga, mpe basi oyo bakufisaki mibali balelaki te na banzembo ya matanga.
[Many] priests were killed by [their enemies’] swords, and (the people did not allow the priests’ widows/the priests’ widows were not allowed) to mourn.
65 Nkolo alamukaki lokola moto oyo awuti na pongi, lokola moto oyo abimi na kwiti ya vino;
Later, [it was as though] the Lord awoke from sleeping; he was like a strong man who (became stimulated/felt that he was strong) by (OR, became sober after) [drinking] a lot of wine [SIM].
66 azokisaki banguna na Ye na sima, wana bazalaki kokima, ayokisaki bango soni ya libela.
He pushed their enemies back and caused them to be [very] ashamed for a long time [HYP] [because they had been defeated].
67 Asundolaki bandako ya kapo ya Jozefi mpe aboyaki kopona libota ya Efrayimi;
[But] he did not set up his tent where [the people of] the tribe of Ephraim lived; he did not choose their area [to do that].
68 kasi aponaki libota ya Yuda, ngomba Siona oyo alingaki;
Instead he chose [the area where] the tribe of Judah [lived]; he chose Zion Hill, which he loves.
69 atongaki Esika na Ye ya bule lokola bisika ya likolo makasi, lokola mabele oyo atia mpo na libela.
He [decided to have] his temple built [there], high up, like [his home in] heaven; he caused it to be firm, [and intended that] his temple would last forever, like the earth.
70 Aponaki Davidi, mosali na Ye, mpe azwaki ye kati na lopango ya meme;
He chose David, who served him [faithfully], and took him from the pastures
71 abengaki ye wuta na sima ya meme oyo azalaki kobatela mpo na kokomisa Ye mobateli ya Jakobi, bato na Ye, mpe ya Isalaele, libula na Ye.
where he was taking care of his [father’s] sheep, and appointed him to be the leader [MET] of the Israeli people, the people who belong to God.
72 Davidi abatelaki bango na motema ezanga pamela, mpe akambaki bango na maboko ya mayele.
David took care of the Israeli people sincerely and wholeheartedly, and guided them skillfully/wisely.
