Barome 3
1 Boye, kozala Moyuda ezali na litomba nini? Kokatama ngenga ezali na tina nini?
[Someone may object to this, saying], “[If being circumcised does not cause God to accept us Jews], (there is no advantage in being a Jew [over being a non-Jew]./is there any advantage in being a Jew [over being a non-Jew]?) [RHQ] Being circumcised does not benefit [us Jews at all]!”
2 Solo, ezali penza na litomba monene kati na makambo nyonso. Pamba te Maloba ya Nzambe epesamaki liboso epai na bango.
[I would reply that being Jews] benefits [us] in many ways [HYP]. First of all, it benefits us because it was to [our ancestors] that God’s words, [words that contain his promises], were given {that [God] gave his words, [words that contain his promises]}.
3 Soki Bayuda mosusu bazangaki kondima, boni, bozangi na bango kondima ekolongola bosembo ya Nzambe?
Many [Jews did not obey God as they promised that they would. So someone might ask], “Does their not being faithful mean that God will not [bless us Jews] as he promised [that he would]?”
4 Soki moke te! Nzambe azali solo, mpe bato nyonso bazali bakosi kolanda ndenge ekomama: « Mpo ete bamona yo sembo na maloba na yo, mpe okobanda kolongaka tango bakobanda kosambisaka yo. »
[I would reply], “No, it certainly does not mean that! God always does [what he has promised], even though [people do not]. All those who accuse God [of not keeping his promises to us Jews] are very mistaken.” [What King David wrote about God’s justly saying that he would punish him for his sins is also true of those who accuse God of not keeping his promises. What he said to God was], “So everyone must acknowledge that what you [(sg)] have said [about them] (OR, [their sin]) is true, and you will always win the case when you are accused {when [people] accuse you}.”
5 Kasi soki mabe na biso ezali kotalisa polele bosembo ya Nzambe, toloba nini? Nzambe azali mabe tango akitiselaka biso kanda na Ye? Nazali kaka kokanisa lokola moto.
So if we [Jews’] being wicked [PRS] shows that it is right that God [does not bless us], what shall we say/conclude? Shall we conclude that it is not right for God to be angry [and punish us Jews] [MTY]? I [should not be saying these things], [but] I am speaking as ordinary humans [speak].
6 Te, ezali bongo te! Soki ezalaki bongo, ndenge nini Nzambe akokaki kosambisa mokili?
We should certainly not [conclude that God should not judge us], because if God [did not judge us Jews], (it would not possibly be right for him to judge [anyone in] the world [MTY]!/how could he judge [anyone in] the world?) [MTY, RHQ]
7 To soki lokuta na ngai etalisi polele bosolo ya Nzambe mpe etomboli nkembo na Ye, mpo na nini nazwa lisusu etumbu lokola moto ya masumu?
But [someone might object and say to me], “The fact that God truly [keeps his promises] becomes very clear/evident because of my not doing [what God has commanded]. But the result is that people praise God! So (God should no longer say that I should be punished {that [he] should punish me} on account of my having sinned!/why should God still say that I should be punished {that [he] should punish me} on account of my having sinned?) [RHQ]
8 Mpe mpo na nini toloba te: « Tika ete tosala mabe mpo ete bolamu ebima kati na mabe » ndenge bato oyo batongaka biso bakosaka ete toteyaka bongo. Bato wana basengeli kozwa etumbu oyo ekoki na mabe na bango.
[If what you, Paul, say is true], then (we might as well/it is all right for us to) do evil things in order that good things [like that] will result! For example, [then people will praise God]!” Some people speak evil about me by their [falsely] saying that I say [such things. God] will fairly/justly punish [people who say such things about me]!
9 Boye, toloba nini? Biso Bayuda toleki bato mosusu? Te, soki moke te! Pamba te tosilaki kotalisa ete bato nyonso, ezala Bayuda to Bapagano, bango nyonso bazali na se ya bokonzi ya lisumu.
[If someone would ask], “[Shall we conclude that God] will treat us [Jews] more favorably [and will treat] the non-Jews less [favorably] [RHQ]?” [I would reply that we can] certainly not [conclude that]! I have already shown you that all people, the Jews and also the non-Jews, have sinned and [so they deserve to be punished] {[that God will punish them]} [PRS].
10 Kolanda ndenge ekomama: « Moto ya sembo azali te, ata moko te;
[The following words] that are written {prophets have written} [in the Scriptures support this], No person is righteous. There is not even one righteous person!
11 moto ya mayele azali te; ata moto moko te alukaka Nzambe.
There is no one who understands [how to live properly] (OR, [about God]). There is no one who seeks/desires [to know] God!
12 Bango nyonso babunga nzela, bango nyonso bamibebisa; moko te asalaka bolamu, ata moko te.
Absolutely everyone has turned away [MET] [from God]. God considers them depraved (OR, Everyone has become useless [to God]). There is no one who acts righteously; no, there is not even one!
13 Minoko na bango ezali lokola bakunda ya kofungwama, lolemo na bango esalaka mosala ya kokosa, bibebu na bango ezali na ngenge ya etupa.
What people say [MTY] [is foul/bad, like the smell that comes from] a grave that has been {that [people] have} opened [MET]. [By what people say] [MTY], they deceive people. [By what they say] [MTY] [they injure people, just like] the poison of snakes [injures people] [MET].
14 Minoko na bango etonda na makambo ya bololo mpe na bilakeli mabe.
They are continually (cursing/asking God to do harmful things to) others and saying (cruel/harsh/hateful) things [MTY].
15 Makolo na bango epotaka mbangu mpo na kosopa makila.
They (go quickly/are eager) to murder people [MTY].
16 Na bisika nyonso oyo balekelaka, batikaka kaka libebi mpe pasi;
Wherever they go, they ruin everything and make [people] miserable [MTY].
17 bayebi nzela ya kimia te.
They have not/never known how [to live] peacefully [with other people].
18 Kotosa Nzambe ezali na tina ata moke te na miso na bango. »
They absolutely refuse to fear/reverence God [SYN]!
19 Nzokande, toyebi malamu ete makambo nyonso oyo Mobeko elobaka, elobaka yango mpo na bato oyo bazali na se ya bokonzi ya Mobeko, mpo ete moto moko te amilongisa, mpe mpo ete moto nyonso asosola ete azali moto ya masumu liboso ya Nzambe.
Furthermore, we know that it is to [Jewish] people, [who are] required to obey [God’s] laws, that Moses wrote those laws [PRS]. [We can infer from this that] there are no [Jews or non-Jews] [SYN] who are able to say anything [in reply to God’s saying that he will punish them for having sinned]. God has declared everyone in the world [MTY] guilty!
20 Yango wana, moto moko te akotangama lokola moto ya sembo na miso ya Nzambe mpo ete akokisi misala ya Mobeko, pamba te Mobeko epesaka kaka boyebi ya lisumu.
It is not because people have done the things that God’s laws [require] that [God] will (erase the record of their sins/declare them no longer guilty for sin), [because no one has done those things completely]. In fact, the result of [our knowing God’s] laws is that we know clearly that we have sinned (OR, are sinful).
21 Kasi sik’oyo, na kozanga kosalela Mobeko, Nzambe atalisi polele ndenge nini akomisaka bato sembo liboso na Ye, ndenge Mobeko mpe Basakoli batatola yango.
But God’s (erasing the record of our sins/declaring us no longer guilty) does not depend on [our obeying] the laws [that he gave Moses]. It has now been {[God] has now} revealed [to us] how he erases the record of our sins [by a different way]. It was written about [by Moses] {[Moses] wrote about it} in the laws [PRS] [God gave] him, and it was also written about by the prophets {the prophets also wrote about it}.
22 Bato nyonso oyo bandimaka, Nzambe akomisaka bango bato ya sembo na nzela ya kondima Yesu-Klisto. Bokeseni ezali te kati na Bayuda mpe Bapagano,
God erases the record of our sins because we trust in [what] Jesus Christ [has done for us]. God does this for every person who trusts [in Christ], because [he considers] that there is no difference [between Jews and non-Jews].
23 pamba te bato nyonso basali masumu mpe bazangi nkembo ya Nzambe;
All people have done evil, and all people have failed to accomplish the glorious [goals] that God [set for them].
24 mpe bato nyonso bakomi bato ya sembo na ofele, na ngolu na Ye, na nzela ya lisiko kati na Yesu-Klisto.
Our record of sins has been erased {God erased the record of our sins} by God acting kindly [to forgive our sins], without our doing anything to earn it. Christ Jesus accomplished this [by dying for us].
25 Nzambe akabaki Klisto lokola mbeka mpo ete, na nzela ya kosopa makila na Ye, Klisto azwa bolimbisi masumu ya bato oyo bazali kondima. Asalaki bongo mpo na kotalisa bosembo na Ye, pamba te, na tango ya kala, tango oyo akangaki motema, apesaki bato etumbu te mpo na masumu na bango.
God showed that Christ was the one who would atone for (OR, forgive) our sins [with the] blood [that flowed from his body when he died. God redeems/forgives] us because of our trusting [in Christ’s having died for us. God wanted] to show that he acts justly. [He wanted to do that] because, before [Jesus came, God] did not punish [everyone who sinned. So it seemed as though he was not being just]. But he was overlooking people’s sins during [that time],
26 Nzambe asalaki bongo mpo na kotalisa bosembo na Ye na tango oyo, mpo ete Ye moko azala Sembo mpe atanga lokola moto ya sembo, moto oyo azali kondimela Yesu.
because he is patient. [God arranged for Jesus to die for us]. By doing that, God now shows that he is just, and he shows that he is justly able to erase the record of sins for everyone who trusts/believes in Jesus.
27 Boye, tina nini komikumisa? Tina ezali te! Na mobeko nini? Na mobeko ya misala? Te, kasi na nzela ya kondima.
It is not at all [RHQ] because of [our obeying the] laws [of Moses that God erases the record of our sins]. So, (there is no way that we can boast [that God does that because of our obeying those laws]./how can we boast [about God erasing the record of our sins because of our obeying those laws]?) [RHQ] Instead, [it is because of our] believing/trusting [in Christ that God erases the record of our sins].
28 Pamba te tososoli ete moto atangamaka lokola moto ya sembo na nzela kaka ya kondima, kasi na nzela ya kotosa Mobeko te.
[We cannot boast about that], because we conclude that the record of our sins is erased {God erases the record of our sins} because of our trusting [in Christ]. God does not erase the record of our sins because of our obeying the laws [that he gave to Moses, because it is impossible for us to completely obey them].
29 Boni, Nzambe azali kaka Nzambe ya Bayuda? Azali mpe Nzambe ya bato ya bikolo ya bapaya te? Solo, azali mpe Nzambe ya bato ya bikolo ya bapaya.
(You who are Jews certainly should not [think that you] are the only ones whom God [will accept]!/Do you Jews [think it is you] alone whom God [will accept]?) [RHQ] You certainly should [realize that he will accept] non-Jews, too. [RHQ] Of course, [he will accept] non-Jews also,
30 Pamba te Nzambe azali kaka moko; Ye nde akomisaka, na nzela ya kondima na bango, bato oyo bakatisa ngenga mpe bato oyo bakatisa ngenga te, bato ya sembo.
because, [as you firmly believe], there is only one God, who will erase the record of Jews’ [MTY] sins if they trust [in what Christ has done], and who will similarly erase the record of non-Jews’ [MTY] sins if they trust [in Christ].
31 Boni, tobomi Mobeko likolo ya kondima? Soki moke te! Tozali kutu kolendisa yango.
So, [if someone should ask concerning the laws that God gave Moses], “By saying [that God erases the record of our sins because of our] trusting [in Christ], does that mean that those laws now are useless?”, [I would reply], “Certainly not. Instead, we truly fulfill the laws [that God gave Moses].”
