Barome 9
1 Nazali koloba solo kati na Klisto, nazali kokosa te mpe motema na ngai ezali koyebisa ngai solo na nzela ya Molimo Mosantu:
I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
2 motema na ngai etondi na mawa mpe na pasi oyo ezali kosila te.
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 Mpo na yango, eleki kutu malamu mpo na ngai kolakelama mabe mpe kokabwana na Klisto mpo na bandeko na ngai, bato ya ekolo na ngai,
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 oyo bazali bana ya Isalaele. Nzambe akomisa bango bana na Ye, apesa bango nkembo, asala boyokani elongo na bango, apesa bango Mobeko, alakisa bango kosambela na solo, apesa bango bilaka
To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.
5 mpe bakoko. Ezali na nzela ya bakoko yango nde Klisto, oyo azali na likolo ya nyonso, ayaki na mokili lokola moto. Tika ete Nzambe apambolama libela na libela! Amen! (aiōn g165)
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 Elingi koloba te ete Liloba na Nzambe ebimaki na pamba, pamba te bakitani nyonso ya Isalaele bazali bana ya Isalaele te,
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 mpe bakitani nyonso ya Abrayami bazali bana na ye te. Pamba te Nzambe alobaki na Abrayami: « Ezali na nzela ya Izaki nde okozwa bakitani. »
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 Elingi koloba ete bana nyonso oyo Abrayami abotaki bazali bakitani na ye te, kasi ezali kaka bana oyo abotaki kati na elaka ya Nzambe nde batangamaka lokola bakitani na ye.
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
9 Pamba te, tala ndenge Nzambe alakaki Abrayami: « Kaka na eleko oyo, nakozonga, mpe Sara akozala na mwana mobali. »
For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
10 Esukaki kaka wana te: Rebeka mpe abotaki bana mibali mibale na nzela ya tata moko, Izaki, koko na biso.
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 Nzokande, liboso ete mapasa yango babotama mpe basala likambo moko ya malamu to ya mabe, mpo ete mabongisi ya lolenge Nzambe aponaka ekokisama,
and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
12 kolanda misala ya bato te kasi kolanda mokano ya Ye oyo abengaka, Nzambe alobaki na Rebeka: « Kulutu akosalela leki, »
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 kolanda ndenge ekomama: « Nalingaki Jakobi, kasi nayinaki Ezawu. »
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 Boye toloba nini? Mabe ezali kati na Nzambe? Soki moke te!
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 Pamba te alobaki na Moyize: « Nakotalisa ngolu epai ya moto oyo Ngai nasepeli kosalela ngolu, mpe nakoyokela mawa moto oyo Ngai nasepeli koyokela mawa. »
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
16 Boye, yango ewuti te na posa to na makasi ya moto, kasi ewuti na Nzambe oyo asalaka ngolu.
And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
17 Pamba te, tala ndenge Makomi elobaki na tina na Faraon: « Nakomisaki yo mokonzi mpo na kotalisa nguya na Ngai kati na yo, mpe mpo ete lokumu ya Kombo na Ngai epanzana na mokili mobimba. »
"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
18 Boye Nzambe asalaka ngolu na moto oyo Ye asepeli kosalela ngolu, mpe ayeisaka motema libanga moto oyo Ye asepeli koyeisa motema libanga.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 Bato bakoki koloba: « Mpo na nini Nzambe apamelaka biso, pamba te moto moko te akoki kotelemela mokano na Ye? »
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 Oh moto, ozali nani mpo ete obeta tembe na Nzambe? Mbeki ya mabele ekoki solo koloba na moto oyo asali yango: « Mpo na nini osali ngai na lolenge oyo? »
Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
21 Mosali mbeki azali na bokonzi te ya kosala nzungu ya lokumu mpe nzungu oyo ezanga lokumu na nzela ya potopoto kaka moko?
Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
22 Okoloba nini soki Nzambe, mpo na kolakisa kanda mpe nguya na Ye, ayikelaki mingi mpiko mbeki oyo etumbolaka kanda na Ye, mbeki oyo ebongisami mpo na kobebisama?
And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
23 Okoloba lisusu nini, soki Nzambe asalaki bongo mpo na kolakisa bomengo ya nkembo na Ye mpo na bolamu ya bato oyo asepeli kosalela ngolu, ba-oyo abongisa wuta kala mpo na nkembo?
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 Ezali biso nde Nzambe abengaki, kaka kati na Bayuda te kasi mpe kati na Bapagano,
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 kolanda ndenge azali koloba kati na mokanda ya Oze: « Nakobenga bato oyo bazalaka ya Ngai te bato na Ngai, mpe nakobenga ye oyo azalaka molingami na Ngai te molingami na Ngai. »
So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved.
26 Mpe, « kaka na esika oyo balobaki na bango: ‹ Bozali bato na ngai te, › bakokoma kobenga bango ‹ bana na Nzambe na bomoi. › »
And in the place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God."
27 Ezayi agangaki na tina na Isalaele: « Ata soki motango ya bana ya Isalaele ezalaki lokola zelo ya ebale monene, ndambo kaka nde bakobika.
And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
28 Pamba te Nkolo akokokisa Liloba na Ye na mobimba na yango mpe na lombangu kati na mokili. »
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 Ezali ndenge kaka Ezayi amisakolelaki: « Soki Nkolo, Mokonzi ya mampinga, atikelaki biso bakitani te, tolingaki kokoma lokola engumba Sodome, tolingaki kokokana na engumba Gomore. »
Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."
30 Boye, toloba lisusu nini? Bapagano oyo bazalaki koluka te kokoma bato ya sembo bakomi sembo na nzela ya kondima,
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
31 kasi Isalaele oyo azalaki koluka kokoma sembo na nzela ya kotosa Mobeko atikali kokoma sembo te.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 Mpo na nini? Pamba te balukaki te kokoma sembo na nzela ya kondima, kasi na nzela ya misala. Yango wana babetaki libaku na libanga oyo ekweyisaka,
And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
33 kolanda ndenge ekomama: « Tala, nazali kotia kati na Siona libanga oyo ebetisaka bato mabaku, libanga monene oyo ekweyisaka bato; moto oyo akotiela yango motema akotikala koyokisama soni te. »
in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
