There Is Still Hope
The Prophet Speaks:
1 I have suffered much
because God was angry.
2 He chased me into a dark place,
where no light could enter.
3 I am the only one he punishes
over and over again,
without ever stopping.
4 God caused my skin and flesh
to waste away,
and he crushed my bones.
5 He attacked and surrounded me
with hardships and trouble;
6 he forced me to sit in the dark
like someone long dead.
7 God built a fence around me
that I cannot climb over,
and he chained me down.
8 Even when I shouted
and prayed for help,
he refused to listen.
9 God put big rocks in my way
and made me follow
a crooked path.
10 God was like a bear or a lion
waiting in ambush for me;
11 he dragged me from the road,
then tore me to shreds.
12 God took careful aim
and shot his arrows
13 straight through my heart.
14 I am a joke to everyone—
no one ever stops
making fun of me.
15 God has turned my life sour.
16 He made me eat gravel
and rubbed me in the dirt.
17 I cannot find peace
or remember happiness.
18 I tell myself, “I am finished!
I can't count on the Lord
to do anything for me.”
19 Just thinking of my troubles
and my lonely wandering
makes me miserable.
20 That's all I ever think about,
and I am depressed.
21 Then I remember something
that fills me with hope.
22 The Lord's kindness never fails!
If he had not been merciful,
we would have been destroyed.
23 The Lord can always be trusted
to show mercy each morning.
24 Deep in my heart I say,
“The Lord is all I need;
I can depend on him!”
25 The Lord is kind to everyone
who trusts and obeys him.
26 It is good to wait patiently
for the Lord to save us.
27 When we are young,
it is good to struggle hard
28 and to sit silently alone,
if this is what
the Lord intends.
29 Being rubbed in the dirt
can teach us a lesson;
30 we can also learn from insults
and hard knocks.
31 The Lord won't always reject us!
32 He causes a lot of suffering,
but he also has pity
because of his great love.
33 The Lord doesn't enjoy
sending grief or pain.
34 Don't trample prisoners
under your feet
35 or cheat anyone out of
what is rightfully theirs.
God Most High sees everything,
36 and he knows when you refuse
to give someone a fair trial.
37 No one can do anything
without the Lord's approval.
38 Good and bad each happen
at the command
of God Most High.
39 We're still alive!
We shouldn't complain
when we are being punished
for our sins.
40 Instead, we should think
about the way we are living,
and turn back to the Lord.
41 When we lift our hands
in prayer to God in heaven,
we should offer him our hearts
and say, 42 “We've sinned!
We've rebelled against you,
and you haven't forgiven us!
43 Anger is written all over you,
as you pursue and slaughter us
without showing pity.
44 You are behind a wall of clouds
that blocks out our prayers.
45 You allowed nations
to treat us like garbage;
46 our enemies curse us.
47 We are terrified and trapped,
caught and crushed.”
48 My people are destroyed!
Tears flood my eyes,
49 and they won't stop
50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and helps.
51 I am horrified when I see
what enemies have done
to the young women of our city.
52 No one had reason to hate me,
but I was hunted down
like a bird.
53 Then they tried to kill me
by tossing me into a pit
and throwing stones at me.
54 Water covered my head—
I thought I was gone.
55 From the bottom of the pit,
I prayed to you, Lord.
56 I begged you to listen.
“Help!” I shouted. “Save me!”
You answered my prayer
57 and came when I was in need.
You told me, “Don't worry!”
58 You rescued me
and saved my life.
59 You saw them abuse me, Lord,
so make things right.
60 You know every plot
they have made against me.
61 Yes, you know their insults
and their evil plans.
62 All day long they attack
with words and whispers.
63 No matter what they are doing,
they keep on mocking me.
64 Pay them back for everything
they have done, Lord!
65 Put your curse on them
and make them suffer.
66 Get angry and go after them
until not a trace is left
under the heavens.
Omberero nomeritanauriro nomaundjiro
1 Owami omurumendu ngu mbi tjiwa
kutja okuverwa i Ndjambi otjikeṋa.
2 Eye we ndji hingira monḓorera ṱukuṱuku
3 nu tjiri, eye aruhe u ndji tona nokuhinotjari.
4 Eye wa kurupisa onyama nomukova wandje,
nu a pongohora omaṱupa wandje.
5 Eye we ndji patera motjovakamburwa
tjombamisiro nomahihameno.
6 We ndji ṋiṋikiza okutura monḓorera
otja ovaṱi mba ṱa rukuru.
7 Eye we ndji patera morumbo
ne ndji pandeke nouketanga;
owami omukamburwa ngu
mbi hi nomaundjiro wokutaura.
8 Ami mba kwa ombatero tjinene;
nungwari Ndjambi ka puratenene
ko kongumbiro yandje.
9 Me teratera tji me kayenda,
omawe worumbo maye ndji
tjaere akuhe ku me tanaukire.
10 Eye we ndji ṱarera tjimuna ongu,
nu we ndji undja tjimuna
ongeyama motjihwa.
11 We ndji ramba mondjira,
we ndji nyondorora ne ndji esa mouza.
12 Eye wa rumbira outa we
na hungamisa oviku vye ku ami.
13 Oviku vyomunguma we
we vi yaha oukoto morutu rwandje.
14 Ovandu mave ndji yoro eyuva arihe;
owami omunyekererwa wawo avehe.
15 Eye we ndji hira omeva womiti omiruru,
nu we ndji kutisa novikurya oviruru.
16 Eye wa ṋiṋikizira omurungu wandje mehi,
ne ndji tetisa ozombawe,
nga omayo wandje tji ya teka.
17 Eye wa isa po ohange pu ami nami
mba zemba kutja ondjoroka otjikeṋa.
18 Ami hi tji nokuhupa orure.
Omaundjiro wandje ku Muhona
kaye tji po.
19 Zemburuka ondjenda nomatambaukiro
wandje mbya sana koṋango notjindombo.
20 Ami mbi ripura na vyo aruhe,
nombepo yandje i ri momayumaneno.
21 Nungwari omaundjiro wandje maye kotoka,
tji me rizemburuka notjiṋa tjimwe hi.
22 Orusuvero rwa Muhona
orwo orukarere, notjari tje katji nomaandero.
23 Ovyo ovipe muhuka auhe;
ouṱakame we ounene.
24 Muhona onguri avihe mbi mbi na vyo,
notji me undju ku ye.
25 Muhona u nouwa ku ngamwa
auhe ngu undja ku ye,
na komuinyo mbu paha ye.
26 Okokuwa okuundja kumwi nomuretima,
okutja okuundja kondjamo ya Muhona.
27 Okokuwa komundu okurihonga
omuretima mbwi moumutanda we.
28 Muhona tji me tu pe ouzeu,
tu sokuhaama pehi kumwi.
29 Tu sokurisusuparisa,
nani inga pe nomaundjiro.
30 Nandarire kutja matu tonwa
nokuyambururwa,
avihe ngatu vi yakure mombepo ombwa.
31 Muhona eye omunatjari,
nu kemee tu imbirahi nga aruhe.
32 Nungwari tje tu pe oruhoze,
eye me tu tjariparere otja
kounene wounyaṋutima we.
33 Eye ke norutjato mokutuyetera
oruhoze poo omihihamo.
34 Muhona u tjiwa eṱe,
imba ovakamburwa avehe
wokombanda yehi,
tji tu ṋiṋikiziwa motjovakamburwa.
35 Eye u tjiwa tji tu yekwa
ousemba eye mbwe tu pa.
36 Omundu tji ma pangurwa
nouhasemba mombanguriro,
eye tjandje ma tjiwa.
37 Ombango ya Muhona aiyerike
porwayo aruhe ondji yenenisiwa.
38 Ouwa noumba aviyevari
vi tjitwa otja komarakiza we.
39 Matu unaunine tjike tji
matu vererwa ourunde wetu?
40 Ngatu tare ozondjira zetu okuzekonḓonona,
tu ritanaurire ku Muhona.
41 Ngatu paturure omitima vyetu
nu tu yere omake wetu ku Ndjambi meyuru,
nu tu kumbe nai:
42 “Twa tura ondjo, nu twe ku pirukira,
nove, Muhona, koye tu isira.
43 “Ove we tu tezera no tu zepa;
otjari tjoye tja horekwa i omazenge woye;
44 Ove we rihoreka notjikamba otjitindi nai,
nga ozongumbiro zetu tji ze
hi nokusora okutuurunga.
45 Ove we tu tjita ondundu yoviyaya
mokati koviwaṋa mouye.
46 “Eṱe twa yambururwa nokunyekererwa
i ovanavita na eṱe avehe.
47 Twa muna oviwonga nomayandekero;
tu kara moumba na mooma.
48 Omeho wandje maye pupu omahoze
tjimuna onḓonḓu mena
romayandekero wotjiwaṋa tjandje.
49 “Omahoze wandje maye pupire
momupupo mbu ha pwire,
50 ngandu ndi Muhona tji maa
tara pehi okuza meyuru okutu muna.
51 Omutima wandje u nondjenda,
tji me munu imbi mbya tjitwa kovakazendu
avehe votjihuro tjandje.
52 “Ovanavita mbe hi notjiṋa na ami,
ve ndji yeva tjimuna onḓera.
53 Owo ve ndji yumba morutjiva nomuinyo
nave yezere otjinyo tjarwo newe.
54 Omeva ya uta okundjitanana,
nami mbe ripura kutja mbi ri pokukoka.
55 “Mourekoto worutjiva, Muhona,
ami mba kwa kove,
56 nu tji mbe riyarikaṋa kove kutja u
puratene kondjemeno yandje,
ove we ndji zuvira;
57 Ove we ndji zira no ndji
raere kutja e ha tira.
58 “Ove we ndji yeura mouzeu, Muhona,
nu wa yama omuinyo wandje.
59 Muhona, ove vari wa muna
okuṋiṋikiziwa kwandje,
nu we ndji vatera okumuna ousemba.
60 Ove wa muna nawa kutja ovanavita
na ami ve ndji humisa,
nokutja ve rikuta kumwe okundjisekamena.
61 “Ove we ve zuva amave ndji yamburura,
Muhona; ove wa muna
omerikutirokumwe wawo
aehe wokundjisekamena.
62 Owo ve uhara amave ndji yamba,
namave rikangere ami ominwe.
63 Okuza komuhuka nga kongurova
owo ve kara pokundjihemba.
64 “Muhona, ve verera imbi mbi va tjita;
65 ve senga, nu u ve poṱuparise omitima!
66 Ve teza momazenge woye,
nu u ve yandeke kombanda yehi!”
