A Prayer for Help
1 Why are you far away, Lord?
Why do you hide yourself
when I am in trouble?
2 Proud and brutal people
hunt down the poor.
But let them get caught
by their own evil plans!
3 The wicked brag about
their deepest desires.
Those greedy people hate
and curse you, Lord.
4 The wicked are too proud
to turn to you
or even think about you.
5 They are always successful,
though they can't understand
your teachings,
and they keep sneering
at their enemies.
6 In their hearts they say,
“Nothing can hurt us!
We'll always be happy
and free from trouble.”
7 They curse and tell lies,
and all they talk about
is how to be cruel
or how to do wrong.
8 They hide outside villages,
waiting to strike and murder
some innocent victim.
9 They are hungry lions
hiding in the bushes,
hoping to catch
some helpless passerby.
They trap the poor in nets
and drag them away.
10 They crouch down and wait
to grab a victim.
11 They say, “God can't see!
He's got on a blindfold.”
12 Do something, Lord God,
and use your powerful arm
to help those in need.
13 The wicked don't respect you.
In their hearts they say,
“God won't punish us!”
14 But you see the trouble
and the distress,
and you will do something.
The poor can count on you,
and so can orphans.
15 Now break the power
of all merciless people.
Punish them for doing wrong
and make them stop.
16 Our Lord, you will always rule,
but every godless nation
will vanish from the earth.
17 You listen to the longings
of those who suffer.
You offer them hope,
and you pay attention
to their cries for help.
18 You defend orphans
and everyone else in need,
so that no one on earth
can terrify others again.
Ongumbiro yokupewa ousemba
1 Muhona, okutjavi tji u ri kokure nai;
nokutjavi tji u rihoreka motuveze twoumba?
2 Momeritongamisiro wawo
ovanauvi ve tatumisa ovasyona;
ve kamburwe momihingo vyawo vyovineya,
mbi va twira po varwe.
3 Omunauvi u rihivira ozonḓuma zomutima we;
nu ovakorokope ve senga nokunyengura Muhona.
4 Omunauvi kena ko na tja na Muhona;
momeritongamisiro we u tja
Ndjambi ka vere omundu,
nokutja kaku na Ndjambi.
5 Omunauvi u ṋingapara moviṋa avihe,
eye ka zuu nawa ozombanguriro za Ndjambi;
u kandaiza ovemupirukire avehe.
6 Eye u rihungirira a tja: “Ami himee teratera
nu himee kara ko neputi.”
7 Eraka re re ura nozosengiro,
novizeze, nozondandero;
eye u hakahana okuhungira
omambo wonyengo nouvi.
8 Eye u ṱara kongotwe yozonganda
ama undju okuzepa ovandu ovehinandjo;
u yevayeva okuyandeka ovasyona.
9 Eye u ṱara otja ongeyama motjihwa,
ama undju okukambura omusyona;
u ve kambura mombate ye ne ve kokozora.
10 Omusyona ma saravara mbo a hahaurwa,
omasa omandandi ye mu havere.
11 Omunauvi u rihungirira nai:
“Ndjambi ke na ko na tja!
Eye wa pata omeho we nu kemee ndji munu!”
12 Sekama, Muhona!
Vera ovanauvi mba, Ndjambi!
O zembi imba mba ningisa ondjenda!
13 Omunauvi ma yambururire tjike Ndjambi
ame rihungirire nai momutima:
“Eye ke nokundjivera ko?”
14 Nungwari ove, Ndjambi, u muna nu
u rikendera oumba nomatetarero womutima;
nu aruhe we rimanena okuvatera.
Omuyaraare u riyameka kove;
nove aruhe u vatera ozosewa.
15 Teya omasa wovarunde nowovanauvi;
ve verera omauhasemba ngu va tjita,
nga tji ve hi nokuyetjita ko rukwao.
16 Muhona oove ombara aruhe nga aruhe.
Imba mbe rikotamena koomukuru varwe
mave zengi mehi re.
17 Muhona, ove mo zuvire
ozongumbiro zovanandjenda;
mo ve pendaparisa.
18 Ove mo zuvire ozondjuriro
zovatatumisiwa nozozosewa;
mo ve pangura osemba
kokutja ovandu ave ha uhara
amave tjiti outwe rukwao mehi.
