(A psalm by David.)
A Prayer for Protection from Enemies
1 Fight my enemies, Lord!
Attack my attackers!
2 Shield me and help me.
3 Aim your spear at everyone
who hunts me down,
but promise to save me.
4 Let all who want to kill me
be disgraced
and put to shame.
Chase away and confuse
all who plan to harm me.
5 Send your angel after them
and let them be like straw
in the wind.
6 Make them run in the dark
on a slippery road,
as your angel chases them.
7 I did them no harm,
but they hid a net
to trap me,
and they dug a deep pit
to catch and kill me.
8 Surprise them with disaster!
Trap them in their own nets
and let them fall and rot
in the pits they have dug.
9 I will celebrate and be joyful
because you, Lord,
have saved me.
10 Every bone in my body
will shout:
“No one is like the Lord!”
You protect the helpless
from those in power;
you save the poor and needy
from those who hurt them.
11 Liars accuse me of crimes
I know nothing about.
12 They repay evil for good,
and I feel all alone.
13 When they were sick,
I wore sackcloth
and went without food.
I truly prayed for them,
14 as I would for a friend
or a relative.
I was in sorrow and mourned,
as I would for my mother.
15 I have stumbled,
and worthless liars
I don't even know
surround me and sneer.
16 Worthless people make fun
and never stop laughing.
17 But all you do is watch!
When will you do something?
Save me from the attack
of those vicious lions.
18 And when your people meet,
I will praise you
and thank you, Lord,
in front of them all.
19 Don't let my brutal enemies
be glad because of me.
They hate me for no reason.
Don't let them wink
behind my back.
20 They say hurtful things,
and they lie to people
who want to live in peace.
21 They are quick to accuse me.
They say, “You did it!
We saw you ourselves.”
22 You see everything, Lord!
Please don't keep silent
or stay so far away.
23 Fight to defend me, Lord God,
24 and prove that I am right
by your standards.
Don't let them laugh at me
25 or say to each other,
“Now we've got what we want!
We'll gobble him up!”
26 Disappoint and confuse
all who are glad
to see me in trouble;
disgrace and embarrass
my proud enemies who say to me,
“You are nothing!”
27 Let all who want me to win
be happy and joyful.
From now on let them say,
“The Lord is wonderful!
God is glad when all goes well
for his servant.”
28 Then I will shout all day,
“Praise the Lord God!
He did what was right.”
Ongumbiro yombatero
Epsalme ra David.
1 Muhona, pirukira imba mbe ndji pirukira;
rwisa imba mbe ndji rwisa!
2 Toora ovirwise noruvao rwoye,
nu u sekame okundjivatera.
3 Toorera imba mbe ndji toorera enga nekuva;
nu u ndji raere nai:
“Owami ombatero yoye!”
4 Imba mbe kondja okundjizepa
ngave haverwe nu ve ṱisiwe ohoṋi!
Imba mbe paha okundjitjita oumba
ngave yarurwe ombunda nu ve
rihahize mouripura wawo.
5 Ngave rire otja oviyaya, mbi mavi piziwa i ombepo,
omuengeri wa Muhona tji meve ramba.
6 Ondjira yawo ngai rire onḓorera noheze,
omuengeri wa Muhona
ngunda ame ve vanda pehi.
7 Owo kave na otjiṋa pu va sokundjitwira po ombate
nokundjisera otjitoto mbi wire mo.
8 Omanyoneno wawo nga e ye ku
wo ngunda ave hi nokutjiwa;
ngave patwe i ombate yawo oveni,
nu ngave wire motjitoto tji va sa oveni.
9 Ami otji me yoroka muMuhona,
nu me nyanda mena rokutja eye we ndji yama.
10 Nomutima wandje auhe ami me tja nai ku Muhona:
“Muhona, ka pena ngu ri otja ove.
Ove u yama ingwi otjingundi ku
ingwi ngu nomasa pu ye,
nomusyona nomuhepe ku ingwi
ngu meve pundu oviṋa.”
11 Ovandu ovanauvi mave hongonona
ovizeze ohunga naami,
nu mave ndji kuminine oviṋa, mbi mbi hi nokutjiwa.
12 Owo mave yarura ouvi mouwa,
nami me yumana mokurihahiza.
13 Nungwari, owo tji va ri ava vera,
mba zara ombanda yokupirika,
nu mbe ritatumisa omuini mokuritjaera kovikurya;
mba kumba amba pete otjiuru tjandje,
14 aayo me kumbire epanga
poo omuzamumwe wandje.
Ami mbe rikota moruhoze otja
omundu ngwa ṱirwa ina.
15 Nungwari ami tji mba ri moumba,
owo avehe va nyanda
nave woronganene okundjinyekerera;
ovandu wozonganda mbaa ve ha tjiwa
ve ndji nyondorora, nu va kara pokundjitona.
16 Owo ve ndji hemba nokundjinyekerera,
nu ve ndji kweyera omayo.
17 Muhona, mo tarere nai nga ruṋe?
Ndji yama komayandekero wawo
nu yama omuinyo wandje wina kozongeyama nḓa!
18 Me ku tjere okuhepa mombongo yotjiwaṋa tjoye,
nu me ku tanga momurungu wawo avehe.
19 Oyandjere ovanavita naami
ve ndji nyekerere.
Oyandjere imba mbe ndji tonda uriri,
ve kare nondjoroka moruhoze rwandje.
20 Owo kave hungire omambo wohange,
nungwari ku imba mba suvera ohange,
owo ve ungurisa omambo wovineya.
21 Ve ndji kuminina,
nave yahamisa ovinyo vyawo
ave tja: “Tjok! Tjok!
Twa munu nomeho wetu!”
22 Nungwari, Muhona,
ove wa munu kutja ka tjiperi.
O mwina ko, Muhona.
O kara kokure na ami!
23 Penduka, Muhona, nu ndji yeura.
Sekama, Ndjambi wandje,
nu u ndji kondjera otjiposa tjandje.
24 Oove omunausemba,
Muhona, Ndjambi wandje;
oyandjere ovanavita na
ami okutja ve ndji nyekerere.
25 Ove yandjere kutja ve
rihungirire nai momitima vyawo:
“Ii, opu twa vanga nao!
Twe mu ṋiṋa!”
26 Imba avehe mbe nyandera oumba wandje,
ngave ṱisiwe ohoṋi
nu ve purukisiwe ozondunge;
imba mbe muna kutja owo ohee pu ami,
ngave ṱisiwe ohoṋi.
27 Ngave nyande nu ve yoroke imba
mbe vanga kutja mbi pangurwe osemba,
nu ngave kare pokutja:
“Muhona, tjiri, omunene!
Eye u nonyuṋe mohange yomukarere we!”
28 Ami otji me hongonona ousemba woye,
nu me ku tanga omayuva aehe.
