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.
ǂHanu-aisib di ǀgores
1 ǃKhūtse, tare xū-i ǃaromats kha ǃnūse mâ?
Tare-i ǃaromats ǂōǂōsib ǁaeb ǃnâ ra gaugausen?
2 ǁÎn ǂnīsasib ǃnân ge ǂkhabadī-aona ǀgâsana ra ǃgôaǃgon
an ǁîn ǂûn ǂnûi hâ ǃnuidi xa ǃkhōhe.
3 ǂKhabadī-aon ge ǁîn di ǂkhaba turagu ǀkha ra koasen.
Xūǃgunuxan ge ǀâxareba ǃkhōǃoa tsî ǃKhūba ra ǃharaxū.
4 ǂKhabadī-aon ge ǁîn ǀgapiǂâixasib ǃnâ nēti ra ǂâi:
“Elob ge ǃeream-e ǂgaoǀkhā te tide.”
ǁÎn di ǂâidi ǃnâb ge Eloba a ǀkhai.
5 ǁÎn ge ǂâibasenn ra xūn hoan ǃnâ ra ǃgâiǃgâ,
sa ǀgoraǃgâdi ge ǁîna xu kaise a ǃnū.
ǃGôaǁnâs asen ge khākhoen ân ai ra ǂara.
6 ǂGaogu ân ǃnân ge ra mî:
“Tātsēs tsîna da ge tsūǃgâ-i ǃnâ ǂgâ tide.”
7 Ams â-i ge ǀâxareb tsî ǂhumib xa ǀoa hâ,
nams â-i ǃnaka ǂkhabasib tsî ǁgauoǃnâsib tsîkha.
8 ǀHôagaosen huio khoen ǃaroma ǃnuide ǃārodi ǃnâ ra ǁgui;
tsî ǂganǃgâsa ǃkhaidi ai ǀhapio khoena ra ǃgam
tsî di ge mûdi âna ǀkhomǀkhomsana ra ǃkhē.
9 Gauǃkhais ân ǃnân ge xam-i khami
ǀgâsan di ǃkharusa ǃâuǁgoe
tsî ǁîna ǃnuis ân ǃnâ ǃkhō tsî ra ǃkharabē.
10 Tsî i ge nē huio khoe-e ǂkhū tsî ra ǁnā
nē ǀgaiǀkhā-i xa danhe tsî.
11 ǂKhabadī-aon ge ǂgaogu ân ǃnâ
“Elob ge ǀuru hâ, tsî ais âba gaugau hâ,
tsî ǁkhawa mû tide” ti ra ǂâi.
12 Khâi re ǃKhūtse! Nē ǂkhabadī-aona ǁkhara re!
Îts ǁgâiǀāhe hâna tā ǀuru.
13 Mâtin kha ǂkhabadī-aona Eloba mîǁnâ tsî
“ǁÎb ge ǁkhara te tide” ti ǂgaogu ân ǃnâ ra mî?
14 Xawets ge satsa ǂōǂōsib tsî ǃoab tsîkha ra mû,
tsîts ge ǁîkha ra dībē.
Huio khoen ra sats ai mûmâinǃgâ,
tsîts ǃguniǀgôana ǁgûse ība.
15 Khôaǃā re ǁnā ǂkhabadī-aon di ǀgaiba,
î tsūdīb ân ai ǁîna ǁkhara re,
ôats ka xawets ǁkhawa hō tides kōse.
16 ǃKhūb ge ǀamose a gao-ao.
ǀŪben ge ǃhūbaiba xu nî kā.
17 ǃKhūtse, ǃgamǃgamsensan di ǀgoresa ǁnâu
tsîts ge ǁîna nî ǀgaiǀgai.
18 ǁGâiǀāhe hân tsî ǃguniǀgôan di āsa ǁnâu
tsîts ge ǁîn ǃgâib ǃoa nî ǀgoraǃgâ,
îb ǁō ǁkhā khoesiba tā ǃaruǀî ǁîna ǃaoǃao.
