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.
Ekuwo longhuwo molwokupopilwa kovamonifi voixuna
1 Omwene, oshike u li kokule ngaho
ndele to hondama pomafimbo oudjuu?
2 Moumbudilinenepeko otava taataa epongo;
nave likwatife neemhangela davo vene edi va tota.
3 Osheshi omukehenakalunga
ote litadele oiningwa yokahalu kaye;
ndele omunalwisho ta sheke Omwene.
4 Omukehenakalunga mokufulalala kwaye
ita kongo Kalunga;
Omadiladilo aye aeshe osho:
“Kaku na Kalunga.”
5 Meendjila daye efimbo alishe ota mono ouwa;
nomatokolo oye a fa e li kokule naye ngaashi eulu,
ovakondjifi vaye aveshe ote va tauluka.
6 Ote lipopile momutima waye, ta ti:
“Itandi ka punduka nande;
fiyo alushe itandi ka hangika komupya.”
7 Mokanya kaye omwa yada efingotukano,
nomaketuketu omafininiko;
koshi yelaka laye oku nehanauko nowii.
8 Ota hondjaunine pomikunda meenhele da fita,
opo a dipae omuyuki;
omesho aye otaa mono omunamupya.
9 Oye ta hondama mengade
ngaashi onghoshi monhele yayo;
ta nangele a kwate epongo;
ta kwata epongo moku li yula
meendjadja daye;
10 ta hondjaunine, te livate po,
nomunamupya ota wile momakasha aye.
11 Te lipopile momutima waye nokutya:
“Kalunga ote shi dimbwa,
Oye okwe likwata komesho,
Ye ite shi mono nande.”
12 Omwene, yambuka!
Kalunga, yelula okwooko kwoye!
Ove ino dimbwa ovanamupya!
13 Omukehenakalunga, oshike ta dini Kalunga
ndele ta ti momutima waye:
“Ito shi yavala.”
14 Ove we shi mona nokuli;
osheshi okuningwa nai nokulilifwa,
oto shi dimbulukwa,
noto shi tambula shi kale momake oye;
to lineekelwa kwaau, ehe nomukwafi,
Oove omukwafi weefiye.
15 Teyaula okwooko
kwomukolokoshi nomuhenakalunga,
u yukife owii waye, fiyo ito u mono vali.
16 Omwene, Ove ohamba fiyo alushe;
mouhamba woye ovapaani ova pwa mo.
17 Omwene, Ove ho udu odjuulufi yovalininipiki;
Oove ho pameke omitima davo;
nokutwi kwoye to ku ehenifa kuvo,
18 opo u yandjele ouyuki keefiye nokeehepele,
paha kale vali omukwadu
ta eta po etilifohaluko.
