BOOK IV
(A prayer by Moses, the man of God.)
God Is Eternal
1 Our Lord, in all generations
you have been our home.
2 You have always been God—
long before the birth
of the mountains,
even before you created
the earth and the world.
3 At your command we die
and turn back to dust,
4 but a thousand years
mean nothing to you!
They are merely a day gone by
or a few hours in the night.
5 You bring our lives to an end
just like a dream.
We are merely tender grass
6 that sprouts and grows
in the morning,
but dries up by evening.
7 Your furious anger frightens
and destroys us,
8 and you know all our sins,
even those we do in secret.
9 Your anger is a burden
each day we live,
then life ends like a sigh.
10 We can expect seventy years,
or maybe eighty,
if we are healthy,
but even our best years
bring trouble and sorrow.
Suddenly our time is up,
and we disappear.
11 No one knows the full power
of your furious anger,
but it is as great as the fear
that we owe to you.
12 Teach us to use wisely
all the time we have.
13 Help us, Lord! Don't wait!
Pity your servants.
14 When morning comes,
let your love satisfy
all our needs.
Then we can celebrate
and be glad for what time
we have left.
15 Make us happy for as long
as you caused us trouble
and sorrow.
16 Do wonderful things for us,
your servants,
and show your mighty power
to our children.
17 Our Lord and our God,
treat us with kindness
and let all go well for us.
Please let all go well!
Okuhakalapo kwovanhu
Ounongoimbilo laEtan Omuesrahi.
1 Omwene, Oove u li po ehondameno letu
okudja koludalo noludalo.
2 Manga ino shita eemhunda
nomanga ino holola po ounyuni,
Ove Kalunga kaalushe oko wa li,
noto ka kala alushe fiyo alushe.
3 Ove to shunifa omunhu mondwi yedu,
ndele to ti: “Alukeni, oludi lovanhu nye.”
4 Osheshi omido eyovi, kwoove oda fa
efiku longhela, eshi la pita po,
nongaashi olufo loufiku lomunangeli.
5 Ove to va kungulula po, ove li ngaashi eemhofi;
ongula ve li ngaashi omwiidi tau twiyuka;
6 ou tau penduka omutalala, ndele tau tutuma,
nomokutokelwa kwao tau lembalala,
ndele tau kukuta ngaho.
7 Osheshi fye ohatu nyonaunwa po kehandu loye,
nohatu vakulwa po kokuudonya kwoye.
8 Owii wetu u kaleka ofika koshipala shoye,
noiholekwa yetweelela
oto i holola ya yela koshipala shoye.
9 Osheshi omafiku etu aeshe otaa piti po ketikuko loye;
omido detu ohatu di xulifa po ngaashi ehefo.
10 Okukala po kwetu kombada yedu
oku fike pomido omilongo heyali,
ngeenge okuhapu, shapu omilongo hetatu,
nouwa wako: oudjuu auke netutuko;
osheshi oko otaku pitilile po diva,
fye ohatu vilola po.
11 Ndelenee elipipo te lipulapula
neenghono dehandu loye,
e lipulaapule nonyengo yoye,
opo a kale te ku tila?
12 Tu longa okuvala omafiku etu,
fye tu pewe omutima wa nongopala.
13 Omwene, aluka vali! Wa hala u kale ko
fiyo onaini mbela?
Ningila ovapiya voye olukeno.
14 Pita ongula, u tu palule nouwanghenda woye,
fye tu shiive okukuwilila
nokuhafa momafiku etu aeshe.
15 Hovela oku tu hafifa omafiku e fike pwaa
we tu nyematifa,
nomido di fike pwaadi twa li noudjuu.
16 Okulonga kwoye, efa ku monike kovapiya voye,
noshingetumbalo shoye okoludalo lavo.
17 Efilonghenda lOmwene Kalunga ketu
nali kale kombada yetu!
Noilonga yomake etu i punika,
heeno, oilonga yomake etu i nangeka noupuna.
