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.
Okwiindilila uuyuuki
1 Omuwa, omolwashike wa kala kokule?
Omolwashike wa holama pomathimbo guudhigu?
2 Aakolokoshi oyo aainenepeki
nohaa tidhagana oohepele;
naa yulwe koomwigo ye dhi tega yo yene.
3 Omukolokoshi oti itangele uuhalu we uuwinayi;
omunyokomi ota sheke e ta dhini Omuwa.
4 Omukolokoshi ke na ko nasha nOmuwa;
mokwiinenepeka kwe
ota dhiladhila kutya Kalunga ita kwatha sha.
5 Omukolokoshi ota tsakanitha ashihe shoka te shi ningi.
Omapangulo gaKalunga ita vulu oku ga uva ko;
aatondi ye okwe ya nyonkele.
6 Oye ti ilombwele ta ti:
“Itandi ka adhika komupya;
itandi ka adhika nando okuudhigu washa.”
7 Oohapu dhe odhu udha omasheko, iifundja nomatilitho;
oku na oohapu dhuutondwe nuukolokoshi.
8 Oye ha langele aantu momikunda,
a dhipage mboka inaaya yona sha.
Oye ta ndaadha mboka itaaya vulu okwiikwatha;
9 ota langele moshiholameno she
ngaashi onkoshi.
Oye ta lala a langela oonakuhepa;
ote ya yulu nomwigo gwe e ta yi nayo.
10 Omapongo otaga lala ga dhengwa;
oonkondo oonkolokoshi odhe ga sindi.
11 Omukolokoshi oti ilombwele ta ti:
“Kalunga ke na ko nasha nasho!
Okwa thithikilitha omeho ge
noita mono ndje!”
12 Omuwa, geela aakolokoshi mbo!
Dhimbulukwa mboka taa hepekwa!
13 Omukolokoshi ota vulu ngiini okudhina Kalunga,
a tye: “Kalunga ita geele ndje?”
14 Ihe ngoye Kalunga ou wete ayihe;
owa tseya uuwehame nomahepeko
nowi ilongekidha aluhe okukwatha.
Epongo otali igandja kungoye;
oho kwatha aluhe aanaluhepo.
15 Hanagula po oonkondo dhaakolokoshi nodhaapwidhi;
ya geelela uuwinayi wawo sigo itaa shi ningi we.
16 Omuwa oye omukwaniilwa aluhe sigo aluhe.
Aasimaneki yiikalunga otaa ka kana mo moshilongo she.
17 Ngoye Omuwa oto ka pulakena omagalikano gaafupi;
oto ke ya tsa omukumo.
18 Oto ku uva okulila kwaathiminikwa nokwoothigwa;
oto ke ya uthila pauyuuki,
opo oonakukasa yaa longe iihuna.
