(A special psalm by the clan of Korah and for the music leader.)
A Prayer for Help
1 Our God, our ancestors told us
what wonders you worked
and we listened carefully.
2 You chased off the nations
by causing them trouble
with your powerful arm.
Then you let our ancestors
take over their land.
3 Their strength and weapons
were not what won the land
and gave them victory!
You loved them and fought
with your powerful arm
and your shining glory.
4 You are my God and King,
and you give victory
to the people of Jacob.
5 By your great power,
we knocked our enemies down
and trampled on them.
6 I don't depend on my arrows
or my sword to save me.
7 But you saved us
from our hateful enemies,
and you put them to shame.
8 We boast about you, our God,
and we are always grateful.
9 But now you have rejected us;
you don't lead us into battle,
and we look foolish.
10 You made us retreat,
and our enemies have taken
everything we own.
11 You let us be slaughtered
like sheep,
and you scattered us
among the nations.
12 You sold your people
for little or nothing,
and you earned no profit.
13 You made us look foolish
to our neighbors;
people who live nearby
insult us and sneer.
14 Foreigners joke about us
and shake their heads.
15 I am embarrassed every day,
and I blush with shame.
16 But others mock and sneer,
as they watch my enemies
take revenge on me.
17 All this happened to us,
though we didn't forget you
or break our agreement.
18 We always kept you in mind
and followed your teaching.
19 But you crushed us,
and you covered us
with deepest darkness
where wild animals live.
20 We did not forget you
or lift our hands in prayer
to foreign gods.
21 You would have known it
because you discover
every secret thought.
22 We face death all day for you.
We are like sheep on their way
to be slaughtered.
23 Wake up! Do something, Lord!
Why are you sleeping?
Don't desert us forever.
24 Why do you keep looking away?
Don't forget our sufferings
and all our troubles.
25 We are flat on the ground,
holding on to the dust.
26 Do something! Help us!
Show how kind you are
and come to our rescue.
Okupula egameno
oshitewo kezimo lyaKora
1 Onomakutsi getu yene twe shi uvu, Kalunga —
ootate oye shi tu hokololele.
Oya popi iilonga iinene we yi longo pethimbo lyawo
opomasiku gonalenale.
2 Owa tidha po aapagani
nowa langeke aantu yoye mevi ndyoka we li ya pe.
Owa geele iigwana yilwe
nowa kaleke nawa aantu yoye.
3 Aantu yoye inaa kwata evi molwomagonga gawo,
inaa sindana koonkondo dhawo yene,
ihe okoonkondo nokomatha goye,
okeinekelo oku ku inekela,
oshoka owa li u ya hole.
4 Ongoye omukwaniilwa gwandje naKalunga kandje;
ongoye to pe aantu yoye esindano,
5 nokoonkondo dhoye tatu sindi aatondi yetu.
6 Ngame itandi inekele uutati wandje
nenge egonga lyandje, li hupithe ndje;
7 ihe ongoye we tu hupitha miikaha yaatondi yetu
nowa sitha aatondi yetu ohoni.
8 Otwa hala oku ku simaneka ethimbo kehe
notatu ku pandula sigo aluhe.
9 Ihe ngashingeyi owe tu ekelehi
nowe tu etha, tu sindike;
ito tidha po we aatondi yetu.
10 Owe tu etha, tu tidhwe kaatondi yetu
noyi ihakanene omaliko getu.
11 Owe tu etha, tu dhipagwe ongoonzi;
owe tu halakanithile muupongekwa.
12 Owa landitha po aantu yoye kombiliha,
ongo to tala kutya kaye na omupondo gwasha.
13 Aashiinda yetu oya mono shoka we tu ningile
notaye tu sheke e taye tu yolo.
14 Owe tu ningi oshiyolwa mokati kiigwana;
otaye tu tala nondhino taa pukapuka komitse.
15 Ngame ondi li momupya aluhe;
onda gugwa
16 kokuuva omanyenkelo nomasheko gaaniita nangame
naambo ye tonde ndje.
17 Ayihe mbika oye tu adha, nonando tse inatu ku dhimbwa
nenge tu teye ehangano ndyoka wa hangana natse.
18 Otwa kala aainekelwa yoye;
inatu kala inaatu vulika kiipango yoye.
19 Ihe ngoye owe tu ethele mokati kiiyamakuti;
owe tu thigi momilema thokothoko.
20 Ngele ando otwe ethele okugalikana Kalunga ketu
e tatu galikana oshikalunga shontumba,
21 nena ando owe shi dhimbulula,
oshoka omadhiladhilo getu gomonguwi owe ga tseya.
22 Ihe omolwoye tatu dhipagwa ethimbo alihe;
tatu ningwa ngaashi oonzi tadhi dhipagwa.
23 Omuwa, penduka!
Omolwashike wa kotha?
Yeluka! Ino tu ekelahi sigo aluhe!
24 Omolwashike to tu holama?
Ino dhimbwa okuhepekwa nuudhigu wetu!
25 Otwa hatwa pevi;
otwa lala montsi twa sindika.
26 Ila, u tu kwathe!
Tu hupitha omolwesilohenda lyoye!
