1 We are all born weak and helpless.
All lead the same short, troubled life.
2 We grow and wither as quickly as flowers;
we disappear like shadows.
3 Will you even look at me, God,
or put me on trial and judge me?
4 Nothing clean can ever come
from anything as unclean as human beings.
5 The length of our lives is decided beforehand—
the number of months we will live.
You have settled it, and it can't be changed.
6 Look away from us and leave us alone;
let us enjoy our hard life—if we can.
7 There is hope for a tree that has been cut down;
it can come back to life and sprout.
8 Even though its roots grow old,
and its stump dies in the ground,
9 with water it will sprout like a young plant.
10 But we die, and that is the end of us;
we die, and where are we then?
11 Like rivers that stop running,
and lakes that go dry,
12 people die, never to rise.
They will never wake up while the sky endures;
they will never stir from their sleep.
13 I wish you would hide me in the world of the dead;
let me be hidden until your anger is over,
and then set a time to remember me.
14 If a man dies, can he come back to life?
But I will wait for better times,
wait till this time of trouble is ended.
15 Then you will call, and I will answer,
and you will be pleased with me, your creature.
16 Then you will watch every step I take,
but you will not keep track of my sins.
17 You will forgive them and put them away;
you will wipe out all the wrongs I have done.
18 There comes a time when mountains fall
and solid cliffs are moved away.
19 Water will wear down rocks,
and heavy rain will wash away the soil;
so you destroy our hope for life.
20 You overpower us and send us away forever;
our faces are twisted in death.
21 Our children win honor, but we never know it,
nor are we told when they are disgraced.
22 We feel only the pain of our own bodies
and the grief of our own minds.
1 “Eṱe atuhe twa kwatwa
ovingundi novehinohepero.
Atuhe tu hupa oruveze orusupi
ndu nomauzeu omengi.
2 Tu nyomoka natu kata
tjimanga tjimuna ozongara;
tu zenga tjimuna otjizire.
3 Nu ove mo tara ku ami are, Ndjambi,
no ndji twa mombanguriro?
4 Kamaamu zu otjiṋa otjikohoke
motjiṋa ngamwa atjihe
otjihakohoke tjimuna omundu.
5 Oure womuinyo we wa
zikamisiwa okuza kombutiro,
ihi otjivaro tjomieze
eye mbi ma kara nomuinyo.
Ove wa zikamisa omayandero
womuinyo we,
nu kamaaye rundururwa ko.
6 Humburuka ku ye,
nu mu esa a kare erike;
mu esa a yorokise ehupiro re ezeu,
tji ma sora.
7 “Ku nomaundjiro komuti mbwa kewa;
owo mau sora okukotora
omuinyo nokunyomoka.
8 Nangarire kutja omize
vyawo vya kurupa,
nokutja otjiunda
tjawo tja kokera mehi,
9 tji mau tjatjwa,
owo tjandje mau nyomoka
tjimuna okamuti okaṱiṱi.
10 Nungwari omundu
ma koka na yanda mbo;
ma koka, nu hapo a kara pi?
11 Otja ozonḓonḓu nḓe isa okupupa,
notja omarindi nge pwira,
12 ovandu otji ve koka,
nu kamaave penduka.
Evaverwa mari yanda
ngunda ave hiya penduka,
kamaave penduka
mozomboṱu zawo.
13 Ami me zeri kutja andakuzu
mo ndji horeke motjovakoke;
ndji esa mbi horekwe nga
omazenge woye tji ya zu po,
tjazumba u twe po oruveze
ndu mo ndji zemburuka.
14 Omundu tja koka,
u rira omunamuinyo rukwao are?
Nungwari ami me
undju otuveze otusemba,
me undju nga oruveze ndwi
rwoviwonga tji rwa yanda.
15 Tjazumba ove mo isana,
nu ami me itavere,
nove mo kara nenyando mu ami,
ngu mbi ri otjiutwa tjoye.
16 Ove mo tjevere omukambo
auhe mbu me yata,
nungwari ko nokuteza
ozondambo zourunde wandje.
17 Ove mo isire omauvi wandje,
no ye isa po;
Ove mo zemisa ozongatukiro
zandje azehe.
18 “Mape ya oruveze ozondundu mu maze u,
notuuwa otukukutu mu matu
isiwa po poṋa patwo.
19 Omeva ma ye kururura omawe,
nombura onḓeu ma i pupu ehi;
Ove otji mo nyono omaundjiro
wokuhupa kwomundu.
20 Ove mo ṋiṋikizire omundu pehi,
nu mo mu hindi
kwarwe ku ma kakarerera.
Omurungu we mau
runduruka monḓiro.
21 Ovanatje ve nandi va
munu ondjingonekero,
eye kemee i tjiwa ko;
wina eye ke nakuraerwa,
owo tji mave ṱisiwa ohoṋi.
22 Eye me rimunu omihihamo
porwavyo morutu rwe omuini,
noruhoze rwomuinyo we omuini.”
