1 “Nungwari ovarumendu omitanda pu ami
nambano ve ndji nyekerera!
Ooihe aruhe va ri oviporoporo uriri,
nga ami tji mbi he ve varere otja ovandu mbe
sokuvatera ozombwa zandje okurisa ozonḓu.
2 Owo va ri ovandu vakauriri,
mba mana omasa,
ovingundi tjinene nga tjaave ha sora
okundjiungurira ngamwa otjiungura.
3 Va ngundipara nai mena rouhepe nondjara,
nga tji va ṱaṱuna omize mbya kukuta
momakuti nge ri tjo nongaango.
4 Aave nikora ovihape vyokuti onguza ave ri,
nangarire omize vyomunḓumba,
mbi hi norutjato.
5 Avehe ve ve ramba amave ve rokohere
aayo mave rokohere omarunga.
6 Owo va turire motupoko, na momina
mbya sewa mehi na motuuwa.
7 Owo va vandara otja ovipuka
momakuti nave rinyutire momahwa.
8 Tjiri, owo va ri ovandu
vakauriri mbe hi nomasa!
Owo va rambwa mehi.
9 “Nambano ve ya okundjiyora,
ami hitjiṋa ku wo posi
yokundjiyamba porwako.
10 Owo ve ndji tara nonyengo,
nu ve ripura kutja owo
ovasemba tjinene pu ami,
nu wina kave nokuivaiva
okundjitjekera omate momurungu.
11 Mena rokutja Ndjambi we ndji
ngundiparisa ne he ndji vatere,
owo otji mave ndji sekamene
noundandi wawo auhe.
12 Ovandu vakauriri
mba mave ndji sekamene;
owo mave ndji ramba nomawe,
nave ndji twa mozondjira zoumba.
13 Owo va tjaere omatauriro wandje
na ve kondjo okundjiyandeka;
nu kape na umwe ngwee ve tjurura.
14 Owo va tuurungira mondovi
okuteya omasa wandje,
nave raukire kombanda yandje.
15 Ami mba kamburwa i omburuma;
omeritjiviro wandje ya zenga,
aayo ma e hingwa i otjivepo,
nouṋingandu wandje mau
kapita tjimuna otjikamba.
16 “Nambano ami mbi ri pokukoka,
ka penongutukiro komihihamo vyandje.
17 Ouṱuku omaṱupa wandje aehe ye hihamwa,
nomihihamo mbi ndji korokoha,
kavi roro okupora.
18 Ndjambi me ndji kambura kombanda
yandje nomasa tjinene,
nu me ndji sina tjimuna osengo
yombanda yandje tji i ndji sina.
19 Eye we ndji yumbu motjinoko,
nami mba rire ondova porwayo.
20 “Ami me ku kove, Ndjambi,
nungwari ove ko nokundjizira oparukaze;
me kurama komurungu woye,
nu ove ko na ko na tja na ami.
21 Ove u ndji tjita outwe,
nu u ndji tatumisa nomasa woye aehe.
22 Ove u tjita kutja otjivepo tji ndji hinge,
nu u ndji zunga motjivepo otjinamasa.
23 Me tjiwa kutja ove mo
ndji twara konḓiro yandje,
koṋa ku ku woronganena ovanamuinyo avehe.
24 Okutjavi tji u rwisa omundu
ngwa ningisa ondjenda nai,
omundu ngu hi notjiṋa tji ma tjiti posi
yokuriyarikaṋa ombatero porwako?
25 Ami himba ri noruhoze puna
ovandu mbe ri moumba,
nu hi ṱire ondjenda na
imba mbe nouhepe are?
26 Ami mba ri nonḓero yokumuna
ouwa nondjerera,
nungwari mba muna ouvi nonḓorera.
27 Ami mba zunganisiwa moukoto
nokuhinokumuna orusuvo,
eyuva arihe tjinga aa ri
ndji etere omihihamo.
28 Ami me tambatamba moruhoze,
nokuhinomundu ngu
me ndji huhumiṋa;
me kurama mokati kovandu
ame riyarikaṋa ombatero.
29 Eraka randje ra ningisa
ondjenda nu ri ri ariyerike
tjimuna omavandarero
wombandje poo wombo.
30 Omukova wandje wa tanauka
okurira omuzorondu,
nomaṱupa wandje maye
nyosiwa i otjindjumba.
31 Otjiharpe tjandje tja rira omutambo,
nohiva yandje ya rira ombosiro yovarire.
1 But men younger than I am make fun of me now!
Their fathers have always been so worthless
that I wouldn't let them help my dogs guard sheep.
2 They were a bunch of worn-out men,
too weak to do any work for me.
3 They were so poor and hungry
that they would gnaw dry roots—
at night, in wild, desolate places.
4 They pulled up the plants of the desert and ate them,
even the tasteless roots of the broom tree!
5 Everyone drove them away with shouts,
as if they were shouting at thieves.
6 They had to live in caves,
in holes dug in the sides of cliffs.
7 Out in the wilds they howled like animals
and huddled together under the bushes.
8 A worthless bunch of nameless nobodies!
They were driven out of the land.
9 Now they come and laugh at me;
I am nothing but a joke to them.
10 They treat me with disgust;
they think they are too good for me,
and even come and spit in my face.
11 Because God has made me weak and helpless,
they turn against me with all their fury.
12 This mob attacks me head-on;
they send me running; they prepare their final assault.
13 They cut off my escape and try to destroy me;
and there is no one to stop them.
14 They pour through the holes in my defenses
and come crashing down on top of me;
15 I am overcome with terror;
my dignity is gone like a puff of wind,
and my prosperity like a cloud.
16 Now I am about to die;
there is no relief for my suffering.
17 At night my bones all ache;
the pain that gnaws me never stops.
18 God seizes me by my collar
and twists my clothes out of shape.
19 He throws me down in the mud;
I am no better than dirt.
20 I call to you, O God, but you never answer;
and when I pray, you pay no attention.
21 You are treating me cruelly;
you persecute me with all your power.
22 You let the wind blow me away;
you toss me about in a raging storm.
23 I know you are taking me off to my death,
to the fate in store for everyone.
24 Why do you attack a ruined man,
one who can do nothing but beg for pity?
25 Didn't I weep with people in trouble
and feel sorry for those in need?
26 I hoped for happiness and light,
but trouble and darkness came instead.
27 I am torn apart by worry and pain;
I have had day after day of suffering.
28 I go about in gloom, without any sunshine;
I stand up in public and plead for help.
29 My voice is as sad and lonely
as the cries of a jackal or an ostrich.
30 My skin has turned dark; I am burning with fever.
31 Where once I heard joyful music,
now I hear only mourning and weeping.
