(By David.)
A Prayer for the Nation
1 I praise you, Lord!
You are my mighty rock,
and you teach me
how to fight my battles.
2 You are my friend, my fortress,
where I am safe.
You are my shield,
and you made me the ruler
of our people.
3 Why do we humans mean anything
to you, our Lord?
Why do you care about us?
4 We disappear like a breath;
we last no longer
than a faint shadow.
5 Open the heavens like a curtain
and come down, Lord.
Touch the mountains
and make them send up smoke.
6 Use your lightning as arrows
to scatter my enemies
and make them run away.
7 Reach down from heaven
and set me free.
Save me from the mighty flood
8 of those lying foreigners
who never tell the truth.
9 In praise of you, our God,
I will sing a new song,
while playing my harp.
10 By your power, kings win wars,
and your servant David is saved
from deadly swords.
11 Won't you keep me safe
from those lying foreigners
who never tell the truth?
12 Let's pray that our young sons
will grow like strong plants
and that our daughters
will be as lovely as columns
in the corner of a palace.
13 May our barns be filled
with all kinds of crops.
May our fields be covered
with sheep by the thousands,
14 and every cow have calves.
Don't let our city be captured
or any of us be taken away,
and don't let cries of sorrow
be heard in our streets.
15 Our Lord and our God,
you give these blessings
to all who worship you.
Mambo banobokela Ndzimu kukunda
1 Ngakukudziwe Yahwe, shongwe yangu,
ibo banodiya maboko angu kugwa,
ne zwinyala zwangu kugwa ngwa,
2 Shongwe yangu kakale mbakililo yangu,
mbako yangu yakasima kakale ntjidzi wangu,
tjivikili tjangu, mubali ndowana dizhilo,
imwi munothama kuti bathu babe pasi kwangu.
3 Imwi Yahwe, nthu ini kwamungabe ne hanya naye,
kene nthu we nyama ne lopa ini,
wamungashwa munkumbula kene?
4 Nthu unonga phepo
mazhuba awe anonga ntutshi unopinda.
5 Webani zhuzhugwi kwenyu Yahwe,
ngono mudelukile pasi,
kuthani matombo kuti athungayile bhulubusi.
6 Penyesani lupenyo gubapaladze,
tumidzilani misebe yenyu mubatate.
7 Tambunudzani luboko gwenyu kudwa pezhugwi,
munditjidze mundiangule mu vula dzina masimba,
mu maboko e bataya,
8 be milomo inoleba manyepkhwa,
ne maboko abo e luji aana malebeswa.
9 Ndowomumbila lumbo gutshwa, imwi Ndzimu
ndowomulidzila dende le misungo ili gumi,
10 Imwi munopa bomambo kukunda.
Imwi munogwila nlanda wenyu Dafite.
11 Mundigwile mu thumo lisina ngoni,
kakale mundiangule mu maboko e bataya,
be milomo inoleba manyepkhwa,
kakale maboko abo e luji aana malebeswa.
12 Dzene bakololo bedu mu butjetjana gwabo
banganga miti yakakula kwakapelela.
Bakololokadzi bedu bange phanda dze ndzibo,
dzakatemegwa mbako ye ng'umba ye bushe.
13 Dzene matula edu angazhala,
azhadziwe nge zwilimwa zwakasiyasiyana,
dzene pkhwizi dzedu dzingazwala dzikabe zwiwulu,
dzikabe makumi e zwiwulu mu mafulo edu,
14 dzene mangabe angasima kakweba ntolo unolema,
kuti kusitongobe ne ungathukila kene unotapiwa,
ngakusibe ne tjililo tje kuhwa zogwadza mu mikoto yedu!
15 Kwakashatha ibabo
bathu banokombolegwa kwakajalo.
Kwakashatha bathu banotola
Yahwe bali Ndzimu wabo!