A Prayer for Justice
1 Why are you so far away, O Lord?
Why do you hide yourself when we are in trouble?
2 The wicked are proud and persecute the poor;
catch them in the traps they have made.

3 The wicked are proud of their evil desires;
the greedy curse and reject the Lord.
4 The wicked do not care about the Lord;
in their pride they think that God doesn't matter.

5 The wicked succeed in everything.
They cannot understand God's judgments;
they sneer at their enemies.
6 They say to themselves, “We will never fail;
we will never be in trouble.”
7 Their speech is filled with curses, lies, and threats;
they are quick to speak hateful, evil words.

8 They hide themselves in the villages,
waiting to murder innocent people.
They spy on their helpless victims;
9 they wait in their hiding place like lions.
They lie in wait for the poor;
they catch them in their traps and drag them away.

10 The helpless victims lie crushed;
brute strength has defeated them.
11 The wicked say to themselves, “God doesn't care!
He has closed his eyes and will never see me!”

12 O Lord, punish those wicked people!
Remember those who are suffering!
13 How can the wicked despise God
and say to themselves, “He will not punish me”?

14 But you do see; you take notice of trouble and suffering
and are always ready to help.
The helpless commit themselves to you;
you have always helped the needy.

15 Break the power of wicked and evil people;
punish them for the wrong they have done
until they do it no more.

16 The Lord is king forever and ever.
Those who worship other gods
will vanish from his land.

17 You will listen, O Lord, to the prayers of the lowly;
you will give them courage.
18 You will hear the cries of the oppressed and the orphans;
you will judge in their favor,
so that mortal men may cause terror no more.
Ntembezelo wekukumbila bhatsho
1 Ini mulimilile kule Yahwe?
Ini muzwisumbika mu misi ye manikano?
2 Nge kuzwikudza babi banodziyidza bashayi,
ngababhakhwe nge matati abakateya ibo.

3 Babi banozwikudza ngekwe
yemula dzabo dzakabipa.
Magovu anotuka akabuya
akazwilandula Yahwe.
4 Mu kuzwida kwabo,
babi abatoshaka Ndzimu.
Mikumbulo yabo inoti “Akuna Ndzimu.”

5 Mishingo yabo inodwilila misi yose.
Kusumikilisa kwenyu kupezhugwi,
abatokubona zwita zwabo banozwidadila.
6 Banozwidwa mu mimoyo yabo beti,
“Akuna tjingatizunguza.”
Mu zwizekugwana zose zwinowozha
akuna tjingatiwila tjibibi.
7 Milomo yabo izhele bhiso
ne bupitipiti ne kutshambilidza,
ndimi dzabo dzizhele kutjinya ne bubi.

8 Unolalila bathu mu zwikotjo zwe mizi;
Mu magalo akasumbikala
unobulaya bathu basina nlandu.
9 Unobgwatilila se shumba.
Unobgwatilila kubhata bashayi.
Unobhata bashayi
ebakweba nge gwanga gugwe.

10 Unokotama kazwilulwamisila kumadzuka,
basina masimba banoligwa nge masimba awe.
11 Unozwidwa eti, “Ndzimu wakangang'wa,
wazwimba buso gwawo awungandibone.”

12 Milikani Yahwe!
Milidzani luboko gwenyu Ndzimu.
Musikangang'we bamukuhwisiwa zogwadza.
13 Ini mbi eleba kusakalulwama ngekwe Ndzimu,
ebe ezwidwa eti mu moyo uwe,
“Amungandiyitile nlandu.”

14 Koga mobona! Nge malebeswa wose
moyela njele, bakamanikana
bedziyidzika, kuti mubhatshe.
Badziyili banogalabgwe mu muli.
Mobhatsha siyang'wa.

15 Pedzani masimba e mbi
ne nshingi we mbipo.
Thamani kuti kutjinya kukwe kupele.
16 Yahwe ndibo mambo nge kusingapele,
tjaba dzowoloba mu shango yabo.

17 Yahwe, imwi mohwa yemula
dze bana moyo minyolo,
mowobasimisa, mukahwilila tjililo tjabo,
18 kushingila ndulamo siyang'wa
bakatshambilidziwa.
Kuti ndizo nthu we shango ino
asitjazhise kutjisa kakale!