An Evening Prayer
1 I call to you, Lord; help me now!
Listen to me when I call to you.
2 Receive my prayer as incense,
my uplifted hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Lord, place a guard at my mouth,
a sentry at the door of my lips.
4 Keep me from wanting to do wrong
and from joining evil people in their wickedness.
May I never take part in their feasts.
5 Good people may punish me and rebuke me in kindness,
but I will never accept honor from evil people,
because I am always praying against their evil deeds.
6 When their rulers are thrown down from rocky cliffs,
the people will admit that my words were true.
7 Like wood that is split and chopped into bits,
so their bones are scattered at the edge of the grave.
8 But I keep trusting in you, my Sovereign Lord.
I seek your protection;
don't let me die!
9 Protect me from the traps they have set for me,
from the snares of those evildoers.
10 May the wicked fall into their own traps
while I go by unharmed.
Ntembezelo we madekwana
1 Ndodana imwi Yahwe, tjimbidzani muzhe kundili,
teedzani hwi langu ha ndimudana.
2 Ntembezelo wangu ngaunge motsha unonuhwa zwinozipa mbeli kwenyu
ne kumilidza maboko angu kunge tjibhayilo tje madekwana.
3 Mubige nlisi pa nlomo wangu, imwi Yahwe,
galani makalisa zhuka kwe nlomo wangu.
4 Musitongoshandulila moyo wangu ku bubi kene guli gupi,
kwandinganginikana ne mishingo mibi,
ndashanganyila ne bashingi be zwibi
musindiletje aja mizipo yabo.
5 Imani nlulwami andilobe,
n'galimoyo andikumbuludze.
Mafuta e babi ngaasizhodziwe mu nsholo wangu,
ngobe ntembezelo wangu unogwa misi yose ne mishingo yabo mibi.
6 Ha batjilongwa mu maboko a ibabo banowobasumikilisa,
ndiko kwabanowoziba kuti matama a Yahwe malebeswa.
7 Se bgwe linokwamugwa likapkhwanyikila pasi,
ndiko mafupa abo sekwa kwaanowoandamisiwa pa nlomo we gomba le lufu.
8 Koga mesho angu akalinga kumuli, imwi Yahwe, She wangu,
ndoshaka dizhilo mu muli, musindiletjedze ndifa.
9 Mundibakilile mu gwanga gwabakandilukila,
ne mu bhuzha le bashingi be bubi.
10 Babi ngabawile mu makwanga abo,
imi ndipudzumuke!