A Prayer for Justice
1 O Lord, my God, I come to you for protection;
rescue me and save me from all who pursue me,
2 or else like a lion they will carry me off
where no one can save me,
and there they will tear me to pieces.
3-4 O Lord, my God, if I have wronged anyone,
if I have betrayed a friend
or without cause done violence to my enemy —
if I have done any of these things—
5 then let my enemies pursue me and catch me,
let them cut me down and kill me
and leave me lifeless on the ground!
6 Rise in your anger, O Lord!
Stand up against the fury of my enemies;
rouse yourself and help me!
Justice is what you demand,
7 so bring together all the peoples around you,
and rule over them from above.
8 You are the judge of all people.
Judge in my favor, O Lord;
you know that I am innocent.
9 You are a righteous God
and judge our thoughts and desires.
Stop the wickedness of evildoers
and reward those who are good.
10 God is my protector;
he saves those who obey him.
11 God is a righteous judge
and always condemns the wicked.
12 If they do not change their ways,
God will sharpen his sword.
He bends his bow and makes it ready;
13 he takes up his deadly weapons
and aims his burning arrows.
14 See how wicked people think up evil;
they plan trouble and practice deception.
15 But in the traps they set for others,
they themselves get caught.
16 So they are punished by their own evil
and are hurt by their own violence.
17 I thank the Lord for his justice;
I sing praises to the Lord, the Most High.
Ntembezelo we ndingisanyo
1 Yahwe Ndzimu wangu,
ndotizhila kumuli.
Munditjidze mundigwile
muna bakandisala shule,
2 kusajalo banowondipalulanya
se shumba, bendikwebakwebanya,
kusina unondigwila.
3 Yahwe Ndzimu wangu,
ha kuli kuti ndakathama ikoku,
ha kuli kuti kuna nlandu mu ndili,
4 ha kuli kuti ndakabgwilizila
una mbakiso nami nge mbipo,
kene kuli kuti ndakatapila tjita
tjangu ndisayi tjimwe,
5 ha kwakajalo, tjita tjangu ngatjitatane nami,
tjindibhate tjitshambile butjilo gwangu
pasi nge makumbo tjindiladzike mu hwuluba.
6 Milikani Yahwe,
mu kugwadzamoyo kwenyu!
Milikani mugwe ne bushongola
gwe zwita zwangu!
Milikani, Ndzimu wangu,
ngobe makabiga zhuba le sumikiliso.
7 Gubungano le bathu bose,
ngalikubungane kumupoteleka;
Mubalaule muli mu tjigalo tjenyu.
8 Yahwe ndibo nsumikilisi we bathu bose,
mundisumikilise kunoyendidzana
ne ndulamo yangu Yahwe
nenge kuyendidzana
ne kusheta nlandu kwangu!
9 Thamani kuti bubi gwe babi gupele,
koga musimise balulwami,
imwi munoshakisisa mikumbulo ne mimoyo,
imwi Ndzimu wakalulwama.
10 Ndzimu ndiwo tjivikili tjangu
iwo unotjidza bana mimoyo
yakatambunuka.
11 Ndzimu nsumikilisi wakalulwama,
Ndzimu unolakidza bushongola
gwawo mazhuba wose.
12 Ha nthu asingashanduke,
Ndzimu unowokuswa thumo lawo,
ukapeta dati le misebe.
13 Wakalulwamisa mathumo
awo anobulaya,
unolulwamisa misebe ikanga moto.
14 Bonani njalakang'wa dze bathu babi
sekwa dzizhele mbipo,
Bakazwisenga bubi,
bakazwala manyepkhwa,
15 banotsha gomba bakalivukula,
ngono bakawila mu gomba labatsha ibo.
16 Sahwa kwabo kohwisa ibo zogwadza,
da gwa kwabo kowodelukila mu misholo yabo.
17 Ndowoboka Yahwe ngekwe ndulamo yabo,
ndowomba ndikudza zina la Yahwe,
ibo bapezhugwi zhugwi.