A Prayer for the Nation's Deliverance
1 O God, the heathen have invaded your land.
They have desecrated your holy Temple
and left Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They left the bodies of your people for the vultures,
the bodies of your servants for wild animals to eat.
3 They shed your people's blood like water;
blood flowed like water all through Jerusalem,
and no one was left to bury the dead.
4 The surrounding nations insult us;
they laugh at us and mock us.
5 Lord, will you be angry with us forever?
Will your anger continue to burn like fire?
6 Turn your anger on the nations that do not worship you,
on the people who do not pray to you.
7 For they have killed your people;
they have ruined your country.
8 Do not punish us for the sins of our ancestors.
Have mercy on us now;
we have lost all hope.
9 Help us, O God, and save us;
rescue us and forgive our sins
for the sake of your own honor.
10 Why should the nations ask us,
“Where is your God?”
Let us see you punish the nations
for shedding the blood of your servants.
11 Listen to the groans of the prisoners,
and by your great power free those who are condemned to die.
12 Lord, pay the other nations back seven times
for all the insults they have hurled at you.
13 Then we, your people, the sheep of your flock,
will thank you forever
and praise you for all time to come.
Ntembezelo we sununguko ye itjaba
1 Imwi Ndzimu, Bezwitjaba bakanginilila lukata gwenyu,
bakatemapadza ng'umba yenyu yakayengemala,
bakaliga Jerusalema ukabe matongo.
2 Bakapa magola zwitumbu zwe balanda benyu kuti aje,
bakapa zwibandana zwe shango nyama ye bayengemali benyu.
3 Bakatebulila malopa abo pasi se vula,
kupoteleka Jerusalema wose,
ngono akuna wakababiganya.
4 Tatjibe sapa mu babakidzani naswi,
todadigwa tikasekwa nge bakatipoteleka.
5 Apa kowodza kukabe lini Yahwe,
makagwadzamoyo kene?
Apa kowodza kukabe lini kene,
bushongola gwenyu gowodwilila gupisa se moto?
6 Delusilani bushongola gwenyu mu zwitjaba zwisingamuzibe,
ne mu mibuso iyeyo isingadane zina lenyu.
7 Ngobe bakalobesa Jakubo
bakakolomola nzi uwe.
8 Musititilike milandu yabo batategulu bedu,
tjimbidzani mutihwile ngoni,
ngobe takaisiwa pasi kwazo.
9 Mutibhatshe, imwi Ndzimu we jidzo ledu,
ngentha ye gudzo le zina lenyu,
mutisunungule kakale mutizwiibhatigwe zwibi zwedu,
ngentha ye zina lenyu.
10 Ini zwitjaba zwingabhuzwa zwiti,
“Ndzimu wabo ungayi kene?”
Kubgwilizila kwe kutebugwa kwe malopa
e balanda benyu ngakuzibgwe mu zwitjaba mbeli kwenyu.
11 Gomela kwe basungwa ngakuswike mu zebe dzenyu,
nge simba lenyu bakililani ibabo bakasumikilisigwa lufu.
12 Bgwilizilani katendeka babakidzani naswi,
kugongobola kwabakamugongobola imwi She!
13 Ndizo iswi bathu benyu, ngubi ye mafulo enyu,
towomuboka nge kusingapele,
kudwa mu tjizekugwana kunoti ku tjizekugwana,
towoleba ngekwe kukudziwa kwenyu.