LUKWALO GWE BUNNA
Ntembezelo wa Mushe nlume we Ndzimu
1 She, magala muli bugalo gwedu,
mu zwizekugwana zose.
2 Kwakati matombo asathu kabe yapo, kene kuli iko bumbiwa,
kene musathu mukabumba shango kene lubumbo,
kudwa mu tjibaka tjisingapele kunoti mu tjibaka
tjisingapele mu Ndzimu.
3 Mobgwiliza nthu mu hwuluba,
mube muti, “Bgwililani, imwi bana be bathu!”
4 Makole ali tjiwulu (1 000) mu mesho enyu,
anonga zhuba ling'ompela lipinda.
Kene anonga watji kuli busiku.
5 Motshwailila bathu kutjena, banonga mawoloto,
banonga bushwa gunomela kuli mangwanana,
6 mangwanana gopasula gukabe likulakula,
mu madekwana gotimbama guswaba.
7 Ngobe tolobesiwa nge kugwadzamoyo kwenyu,
totjisiwa nge bushongola gwenyu.
8 Makabiga zwibi zwedu mbeli kwenyu,
zwibi zwedu zwakasumbikika zwimu tjedza tje buso gwenyu.
9 Mazhuba edu wose anopitshiwa mu bushongola gwenyu,
makole edu anopinda se phepo.
10 Mazhuba e bupenyu gwedu makole ali makumi ali kutendeka koga,
kene pamwe ali makumi ali zhanakadzi, ha takasima,
nenguba kwakajalo paphidzo yawo
inobe yabe manyalo koga ne tshiyilo,
anotjimbidza apela, tibe tiwulukila kutjena.
11 Apa ndiani unoziba simba le kugwadzamoyo kwenyu?
Ngobe bushongola gwenyu bukulu,
golizana koga ne sekwa makafanila tjiwa ndiko.
12 Ndizo mutidiye kubala mazhuba edu
kuti pamwe ndizo tiwane moyo we butjenjedu.
13 Shandukani, imwi Yahwe! Apa kowodza kukabe lini kene?
Ibeni ne ngoni mu balanda benyu!
14 Mutigutshe mu mangwanana nge ludo gwenyu gusingazunguzike,
kuti ndizo tibe mu kushatha mazhuba wose.
15 Mutishathise mazhuba anolizana ne amakatigwadzisa,
ne makole ano lizana na iyawa atakabona mbipo.
16 Thamani kuti nshingo wenyu ulakidzike mu balanda benyu,
ne simba lenyu gulu ku bana be balanda benyu.
17 She Ndzimu wedu ngababe naswi,
thamani kuti mishingo ye maboko edu ibhudilile.
Ee, mishingo ye maboko edu ngaibhudilile!
BOOK IV
(A prayer by Moses, the man of God.)
God Is Eternal
1 Our Lord, in all generations
you have been our home.
2 You have always been God—
long before the birth
of the mountains,
even before you created
the earth and the world.
3 At your command we die
and turn back to dust,
4 but a thousand years
mean nothing to you!
They are merely a day gone by
or a few hours in the night.
5 You bring our lives to an end
just like a dream.
We are merely tender grass
6 that sprouts and grows
in the morning,
but dries up by evening.
7 Your furious anger frightens
and destroys us,
8 and you know all our sins,
even those we do in secret.
9 Your anger is a burden
each day we live,
then life ends like a sigh.
10 We can expect seventy years,
or maybe eighty,
if we are healthy,
but even our best years
bring trouble and sorrow.
Suddenly our time is up,
and we disappear.
11 No one knows the full power
of your furious anger,
but it is as great as the fear
that we owe to you.
12 Teach us to use wisely
all the time we have.
13 Help us, Lord! Don't wait!
Pity your servants.
14 When morning comes,
let your love satisfy
all our needs.
Then we can celebrate
and be glad for what time
we have left.
15 Make us happy for as long
as you caused us trouble
and sorrow.
16 Do wonderful things for us,
your servants,
and show your mighty power
to our children.
17 Our Lord and our God,
treat us with kindness
and let all go well for us.
Please let all go well!