Ng'ong'ola ngekwe bupitipiti gwe nzwalani
1 Teedzani ntembezelo wangu, Ndzimu;
musizwisumbikile kukumbila kwangu.
2 Mundibhatshe mundidabile;
ndodziyidzika mu kung'ong'ola kwangu.
Nsholo wangu wakashangashangana koga,
3 ngekwe zhoba ye tjita,
kakale ngekwe zhoba ye babi.
Banondisimisila butjilo,
banoshathisiwa nge kundigwadzila moyo.
4 Moyo wangu unogwadziwa kukulu,
lufu ne tjisa kwago zwimundili.
5 Lutjo ne tetema kwabe mundili,
ne kutjisa kunopalusa moyo kumundili.
6 Ndozwidwa nditi,
“Ha ndabe ndina mapapilo se njiba!
Ndabe ndowowuluka,
ayenda zwangu anonyaluluka;
7 Nge malebeswa, ndabe ndowotizhila kulekule;
ndabe ndowogala mu tjilambanyika;
8 Ndabe ndowolibilidzila kuzwiwanila bugalo
gwandinowotizhila phepo ne matutu muguli.”
9 She, shangashanganyani ndebo dzabo
mudzizhadze bulengwe;
ngoti ndobona bugebeng'a
ne kukwebakwebana mu nzi nkulu.
10 Siku ne sikati banopoteleka
liswingo gwakabakilila nzi nkulu,
butjinyi ne kudziyidzika zwimukati kwawo;
11 Kolomoka kwabe pakati kwawo;
matengeselo awo azhele
tshambilidzo ne bupitipiti.
12 Ate zwita zwinondidadila,
ngobe ndabe ndingadzikitadza;
ate babhayani nami banondishayila buthu,
ngobe ndabe ndowobagwatila.
13 Koga ndiwe, nkwinya wangu,
iwe wandinogala ntutshi nawe,
nzwalani wangu wandakawolobela,
14 ibabo bandakabe ndibe nabo nge zila yakanaka;
takayenda mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu ne mbunga.
15 Ngabazhigwe nge lufu;
ngabayende be tjila ku bugalo gwe bafi;
ngobe bubi gumu mizi yabo nenge mu mimoyo yabo.
16 Koga imi ndodana Ndzimu,
ngono Yahwe banowonditjidza.
17 Madekwana ne mangwanana nenge masikati
ndoleba ng'ong'olo yangu kakale ndigomela,
koga She banowohwa hwi langu.
18 Banowondidzutunula nge mbakiso
mu ngwa iyeyi yandinotangisa,
ngobe bathu banjinji bakazwilulwamisila kundigwisa.
19 Ndzimu, iwo ugele mu tjigalo tje bushe kudwa ntolo,
unowohwa, ngono unowobadelusa
ngobe abatoshanduka
kakale abatotja Ndzimu.
20 Nkwinya wangu wakabhata nzwalani uwe nge maboko
ndizo kashandukila tjidumano tjedu.
21 Nge matama manyolo kupinda bhatha,
koga moyo uwe unoalakana ngwa koga;
nge matama manyolo kupinda mafuta,
koga malebeswa wukuti matama iyawo akabe ali mathumo akateya.
22 Tola mitolo iyo uyibige muna Yahwe;
ndizo banowokumilidza;
Yahwe abatowotongoletja balulwami bakatshedugwa.
23 Koga imwi, Ndzimu, mowobalashila pasi ibabo basakalulwama,
mu gomba lakangina.
Zwing'wamalopa ne mapitipiti abatowotjila
nenguba lili gaswa le mazhuba abo.
Koga imi ndowogalabgwe mu muli Ndzimu.
The Prayer of Someone Betrayed by a Friend
1 Hear my prayer, O God;
don't turn away from my plea!
2 Listen to me and answer me;
I am worn out by my worries.
3 I am terrified by the threats of my enemies,
crushed by the oppression of the wicked.
They bring trouble on me;
they are angry with me and hate me.
4 I am terrified,
and the terrors of death crush me.
5 I am gripped by fear and trembling;
I am overcome with horror.
6 I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and find rest.
7 I would fly far away
and make my home in the desert.
8 I would hurry and find myself a shelter
from the raging wind and the storm.
9 Confuse the speech of my enemies, O Lord!
I see violence and riots in the city,
10 surrounding it day and night,
filling it with crime and trouble.
11 There is destruction everywhere;
the streets are full of oppression and fraud.
12 If it were an enemy making fun of me,
I could endure it;
if it were an opponent boasting over me,
I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, my companion,
my colleague and close friend.
14 We had intimate talks with each other
and worshiped together in the Temple.
15 May my enemies die before their time;
may they go down alive into the world of the dead!
Evil is in their homes and in their hearts.
16 But I call to the Lord God for help,
and he will save me.
17 Morning, noon, and night
my complaints and groans go up to him,
and he will hear my voice.
18 He will bring me safely back
from the battles that I fight
against so many enemies.
19 God, who has ruled from eternity,
will hear me and defeat them;
for they refuse to change,
and they do not fear him.
20 My former companion attacked his friends;
he broke his promises.
21 His words were smoother than cream,
but there was hatred in his heart;
his words were as soothing as oil,
but they cut like sharp swords.
22 Leave your troubles with the Lord,
and he will defend you;
he never lets honest people be defeated.
23 But you, O God, will bring those murderers and liars to their graves
before half their life is over.
As for me, I will trust in you.