Ndzimu ne bathu bawo
1 Bhulutanani zwidiyo zwangu, imwi bathu bangu,
teedzani matama andinoleba.
2 Ndowozhula nlomo wangu apa ifaniso,
ndowozumbunula masumbesumbe muna zwa ntolo,
3 zwithu zwatakahwa tikazwiziba
zwatakabudziwa ndi bobatategulu bedu.
4 Atitowozwisumbikila bana babo,
towozwibudza tjizekugwana tjinozha,
gudzo le mishingo ya Yahwe, ne masimba abo,
ne makaabadzo abakathama.
5 Bakathama ndayo kuna Jakubo,
bakabiga nlayo mu Iziraela,
iwo wabakalaulila bobatategulu bedu
kuudiya bana babo.
6 Kuti ndizo tjizekugwana tjinozha tjiizibe,
bana basathu bakazwagwa,
banowomilika bakaibudza bana babo,
7 kuti ndizo babige kugalabgwe kwabo mu Ndzimu,
ne kusakangang'wa mishingo ye Ndzimu,
koga balondolodze milayo yawo,
8 kuti basitongodwa benga bobatategulu babo,
tjizekugwana tjakawoma nsholo kakale tje bupanduki,
tjizekugwana tje moyo wakabe ududumwa,
tje meya yakabe isingagalebgwe mu Ndzimu.
9 Baifureimi, bakabhata matati,
bakashanduka mu zhuba le ngwa.
10 Abazolondolodza tjidumano tje Ndzimu,
koga bakalamba kuyendidzana ne nlayo wawo.
11 Bakakangang'wa tjawakabe wathama,
ne makaabadzo awakabe wabalakidza.
12 Mu mesho a bobatategulu babo mu Egipiti
mu ntuthu we Zoani wakashinga makaabadzo.
13 Wakapalalanya vula ye gungwa ukabapitsha mu guli,
ukathama kuti vula ime se duluthulu.
14 Masikati wakabatungamila nge gole,
ngono busiku gose ukabatungamila nge tjedza tje moto.
15 Wakaphatula shongwe dzikazhuka mu tjilambanyika,
ukabang'wisa vula njinji se inodwa mu madziba akangina.
16 Wakathama wobana dzikadwa mu shongwe,
ukathama kuti vula iwungile pasi se njizi.
17 Koga bakadwilila beutjinyila kwakapindilila,
bepandukila Upezhugwi zhugwi bali mu tjilambanyika.
18 Bakalika Ndzimu mu mimoyo yabo
nge kushaka zojiwa zwabakabe beyemula kwazo.
19 Bakalebeleka kusakanaka ngekwe Ndzimu
beti, “Apa Ndzimu ungatilulwamisila
zojiwa mu tjilambanyika kene?
20 Nenguba akaloba shongwe vula ikatebukana
hwobana dzika wunga,
apa ne tjiwunga ungatipa itjobo,
kene ukapa bathu bawo nyama kene?”
21 Ndizo, Yahwe bakati behwa, bakazhala bushongola,
moto wabo wakathuta wakalingisana na Jakubo,
gwadzamoyo kwabo kukalingisana Iziraela,
22 ngobe bakabe basina bugalimoyo mu Ndzimu,
kakale basingagalebgwe simba lawo linotjidza.
23 Ipapa Yahwe belaya zhuzhugwi,
bakazhula mikoba ye kudzimu,
24 bakabanisila mana kuti baje,
bakabapa thunde le kudzimu.
25 Bathu bakaja tjiwunga tje batumwa be kudzimu,
bakabazhisila zojiwa zwakawanda.
26 Bakathama kuti phepo ye bhezhuba
ihwuhwudze mu mazhuzhugwi,
nge simba labo bakatungamila phepo ye burwa,
27 bakabadelusila pezhugwi kwabo
nyuni dzinowuluka dzili njinji se hwuluba,
dzili nyama njinji se nsetje we phili ye gungwa,
28 bakathama kuti dzizhe pa bugalo gwabo,
kupoteleka mishasha yabo.
29 Ngono bakaja bakaguta,
ngobe bakabapa tjabakabe beyemula kwazo.
30 Koga bakati basathu bakagutsha njemulo dzabo,
zojiwa zwitji mu milomo yabo,
31 bushongola gwe Ndzimu gukabamukila,
ngono ukabulaya bakasima tjose mubali,
ukalobesa bazhuzha bakakomba be Iziraela.
32 Pezhugwi kwa ikoku kose bakadwilila ngotjinya.
Pezhugwi kwe makaabadzo e Ndzimu abazogalamoyo.
33 Ndizo wakathama kuti mazhuba abo apele se mfemo,
ne makole abo abe mu lutjo.
34 Ndzimu wakati ubabulaya, bakaushaka,
bakashandukila kuuli nge malebeswa.
35 Bakakumbulukigwa kuti Ndzimu ndiwo shongwe yabo,
Ndzimu Upezhugwi zhugwi, ndzutunuli wabo.
36 Koga bakashaya lebeswa mu milomo yabo,
bakaunyepela nge ndimi dzabo.
37 Mimoyo yabo inodudumwa nge kwawo,
bakabe basina malebeswa mu tjidumano tjawo.
38 Ipapa iwo una ngoni,
wakazwiibhatigwa matjinyo abo,
ngono ukasibalobese,
kanjinji wakazwidziba mu kugwadza moyo kwawo,
ngono ukasimuse bushongola gwawo gose.
39 Wakakumbula kuti bani, koga ba nyama, bathu koga,
phepo inopinda isingatjowoshanduka kakale.
40 Ndikanjinji seni beupandukila pakati kwe shango,
kakale bakauhwisa zogwadza mu tjilambanyika!
41 Bakalika Ndzimu bepaphulula kanjinji,
beshongola N'yengemali we Iziraela.
42 Abazotongo kumbula simba lawo,
kene zhuba lawakabadzutunula mu tjita.
43 Pawakalakidza zwilakidzo zwawo mu Egipiti,
ne matjenamiso awo mu ntuthu we Zoani.
44 Wakashandula vula dze njizi dzabo dzikabe malopa,
kuti ndizo basitongong'wa mu wobana dzabo.
45 Wakabatumila nlunda we thuzi, dzakabaluma
ne mazhula, zwakabakolomola.
46 Zwiling'wa zwabo wakazwipa zwikonyana,
ne zwizwalo zwazo zwikapiwa phashu.
47 Wakabulaya mizhambi yabo nge tjivulamabgwe,
mipaya ukaibulaya nge makaa.
48 Wakabulaya ng'ombe dzabo nge tjivulamabgwe,
wakalobesa zwithuwo zwabo nge vula.
49 Wakabaligila bushongola gunotjisa,
bushongola ne kugwadzamoyo ne buyendasi,
kuli batumwa be kudzimu banokolomola.
50 Wakathamila kugwadzamoyo kwawo zila,
awuzobapitsha lufu,
koga wakalonga butjilo gwabo mu magwadzi.
51 Wakabulaya mbano dzose dze Egipiti
bana be kutanga be simba le nthu mu mishasha ya Hamu.
52 Ndizo ukatungamila bathu bawo se pkhwizi,
ukabatungamila mu tjilambanyika se zwithuwo.
53 Wakabatungamila, wakabatjengeta mu mbatsha,
kuti ndizo basitje, koga gungwa gukakwididza zwita zwabo.
54 Wakabaswikisa ku duthu lawo lakayengemala,
ku dombo lawazwitolela nge luboko gwawo gwe luji ngokunda.
55 Wakatata zwitjaba mbeli kwabo,
wakabapa shango kube lukata gwabo,
ukagadza njudzi dze Iziraela mu mizi yadzo.
56 Koga bakalika kakale bakapandukila Ndzimu Upezhugwi zhugwi,
abazolondolodza ndayo dzawo,
57 bakashandukila ntome bakathama bupitipiti sa bobatategulu babo,
basingagalikebgwe se dati lakapeyama.
58 Ngobe bakaukutha, bakaugwadzisamoyo nge magalo abo apezhugwi,
bakaulonga fupa nge midzimwana yabo.
59 Ndzimu wakati uhwa, ukazhala bushongola,
ukalasha Iziraela tjose.
60 Ukasiya bugalo gwawo guku Shilo,
nshasha wawakabe ugala pakati kwe bathu.
61 Ukayisa bhokisi le simba lawo ku busungwa,
gudzo lawo ukaliyisa ku luboko gwe tjita.
62 Ukaletjedza bathu bawo kubulawa nge thumo,
ukazhulila bushongola gwawo mu lukata gwawo.
63 Moto wakalotesa bazhuzha babo,
baanadi babo bakasibe ne lumbo gwe ndobolo.
64 Bapirisiti babo bakabulawa nge bukanu,
tjilikadzi dzabo dzikasitongobe mu tjililo.
65 Ndizo She bakamuka sebanomuka mu hwope,
se mbayani wakasima ekuwa ngobe ang'wa nkumbi we zhambi.
66 Wakabgwiliza zwita zwawo shule,
wakababhatisa shoni nge kusingapele.
67 Wakalamba nshasha wa Josefa,
awuzoshalula ludzi gwa Ifureimi,
68 koga wakashalula ludzi gwa Juda,
Dombo le Ziyoni, ilo launoda.
69 Wakabaka bugalo gwawo gwakayengemala gukanga mazhuzhugwi,
se shango, iyo yawakathama kuti igale nge kusingapele.
70 Wakashalula nlanda wawo Dafite,
wakantola ali mu matanga e pkhwizi,
71 wakan'dusa mu kutjengeta pkhwizi zwele
kuti abe nlisi we bathu bawo be ludzi gwa Jakubo,
Baiziraela, lukata gwawo.
72 Wakabatjengeta nge moyo wakatambunuka,
ngono wakabatungamila nge bunyambi gwe luboko gugwe.
God and His People
1 Listen, my people, to my teaching,
and pay attention to what I say.
2 I am going to use wise sayings
and explain mysteries from the past,
3 things we have heard and known,
things that our ancestors told us.
4 We will not keep them from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the Lord's power and his great deeds
and the wonderful things he has done.
5 He gave laws to the people of Israel
and commandments to the descendants of Jacob.
He instructed our ancestors
to teach his laws to their children,
6 so that the next generation might learn them
and in turn should tell their children.
7 In this way they also will put their trust in God
and not forget what he has done,
but always obey his commandments.
8 They will not be like their ancestors,
a rebellious and disobedient people,
whose trust in God was never firm
and who did not remain faithful to him.
9 The Ephraimites, armed with bows and arrows,
ran away on the day of battle.
10 They did not keep their covenant with God;
they refused to obey his law.
11 They forgot what he had done,
the miracles they had seen him perform.
12 While their ancestors watched, God performed miracles
in the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
13 He divided the sea and took them through it;
he made the waters stand like walls.
14 By day he led them with a cloud
and all night long with the light of a fire.
15 He split rocks open in the desert
and gave them water from the depths.
16 He caused a stream to come out of the rock
and made water flow like a river.
17 But they continued to sin against God,
and in the desert they rebelled against the Most High.
18 They deliberately put God to the test
by demanding the food they wanted.
19 They spoke against God and said,
“Can God supply food in the desert?
20 It is true that he struck the rock,
and water flowed out in a torrent;
but can he also provide us with bread
and give his people meat?”
21 And so the Lord was angry when he heard them;
he attacked his people with fire,
and his anger against them grew,
22 because they had no faith in him
and did not believe that he would save them.
23 But he spoke to the sky above
and commanded its doors to open;
24 he gave them grain from heaven,
by sending down manna for them to eat.
25 So they ate the food of angels,
and God gave them all they wanted.
26 He also caused the east wind to blow,
and by his power he stirred up the south wind;
27 and to his people he sent down birds,
as many as the grains of sand on the shore;
28 they fell in the middle of the camp
all around the tents.
29 So the people ate and were satisfied;
God gave them what they wanted.
30 But they had not yet satisfied their craving
and were still eating,
31 when God became angry with them
and killed their strongest men,
the best young men of Israel.
32 In spite of all this the people kept sinning;
in spite of his miracles they did not trust him.
33 So he ended their days like a breath
and their lives with sudden disaster.
34 Whenever he killed some of them,
the rest would turn to him;
they would repent and pray earnestly to him.
35 They remembered that God was their protector,
that the Almighty came to their aid.
36 But their words were all lies;
nothing they said was sincere.
37 They were not loyal to him;
they were not faithful to their covenant with him.
38 But God was merciful to his people.
He forgave their sin
and did not destroy them.
Many times he held back his anger
and restrained his fury.
39 He remembered that they were only mortal beings,
like a wind that blows by and is gone.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the desert;
how many times they made him sad!
41 Again and again they put God to the test
and brought pain to the Holy God of Israel.
42 They forgot his great power
and the day when he saved them from their enemies
43 and performed his mighty acts and miracles
in the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.
44 He turned the rivers into blood,
and the Egyptians had no water to drink.
45 He sent flies among them, that tormented them,
and frogs that ruined their land.
46 He sent locusts to eat their crops
and to destroy their fields.
47 He killed their grapevines with hail
and their fig trees with frost.
48 He killed their cattle with hail
and their flocks with lightning.
49 He caused them great distress
by pouring out his anger and fierce rage,
which came as messengers of death.
50 He did not restrain his anger
or spare their lives,
but killed them with a plague.
51 He killed the first-born sons
of all the families of Egypt.
52 Then he led his people out like a shepherd
and guided them through the desert.
53 He led them safely, and they were not afraid;
but the sea came rolling over their enemies.
54 He brought them to his holy land,
to the mountains which he himself conquered.
55 He drove out the inhabitants as his people advanced;
he divided their land among the tribes of Israel
and gave their homes to his people.
56 But they rebelled against Almighty God
and put him to the test.
They did not obey his commandments,
57 but were rebellious and disloyal like their ancestors,
unreliable as a crooked arrow.
58 They angered him with their heathen places of worship,
and with their idols they made him furious.
59 God was angry when he saw it,
so he rejected his people completely.
60 He abandoned his tent in Shiloh,
the home where he had lived among us.
61 He allowed our enemies to capture the Covenant Box,
the symbol of his power and glory.
62 He was angry with his own people
and let them be killed by their enemies.
63 Young men were killed in war,
and young women had no one to marry.
64 Priests died by violence,
and their widows were not allowed to mourn.
65 At last the Lord woke up as though from sleep;
he was like a strong man excited by wine.
66 He drove his enemies back
in lasting and shameful defeat.
67 But he rejected the descendants of Joseph;
he did not select the tribe of Ephraim.
68 Instead he chose the tribe of Judah
and Mount Zion, which he dearly loves.
69 There he built his Temple
like his home in heaven;
he made it firm like the earth itself,
secure for all time.
70 He chose his servant David;
he took him from the pastures,
71 where he looked after his flocks,
and he made him king of Israel,
the shepherd of the people of God.
72 David took care of them with unselfish devotion
and led them with skill.