Psalms 74
1 A maskil of Asaph. Why, O God, have you spurned us forever? Why smokes your wrath against the sheep of your pasture?
Nkulunkulu, usilahleleni kokuphela? Ulaka lwakho luvuthelani ngakuzo izimvu zedlelo lakho?
2 Remember the community you purchased of old to become by redemption the tribe of your heritage, Zion, the mountain you made your home.
Khumbula ibandla lakho owalithenga endulo, intonga yelifa lakho owayihlengayo, le intaba yeZiyoni ohlala kuyo.
3 Rouse yourself, visit its ruins complete. In the temple the foe has made havoc of all things.
Phakamisa inyawo zakho ezincithakalweni eziqhubekayo, konke okubi izitha ezikwenzileyo endaweni engcwele.
4 Like lions your enemies roared through your house, replacing our symbols by signs of their own,
Izitha zakho zibhongile phakathi kwezindawo zakho zokubuthanela, zamisa impawu zazo zibe zimpawu.
5 hacking, like woodsmen who lift axes on thickets of trees,
Umuntu waziwa njengophakamisa amahloka eguswini lezihlahla.
6 smashing with hatchets and hammers all of its carved work together.
Kodwa khathesi zitshaye okubaziweyo kwayo ndawonye ngamahloka lezando.
7 They have set your temple on fire, to the very ground they have outraged the place where lives your name.
Zinikele indlu yakho engcwele emlilweni, zangcolisa indawo yokuhlala yebizo lakho ngokuyiwisela emhlabathini.
8 They have said in their heart, ‘Let us utterly crush them.’ They have burned all the houses of God in the land.
Zathi enhliziyweni yazo: Kasibachithe ndawonye. Zatshisa zonke indawo zokubuthanela zikaNkulunkulu elizweni.
9 No symbol of ours do we see any more: no prophet is there any more, none is with us who knows how long.
Impawu zethu kasiziboni; kakusekho mprofethi; kakho kithi owaziyo ukuthi koze kube nini.
10 How long, O God, is the foe to insult? Shall the enemy spurn your name forever?
Koze kube nini, Nkulunkulu, umcindezeli edelela? Isitha sizahlambaza ibizo lakho kokuphela yini?
11 Why, O Lord, do you hold back your hand, why keep your right hand in the folds of your robe?
Usifinyezeleni isandla sakho, yebo isandla sakho sokunene? Sikhuphe phakathi kwesifuba sakho.
12 Yet God is our king from the ancient days, in the midst of the earth working deeds of salvation.
Kanti uNkulunkulu uyiNkosi yami kusukela endulo, eyenza insindiso phakathi komhlaba.
13 It was you who did cleave the sea by your might, and shatter the heads of the ocean monsters.
Nguwe owehlukanisa ulwandle ngamandla akho; wafohloza amakhanda emigobho emanzini.
14 It was you who did crush many-headed Leviathan, and give him as food to the beasts of the wilderness.
Nguwe owachoboza amakhanda kaLeviyathani, wamnikela waba yikudla kwabantu enkangala.
15 It was you who did cleave the fountains and torrents; it was you who did dry the perennial streams.
Nguwe owaqhekeza umthombo lesifula, nguwe owomisa imifula egeleza njalo.
16 Yours is the day; yours, too, is the night, it was you who did establish the sun and the star.
Usuku ngolwakho, lobusuku ngobakho; nguwe owamisa ukukhanya lelanga.
17 It was you who did fix all the borders of earth: summer and winter it’s you who have made them.
Nguwe owamisa yonke imikhawulo yomhlaba; nguwe owenza ihlobo lobusika.
18 Yet, for all this, the foe has insulted you, Lord, and a nation of fools has reviled your name.
Khumbula lokhu, isitha siyangisile, Nkosi, labantu abayizithutha bahlambazile ibizo lakho.
19 Do not give your dove to the beasts, do not forget your afflicted forever.
Ungawunikeli umphefumulo wejuba lakho ezinyamazaneni zendle; ungakhohlwa ixuku lezihlupheki zakho phakade.
20 Look to the sleek ones – how full they are: the dark places of earth are the dwellings of violence.
Nanzelela isivumelwano; ngoba indawo ezimnyama zomhlaba zigcwele indawo zokuhlala zesihluku.
21 O let not the downtrodden turn back ashamed: let the poor and the needy sing praise to your name.
Kangabuyeli eyangekile ocindezelweyo; ohluphekayo loswelayo kabalidumise ibizo lakho.
22 Arise, God, and defend your cause: remember how fools all the day insult you.
Vuka, Nkulunkulu! Ulumele udaba lwakho, ukhumbule ihlazo lakho ngoyisiwula usuku lonke.
23 Do not forget the uproar of your enemies, the din of your foes that ascends evermore.
Ungakhohlwa ilizwi lezitha zakho, ukuxokozela kwabakuvukelayo kwenyuka njalonjalo.
