Amahubo 44
1 Nkulunkulu, sizwile ngendlebe zethu, obaba basitshelile, umsebenzi owawenza ensukwini zabo, ensukwini zendulo.
“For the leader of the music. A psalm of the sons of Korah.” O God! we have heard with our ears, Our fathers have told us, What deeds thou didst in their days, In the days of old.
2 Wena ngesandla sakho wazixotsha izizwe elifeni, wabahlanyela bona; wazihlupha izizwe, kodwa wabasabalalisa bona.
With thine own hand didst thou drive out the nations, And plant our fathers; Thou didst destroy the nations, And cause our fathers to flourish.
3 Ngoba kabadlanga ilifa lelizwe ngenkemba yabo, lengalo yabo kayibasindisanga, kodwa isandla sakho sokunene, lengalo yakho, lokukhanya kobuso bakho, ngoba wawubathanda.
For not by their own swords did they gain possession of the land, Nor did their own arms give them victory; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance; For thou didst favor them!
4 Wena uyiNkosi yami, Nkulunkulu; laya ukukhululwa kukaJakobe.
Thou art my king, O God! O send deliverance to Jacob!
5 Ngawe sizadudula izitha zethu; ngebizo lakho sizabanyathelela phansi abasivukelayo.
Through thee we may cast down our enemies; Through thy name we may trample upon our adversaries!
6 Ngoba kangithembeli kulo idandili lami, lenkemba yami kayiyikungisindisa.
I trust not in my bow, Nor can my sword save me.
7 Kodwa usisindisile ezitheni zethu, wayangisa abasizondayo.
But it is thou only who savest us from our enemies, And puttest to shame those who hate us!
8 KuNkulunkulu siyazincoma usuku lonke; lebizo lakho sizalidumisa kuze kube nininini. (Sela)
In God will we glory continually; Yea, we will praise thy name for ever! (Pause)
9 Kodwa ulahlile wasiyangisa, njalo kawuphumi lamabutho ethu.
Yet now thou hast cast us off, and put us to shame; Thou goest not forth with our armies.
10 Usenze ukuthi sibuyele emuva sisuka esitheni; labasizondayo baziphangela.
Thou makest us turn back from the enemy, And they who hate us make our goods their prey.
11 Usinikele njengezimvu zokudliwa, wasichithachitha phakathi kwezizwe.
Thou makest us like sheep destined for food, And scatterest us among the nations.
12 Uthengisile abantu bakho ngokungelanotho, awuzuzanga lutho ngentengo yabo.
Thou sellest thy people for nought, And increasest not thy wealth by their price.
13 Usenze saba lihlazo kwabakhelene lathi, inhlekisa lendumazo kwabasiphahlileyo.
Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and a derision to those who are around us.
14 Usenze saba yisiga phakathi kwezizwe, ukunikinwa kwekhanda phakathi kwabantu.
Thou makest us a byword among the nations, And causest the people to shake their heads at us.
15 Usuku lonke ukudunyazwa kwami kuphambi kwami, lehlazo lobuso bami lingigubuzele,
My ignominy is continually before me, And shame covereth my face,
16 ngenxa yelizwi lomgconi lomhlambazi, ngenxa yesitha lomphindiseli.
On account of the voice of the scoffer and the reviler, And on account of the enemy and the avenger.
17 Konke lokhu kusehlele, kube kanti kasikukhohlwanga, kasenzanga ngenkohliso esivumelwaneni sakho.
All this hath come upon us; Yet have we not forgotten thee, Nor have we been false to thy covenant.
18 Inhliziyo yethu kayibuyelanga emuva, lezinyathelo zethu kaziphambukanga emkhondweni wakho,
Our hearts, have not wandered from thee, Nor have our feet gone out of thy path;
19 lanxa usichobozile endaweni yamaganyana, usembese ngethunzi lokufa.
Though thou hast crushed us in a land of jackals, And covered us with thick darkness.
20 Uba besilikhohliwe ibizo likaNkulunkulu wethu, loba selulela izandla zethu kunkulunkulu wezizweni,
If we had forgotten the name of our God, Or stretched forth our hands to a strange God,
21 uNkulunkulu ubengayikukuhlola lokhu yini? Ngoba uyayazi imfihlo yenhliziyo.
Surely God would search it out; For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yebo, ngenxa yakho siyabulawa usuku lonke, kuthiwa sinjengezimvu zokuhlatshwa.
But for thy sake we are killed all the day; We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Phaphama, ulaleleni, Nkosi? Vuka, ungalahli kokuphela.
Awake! why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise! cast us not off for ever!
24 Ufihlelani ubuso bakho, ukhohlwe ukuhlupheka kwethu locindezelo lwethu?
Wherefore dost thou hide thy face, And forget our affliction and oppression?
25 Ngoba umphefumulo wethu ukhothamele othulini, isisu sethu sinamathela emhlabathini.
Our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our body cleaveth to the earth.
26 Sukumela usizo lwethu, usihlenge ngenxa yomusa wakho.
Arise, O thou, our strength! And deliver us, for thy mercy's sake!
