Amahubo 55
1 Beka indlebe, Nkulunkulu, emkhulekweni wami, ungazifihli ekunxuseni kwami.
God, listen to my prayer, and do not turn away from me while I am pleading with you.
2 Lalela kimi, ungiphendule; ngiyazulazula ekukhalazeni kwami, ngenza umsindo,
Listen to me, and answer me, because I am overwhelmed by [all] my troubles.
3 ngenxa yelizwi lesitha, ngenxa yembandezelo yomubi; ngoba bangethwesa ububi, langentukuthelo bayangizonda.
My enemies cause me to be terrified; wicked people oppress me. They cause me to have great troubles; they are angry with me, and they hate me.
4 Inhliziyo yami iyafutha phakathi kwami, lezethuso zokufa ziwele phezu kwami.
I am terrified, and I am very much afraid that I will die.
5 Uvalo lokuthuthumela kungifikele, lokwesaba okukhulu kungigubuzele.
I am very fearful and I tremble/shake, and I am completely terrified.
6 Ngasengisithi: Kungathi ngabe ngilempiko njengejuba! Bengizaphaphela khatshana, ngiphumule.
I said, “I wish that I had wings like a dove! If I had wings, I would fly away and find a place to rest.
7 Khangela, bengingabalekela khatshana ngihlale enkangala. (Sela)
I would fly far away and live in the desert.
8 Bengizaphangisisa ukuphunyuka kwami, ngisuke emoyeni ovunguzayo, esiphephweni.
I would quickly find a shelter from [my enemies] [who are like] [MET] a strong wind and rainstorm.”
9 Sanganisa, Nkosi, yehlukanisa ulimi lwabo. Ngoba ngibone udlakela lokuxabana emzini.
Lord, confuse my enemies, and cause their plans to fail, because I see them acting violently and causing strife in the city [of Jerusalem].
10 Emini lebusuku bayawubhoda phezu kwemithangala yawo; njalo ububi lenkathazo kuphakathi kwawo.
During [each] day and night they march around on top of its walls, committing crimes and causing trouble.
11 Inkohlakalo iphakathi kwawo; imbandezelo lenkohliso kakusuki emgwaqweni wawo.
They destroy [things] everywhere. They oppress and defraud [people] in the (marketplaces/public squares).
12 Ngoba kakusisitha esingiyangisayo, uba kunjalo bengizakuthwala; kakusuye ongizondayo oziphakamisa phezu kwami; uba kunjalo bengizamcatshela.
If it were an enemy who was making fun of me, I could endure it. If it were someone who hates me, who despises me, I could hide from him.
13 Kodwa nguwe, umuntu olingana lami, umngane wami lowejwayelene lami.
But it is someone who is just like me, my companion, someone who was my friend [who is doing this to me].
14 Esasicebisana ngokumnandi sonke, saya endlini kaNkulunkulu silixuku.
We previously had many good talks together; we walked around together in God’s temple.
15 Ukufa kakubazume, kabehlele esihogweni bephila, ngoba ububi busemizini yabo, phakathi kwabo. (Sheol h7585)
I desire/hope that my enemies will die suddenly; while they are still young, cause them to go down to the place where the dead people are. They they think evil things. (Sheol h7585)
16 Mina ngizabiza uNkulunkulu, iNkosi ingisindise-ke.
But I [will] ask Yahweh, [my] God, to help me, and he will save me.
17 Kusihlwa lekuseni lemini ngizakhalaza ngikhale kakhulu, ibisilizwa ilizwi lami.
[Each] morning and [each] noontime and [each] evening I tell him what I am concerned about, and I moan, and he hears my voice.
18 Ikhululile umphefumulo wami ngokuthula empini emelene lami, ngoba babebanengi kimi.
I have [very] many enemies, but he will rescue me and bring me back safely from the battles that I fight.
19 UNkulunkulu uzakuzwa, abahluphe, ngitsho yena obehlezi endulo. (Sela) Ngoba bengelazinguquko, ngakho kabamesabi uNkulunkulu.
God is the one who has ruled everything forever, and he will listen to me. He will cause my enemies to be [defeated and] disgraced, because they do not change their evil behavior and they do not revere God.
20 Welule isandla sakhe kwabaxolelene laye, wasingcolisa isivumelwano sakhe.
My companion, [whom I mentioned previously], betrayed his friends and broke the agreement that he made with them.
21 Umlomo wakhe wawubutshelezi kulolaza, kanti inhliziyo yakhe yimpi; amazwi akhe abuthakathaka kulamafutha, kanti azinkemba ezihwatshiweyo.
What he said was [easy to listen to, like] butter [is easy to swallow] [MET], but in his inner being he hated people; his words were [soothing] like [olive] oil, [but they hurt people like] sharp swords do [MET].
22 Phosela umthwalo wakho phezu kweNkosi, yona izakusekela; kayiyikuvuma lanini ukuthi olungileyo anyikinywe.
Put your troubles in Yahweh’s hands, and he will take care of you; he will never allow righteous [people] to experience disasters.
23 Kodwa wena, Nkulunkulu, uzabehlisela emgodini wokubhujiswa; abantu begazi lenkohliso kabayikufinyelela lengxenyeni eyodwa kwezimbili yensuku zabo. Kodwa mina ngizathemba kuwe.
God, you will cause murderers [MTY] and liars to die before they have lived half as long as they expect to live; but [as for me], I will trust in you.
