Amahubo 80
1 Melusi kaIsrayeli, beka indlebe, okhokhela uJosefa njengomhlambi, ohlezi phakathi kwamakherubhi, khanyisa.
[Yahweh], you [who lead us like] a shepherd leads his flock [of sheep], listen to us Israeli people. You sit on your throne [in the Very Holy Place in the temple], above the [carvings of] winged creatures.
2 Phambi kukaEfrayimi loBhenjamini loManase vusa amandla akho, uze ube lusindiso lwethu.
Show yourself to [the people of the tribes of] Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh! Show us that you are powerful and come and rescue us!
3 Siphendule, Nkulunkulu, wenze ubuso bakho bukhanye, ngakho sizasindiswa.
God, cause our nation to be strong like it was before; be kind to us [IDM] in order that we may be saved [from our enemies.]
4 Nkosi Nkulunkulu wamabandla, koze kube nini uthukuthelela umkhuleko wabantu bakho?
Yahweh, you who are the commander of the armies of heaven, how long will you be angry with us, your people, when we pray to you?
5 Ubenze badla isinkwa sezinyembezi, wabanathisa izinyembezi ngesilinganiso.
[It is as though] the only food and drink that you have given us is a cup full of our tears!
6 Usenza sibe yingxabano kubomakhelwane bethu, lezitha zethu ziyahlekisana ngathi.
You have allowed the people-groups that surround us to fight with [each other to decide which part of our land each of them will take]; our enemies laugh at us.
7 Siphendule, Nkulunkulu wamabandla, wenze ubuso bakho bukhanye, ngakho sizasindiswa.
God, commander of the armies of heaven, cause our nation to be strong like it was before! Be kind to us in order that we may be saved!
8 Waliletha ivini livela eGibhithe, wazixotsha izizwe, walihlanyela lona.
[Our ancestors were like] a grapevine [MET] that you brought out of Egypt; you expelled the other people-groups [from this land], and you put your people in their land.
9 Walungisa indawo phambi kwalo, wagxilisa impande zalo, laze lagcwala umhlaba.
[Like people] clear ground to plant a grapevine [MET], [you cleared out the people who were living in this land for us to live in it]. [Like] the roots of a grapevine go deep down into the ground and spread [MET], [you enabled our ancestors to prosper and start living in towns all over this land].
10 Izintaba zembeswa ngomthunzi walo, lezingatsha zalo zinjengemisedari kaNkulunkulu.
[Like huge] grapevines cover the hills with their shade and their branches are taller than big cedar [trees] [MET, HYP],
11 Lanabisela ingatsha zalo elwandle, lamahlumela alo emfuleni.
[your people ruled all of Canaan], from the [Mediterranean] Sea [in the west] to the [Euphrates] River [in the east].
12 Uyibhobozeleni imiduli yalo, ukuze balikhe bonke abadlula ngendlela?
So why have you abandoned us and [allowed our enemies to] tear down our walls [RHQ]? [You are like] someone who tears down the fences [around his vineyard], with the result that all [the people] who pass by [can] steal the grapes,
13 Ingulube yasehlathini iyalihlikiza, lenyamazana yeganga iyalidla.
and wild pigs [can] trample [the vines], and wild animals [can also] eat [the grapes].
14 Nkulunkulu wamabandla, akubuyele, ukhangele phansi usemazulwini, ubone, wethekelele lelivini,
You who are the commander of the armies of heaven, (turn to/stop abandoning) us! Look down from heaven and see [what is happening to] us! Come and rescue [us who are like] [MET] your grapevine,
15 ngitsho isivini isandla sakho sokunene esasihlanyelayo, lendodanaowaziqinisela yona.
who are [like] the young vine that you [SYN] planted and caused to grow!
16 Sitshisiwe ngomlilo, saqunyelwa phansi; bayabhubha ngokukhuza kobuso bakho.
Our enemies have torn down and burned everything in our land; look at them angrily and get rid of them!
17 Isandla sakho kasibe phezu komuntu wesandla sakho sokunene, phezu kwendodana yomuntu, oziqinisele yona.
But strengthen [us] people whom you have chosen [IDM], [us] Israeli people whom you [previously] caused to be very strong.
18 Ngakho kasiyikubuyela emuva sisuke kuwe; sivuselele, khona sizabiza ibizo lakho.
When you do that, we will never turn away from you again; (revive us/cause us to be again like we were previously), and [then] we will praise/worship you.
19 Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wamabandla, siphendule, wenze ubuso bakho bukhanye, ngakho sizasindiswa.
Yahweh, commander of the armies of heaven, restore us; be kind to us in order that we may be rescued [from our enemies]!
