There Is Still Hope
The Prophet Speaks:
1 I have suffered much
because God was angry.
2 He chased me into a dark place,
where no light could enter.
3 I am the only one he punishes
over and over again,
without ever stopping.
4 God caused my skin and flesh
to waste away,
and he crushed my bones.
5 He attacked and surrounded me
with hardships and trouble;
6 he forced me to sit in the dark
like someone long dead.
7 God built a fence around me
that I cannot climb over,
and he chained me down.
8 Even when I shouted
and prayed for help,
he refused to listen.
9 God put big rocks in my way
and made me follow
a crooked path.
10 God was like a bear or a lion
waiting in ambush for me;
11 he dragged me from the road,
then tore me to shreds.
12 God took careful aim
and shot his arrows
13 straight through my heart.
14 I am a joke to everyone—
no one ever stops
making fun of me.
15 God has turned my life sour.
16 He made me eat gravel
and rubbed me in the dirt.
17 I cannot find peace
or remember happiness.
18 I tell myself, “I am finished!
I can't count on the Lord
to do anything for me.”
19 Just thinking of my troubles
and my lonely wandering
makes me miserable.
20 That's all I ever think about,
and I am depressed.
21 Then I remember something
that fills me with hope.
22 The Lord's kindness never fails!
If he had not been merciful,
we would have been destroyed.
23 The Lord can always be trusted
to show mercy each morning.
24 Deep in my heart I say,
“The Lord is all I need;
I can depend on him!”
25 The Lord is kind to everyone
who trusts and obeys him.
26 It is good to wait patiently
for the Lord to save us.
27 When we are young,
it is good to struggle hard
28 and to sit silently alone,
if this is what
the Lord intends.
29 Being rubbed in the dirt
can teach us a lesson;
30 we can also learn from insults
and hard knocks.
31 The Lord won't always reject us!
32 He causes a lot of suffering,
but he also has pity
because of his great love.
33 The Lord doesn't enjoy
sending grief or pain.
34 Don't trample prisoners
under your feet
35 or cheat anyone out of
what is rightfully theirs.
God Most High sees everything,
36 and he knows when you refuse
to give someone a fair trial.
37 No one can do anything
without the Lord's approval.
38 Good and bad each happen
at the command
of God Most High.
39 We're still alive!
We shouldn't complain
when we are being punished
for our sins.
40 Instead, we should think
about the way we are living,
and turn back to the Lord.
41 When we lift our hands
in prayer to God in heaven,
we should offer him our hearts
and say, 42 “We've sinned!
We've rebelled against you,
and you haven't forgiven us!
43 Anger is written all over you,
as you pursue and slaughter us
without showing pity.
44 You are behind a wall of clouds
that blocks out our prayers.
45 You allowed nations
to treat us like garbage;
46 our enemies curse us.
47 We are terrified and trapped,
caught and crushed.”
48 My people are destroyed!
Tears flood my eyes,
49 and they won't stop
50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and helps.
51 I am horrified when I see
what enemies have done
to the young women of our city.
52 No one had reason to hate me,
but I was hunted down
like a bird.
53 Then they tried to kill me
by tossing me into a pit
and throwing stones at me.
54 Water covered my head—
I thought I was gone.
55 From the bottom of the pit,
I prayed to you, Lord.
56 I begged you to listen.
“Help!” I shouted. “Save me!”
You answered my prayer
57 and came when I was in need.
You told me, “Don't worry!”
58 You rescued me
and saved my life.
59 You saw them abuse me, Lord,
so make things right.
60 You know every plot
they have made against me.
61 Yes, you know their insults
and their evil plans.
62 All day long they attack
with words and whispers.
63 No matter what they are doing,
they keep on mocking me.
64 Pay them back for everything
they have done, Lord!
65 Put your curse on them
and make them suffer.
66 Get angry and go after them
until not a trace is left
under the heavens.
Dankeneyaa niŋ jikoo, jaraboo waatoo
1 Ayiwaalii! Nte le ye bataa je,
Alla la kamfaa busoo laata n kaŋ ne.
2 A ye m bayindi le taariŋ,
ka n dundi diboo kono, mala te daameŋ fereŋ.
3 A buloo laata n kaŋ ne famfaŋ,
a tuta m busa la doroŋ.
4 Busaroo ye m balasuboo jandi le,
a ye m balafuuraa fasandi jat,
a ye n kuloolu teyiŋ-teyiŋ.
5 Bataa koleŋo niŋ mantooroo,
a ye n dundi wo le kono ka n suki.
6 Badaa-badaa diboo, a ye m bulandi wo le kono,
ko mennu meeta fureeduu.
7 Ceeni joloo, a ye n siti wo le la,
a ye n suki le fo n kana kana noo.
8 Cari-cari, ñaajiyo ka boŋ n ye le
ka maakoyiroo kumboo,
bari a ka balaŋ n na duwaa muta la le.
9 Caawutoo, n keta wo le ti,
a ye n na siloolu dundi ñoo to,
a ye n taaraŋ siloo suki
bere kutukatoolu le la.
10 Daafeŋ saŋarariŋo*, a bitita n ye wo le ti,
ko niŋ jatoo bitita, waraŋ soloo.
11 Daalaata n na! A ye n cansu n na siloo kaŋ,
a ye m fatafata ka n kenseŋo tu jee.
12 Dannoo ka feŋo sumaŋ ñaameŋ,
a ye a la kaloo saba n kamma wo le ñaama.
13 Ee nte! A ye a la kalabeñoolu buusi ì laa kono le,
a ye ì suuri n jusoo kono.
14 Ee nte wo! N keta moolu bee ye jelefeŋo le ti,
ì ka n ke ì la teelindiri denkiloo ti waati-wo-waati.
15 Ee nte! A ye n na baluwo kuniyandi le harak,
a ye a kuniyandi le ko jalafatoo.
16 Foriseetoo bere ñimoo, a ye wo le laa n kaŋ,
a ye m bidibidindi seebuutoo kono.
17 Fereŋ-fereŋ, i ye n niyo bali kayiroo la fereŋ,
fo n ñinata ko seewoo faŋo sotota le.
18 Fo n ko m faŋo ye ko, “N siyo banta le,
n jikoo Yaawe* kaŋ banta le.”
19 Hee! N na yamali-yamaloo kuwolu miiroo,
aniŋ n na mantooroo,
n na baluwo kuniyaata le ko jalafatoo.
20 N ka tu a miira la le doroŋ,
n niyo be toorariŋ n kono.
21 Hani wo de, n hakiloo naata muru Yaawe kaŋ,
ŋa jikoo soto ko:
22 Yaawe la kanu bambaloo nene maŋ kuntu ǹ ye,
a la konotodiyaa kuwolu nene buka baŋ.
23 Ì ka kutayaa le fanikee-wo-fanikee.
A ka tu tilindiŋ ǹ ye le doroŋ.
24 N niyo faŋo ko,
“Yaawe, ŋa ite dammaa le soto,
wo to m be n jikoo loo la i kaŋ ne.”
25 Yaawe beteyaata moo le fee
meŋ ye i tuuku a la,
aniŋ nii-wo-nii meŋ ka a ñini.
26 Ka Yaawe batu tenkuŋo kono,
a beteyaata moo ye le,
a la kiisandiroo kamma.
27 Ka muñoo yookoo* taa fondinkeeyaa waatoo kono,
wo beteyaata moo ye le.
28 Koronto te jee, a maarii ye sii tek,
niŋ Yaawe le ye a laa a kaŋ.
29 Hani a daa si bankoo maa,
bari jikoo si tara a ye hani ka bii.
30 Kasi nte, a si a tamoo laa tulubusalaa ye,
ì ye nendiroolu feenee a kaŋ.
31 Lanna kuu le mu ko, Maariyo te wo ke la,
ka a koo dii fo abadaa.
32 Laa ko, a si niikuyaa saabu ñaa-wo-ñaa,
a be balafaa yitandi la le
a la kanu bambaloo la waroo kaŋ.
33 Lafoo buka tara Maariyo sondomoo kono,
ka moo mantoora,
waraŋ ka hadamadiŋo niyo kuyandi.
34 Muna fo Maariyo ñaa si tara ñiŋ na baŋ,
ka mutamoolu bee doriŋ-doriŋ,
35 moo bolooriŋo, ka a bali a la boloo la,
Alla Mansa Tallaa ñaatiliŋo la?
36 Moo la tooñaa, niŋ ì ye a nakari,
Maariyo ka a loŋ ne.
37 Niŋ a maŋ ke Maariyo la keroo ti,
jumaa le si kumakaŋo dii, a ye ke?
38 Niŋ kasaaroo waraŋ kuu kendoo naata,
fo Alla Mansa Tallaa le maŋ a lañini baŋ?
39 Niŋ i maŋ faa fo i be baluwo to,
i be muŋ ne woosii la i la junuboo kuluuroo la?
40 Ñiŋ ne ñanta ǹ na, ka ǹ taaraŋ siloolu kisikisi,
ka ì kotobo, ŋà tuubiseyi Yaawe ma.
41 Ŋà m̀ buloolu wulindi santo Alla ye,
meŋ be saŋo santo,
ka duwaa ǹ sondomoo bee la,
ka a fo ko:
42 “M̀ balanta i ma le, ŋà junuboo ke,
aduŋ i maŋ yamfa m̀ ma.
43 “Ŋà a je le i ye i faŋ muuri kamfaa la,
ka m̀ bayindi,
ka m̀ faa laalaa, balafaa te jee.
44 Ŋà a je le i dibita m̀ ma karoo bee la ko tawaloo,
fo ǹ na duwaa te futa noo la i ma.
45 Ŋà a je le ko, i ye ǹ ke suntukunto feŋo le ti,
feŋ fayiriŋo, duniyaa moolu kono.
46 “Oyi! Oyi! Ǹ jawoolu bee ka wo le fo m̀ ma,
ka ì daa loo ǹ kaŋ.
47 Hee ntolu! Kijafaroo niŋ kasaaroo le boyita ǹ kaŋ,
m̀ bulata dewuŋ dinkoo le kono.”
48 Hee nte! N ñaajiyo ka woyi le ko baajiyo,
n na moolu la kasaaroo kamma la.
49 Pasi, n te pasi la ka ñaajiyo woyi,
dahaa te tara la n ñaa ye.
50 Pasi te jee, fo niŋ Yaawe ye ǹ juubee naŋ santo,
a ye a je m̀ be meŋ kono.
51 Ŋa kuu je, a ye n niyo toora le,
n na saatee musoolu la kuwo kamma.
52 Mennu keta n jawoolu ti daliila te a la,
ì ye n deema le ko kunoo.
53 Ì ye n kende fayi dinkoo le kono,
ì ye beroolu joloŋ n kaŋ.
54 Rawu! Jiyo ye buloo kosi n kunto,
n ko m faŋ ma ko, “N tuta!”
55 Silaŋo kono, Yaawe, ŋa i too kili le
ka bo dinkoo kono.
56 Saayiŋ i ye n na duwaa moyi le, biriŋ n ko,
“N deemaa, kana i tuloo faa m ma!”
57 Silaŋ, i sutiyaata n na le, biriŋ ŋa i kili,
i ko n ye le ko, “Kana sila!”
58 Tooñaa, i ye n niyo kiisandi le.
Hee Maariyo, i ye nte la kuwo dunoo taa le.
59 Tooñaa, i ye a je le n jawoolu ye n ŋayibe ñaameŋ,
kiitiyo kuntu ǹ teema!
60 Tooñaa, i ye ì la kuu jawoolu bee je le,
ì ye feeroolu mennu siti n kamma.
61 Wo nendiroolu moyi ì la baŋ,
aniŋ ì la feeroolu bee n kamma.
62 Woyi nte! Tiloo bee, n jawoolu daa be n kaŋ doroŋ,
n na kuwo be ì kono.
63 Wo juubee de, ì be kuu-wo-kuu kunna,
nte le mu ì la teelindiri denkiloo ti.
64 Yaawe, i si juloo joo ì to
ka bo niŋ ì la baaroolu la.
65 Yaawe, ì sondomoolu suki,
i la dankoo ye tara ì kaŋ.
66 Yaawe, i niŋ kamfaa ye ì bayindi,
i ye ì kasaara sankuloo koto.
