A Prayer for Help
1 Why are you far away, Lord?
Why do you hide yourself
when I am in trouble?
2 Proud and brutal people
hunt down the poor.
But let them get caught
by their own evil plans!
3 The wicked brag about
their deepest desires.
Those greedy people hate
and curse you, Lord.
4 The wicked are too proud
to turn to you
or even think about you.
5 They are always successful,
though they can't understand
your teachings,
and they keep sneering
at their enemies.
6 In their hearts they say,
“Nothing can hurt us!
We'll always be happy
and free from trouble.”
7 They curse and tell lies,
and all they talk about
is how to be cruel
or how to do wrong.
8 They hide outside villages,
waiting to strike and murder
some innocent victim.
9 They are hungry lions
hiding in the bushes,
hoping to catch
some helpless passerby.
They trap the poor in nets
and drag them away.
10 They crouch down and wait
to grab a victim.
11 They say, “God can't see!
He's got on a blindfold.”
12 Do something, Lord God,
and use your powerful arm
to help those in need.
13 The wicked don't respect you.
In their hearts they say,
“God won't punish us!”
14 But you see the trouble
and the distress,
and you will do something.
The poor can count on you,
and so can orphans.
15 Now break the power
of all merciless people.
Punish them for doing wrong
and make them stop.
16 Our Lord, you will always rule,
but every godless nation
will vanish from the earth.
17 You listen to the longings
of those who suffer.
You offer them hope,
and you pay attention
to their cries for help.
18 You defend orphans
and everyone else in need,
so that no one on earth
can terrify others again.
Moo toorariŋo la tankoo duwaa
1 Hee Yaawe*, muŋ ne ye a tinna
i jamfata ntolu la?
Muŋ ne ye a tinna i maabota m̀ ma,
waatoo meŋ m̀ be mantooroo kono?
2 Moo kuruŋo ka a faŋ wara le,
ka fentaŋolu toorandi.
A ye feere jawoolu mennu dadaa,
ì si a faŋo muta.
3 Moo kuruŋo ka kibiri a lafinna kuwolu kaŋ ne.
A ka a ñoŋ moo hadumeriŋo jayi le,
a ka Yaawe sooki.
4 A la faŋ waroo le ka a tinna
a ka a fo ko, “Alla te kuu kisikisi la.”
A ka tu ñiŋ ne miira la a faŋ ma ko,
“Alla te keriŋ.”
5 A ka firiŋo soto a baluuñaa bee le to,
a la jeroo buka futa Alla la kiitiyo ma.
A ka a jawoolu bee ñaawali le.
6 A ka ñiŋ ne fo a faŋ ma ko,
“N te bo la n noo to muk.
N te bula la mantooroo kono abadaa.”
7 A daa kono ka tara faariŋ dankaroo le la,
neeneeroo, aniŋ mantoora kumoo.
A neŋo be kalandiŋ kuruŋyaa
niŋ kuu jawoo le la.
8 A ka deleŋo laa moolu kamma saateeriŋolu to,
ka moolu faa, maakoyilaa te mennu la.
A ka tu a ñaa loo la moolu le la,
mennu te ì faŋ maakoyi noo la.
9 A jatamaa le ka tara bitiriŋ a la maabodulaa,
a ka tara bitiriŋ ne ka boyi moo bataariŋolu kaŋ.
A ka ì muta a la jaloolu le la,
a ye ì kuruntu ka ì samba.
10 Moolu mennu te ì faŋ maakoyi noo la
si busandi, ì ye kasaara.
A ka ì boyindi a semboo le la.
11 A ka ñiŋ ne fo a faŋ ma ko,
“Alla daa te n na kuu to.
A ye a ñaa kaasi n na le.
A nene te n je la.”
12 Hee Yaawe Alla, wuli,
i buloo ye laa moo kuruŋolu kaŋ.
Kana ñina moo toorariŋolu la.
13 Muŋ ne ka moo kuruŋo jutundi Alla la,
fo a ka a fo a faŋ ma ko,
“Alla te n kontibo la”?
14 Bari ite Alla ka jeroo ke le de,
ka moo bataariŋolu la kuwo hakilitu,
aniŋ niitoorariŋolu,
ñiŋ kamma la i si i buloo duŋ ì la kuwo to
ka ì maakoyi.
Moolu mennu te ì faŋ maakoyi noo la
ka ì faŋolu karafa ite le ma.
Ite le mu aliyatiimoolu maakoyilaa ti.
15 Moo kuruŋolu niŋ moo jawoolu semboo tiñaa.
Ì jarabi ì la kuu kuruŋolu la
fo a bee ye baŋ ì bala.
16 Yaawe le mu Mansoo ti fo fawu.
Bantala banku* moolu be turutumbuŋ na
a la bankoo kaŋ ne.
17 Hee Yaawe,
ite be i lamoyi la fammajiilaalu la duwaa la le,
ka ì la duwaa jaabi.
I be ì sondomoo bambandi la le.
18 I be aliyatiimoolu danku la le,
aniŋ moo toorariŋolu,
ka kiitiyo teyi ì ye.
Wo to le moo te tara la duniyaa
meŋ si moo doolu silandi.
