A Prayer for Help
1 Our enemies are doomed! They have robbed and betrayed, although no one has robbed them or betrayed them. But their time to rob and betray will end, and they themselves will become victims of robbery and treachery.
2 Lord, have mercy on us. We have put our hope in you. Protect us day by day and save us in times of trouble. 3 When you fight for us, nations run away from the noise of battle. 4 Their belongings are pounced upon and taken as loot.
5 How great the Lord is! He rules over everything. He will fill Jerusalem with justice and integrity 6 and give stability to the nation. He always protects his people and gives them wisdom and knowledge. Their greatest treasure is their reverence for the Lord.
7 The brave are calling for help. The ambassadors who tried to bring about peace are crying bitterly. 8 The highways are so dangerous that no one travels on them. Treaties are broken and agreements are violated. No one is respected any more. 9 The land lies idle and deserted. The forests of Lebanon have withered, the fertile valley of Sharon is like a desert, and in Bashan and on Mount Carmel the leaves are falling from the trees.
The Lord Warns His Enemies
10 The Lord says to the nations, “Now I will act. I will show how powerful I am. 11 You make worthless plans and everything you do is useless. My spirit is like a fire that will destroy you. 12 You will crumble like rocks burned to make lime, like thorns burned to ashes. 13 Let everyone near and far hear what I have done and acknowledge my power.”
14 The sinful people of Zion are trembling with fright. They say, “God's judgment is like a fire that burns forever. Can any of us survive a fire like that?” 15 You can survive if you say and do what is right. Don't use your power to cheat the poor and don't accept bribes. Don't join with those who plan to commit murder or to do other evil things. 16 Then you will be safe; you will be as secure as if in a strong fortress. You will have food to eat and water to drink.
The Glorious Future
17 Once again you will see a king ruling in splendor over a land that stretches in all directions. 18 Your old fears of foreign tax collectors and spies will be only a memory. 19 You will no longer see any arrogant foreigners who speak a language that you can't understand. 20 Look at Zion, the city where we celebrate our religious festivals. Look at Jerusalem! What a safe place it will be to live in! It will be like a tent that is never moved, whose pegs are never pulled up and whose ropes never break. 21 The Lord will show us his glory. We will live beside broad rivers and streams, but hostile ships will not sail on them. 22-23 All the rigging on those ships is useless; the sails cannot be spread! We will seize all the wealth of enemy armies, and there will be so much that even the lame can get a share. The Lord himself will be our king; he will rule over us and protect us. 24 No one who lives in our land will ever again complain of being sick, and all sins will be forgiven.
Niikuyaa niŋ maakoyiroo
1 Kooroo be boyi la ite kasaaralilaa kaŋ ne,
moo maŋ ite meŋ kasaara.
Kooroo be boyi la ite jamfaalaa kaŋ ne,
moo maŋ ite meŋ jamfaa.
Niŋ i ye i foño kasaaraloo la,
hani wo, i be kasaara la le.
Niŋ i ye i foño jamfaamooyaa la,
wo to le jamfaa kuwo be naa ke la i la.
2 Hee Yaawe*, hiina ǹ na,
ŋà ǹ jikoo loo i kaŋ ne.
Semboo dii ǹ na luŋ-wo-luŋ,
i si ke ǹ tankandirilaa ti, ǹ na niikuyaa waatoo.
3 I sari kaŋo ka a tinna le moolu ye bori,
niŋ i wulita i sembe baa la, bankoolu bee ka janjaŋ ne.
4 Niŋ wo keta, ì si ñapi jawoolu la feŋolu kaŋ komeŋ kuntiŋ ñatoolu.
Feŋ-wo-feŋ keta ì taa ti, ì si a bee buusi ì bulu.
5 Yaawe warata le,
aduŋ a be sabatiriŋ santo le.
A be Siyoni* ke la tiliŋo niŋ tooñaa dinkiraa le ti.
6 Ate le be ke la ali la waatoo fondamaŋ bambandiŋo ti,
kiisoo, ñaameŋo aniŋ londoo diilaa.
Yaawe ñaasilaŋo, wo le mu ali la naafuloo ti.
7 A juubee, kee fatiŋolu be maakoyiroo kumboo kaŋ mbeedoolu kaŋ ñaameŋ,
aduŋ kiilaalu mennu lafita kayiroo sabatindi la,
fanaa wuurita le kendeke.
8 Mbeedoolu kenseŋyaata,
hani tambilaa kiliŋ te siloolu kaŋ.
Kambeŋo tiñaata moolu teema,
ì jututa a seedoolu la,
ì maŋ moo-wo-moo le horoma.
9 Bankoo be sunu la le komeŋ hadamadiŋo, a ye tiñaa.
Hani Libanooni yiri sutoolu be malu la le, ì ye jaa.
Saroni kunku betoolu be muluŋ na le ko keñewuloo*,
Basani niŋ Karimeli yiroolu bee be ì jamboolu joloŋ na le.
10 Saayiŋ Yaawe ko, “M be wuli la le,
m be buuñaa la le,
m be n na kallankeeyaa* yitandi la le.
11 Bankoolu, ali la feeroo ka munta le ko fuufulewo,
aduŋ a koolaa be naa ke la ñaama jaara kenseŋ ne ti.
Ali niijii foñoo be ke la dimbaa le ti,
meŋ be ali faŋolu jani la, fo ali ye keremu.
12 Moolu be jani la le, ì ye nunku komeŋ lasi munkoo,
aniŋ ka ke ko ŋaniŋ sutu jasiriŋo,
dimbaa be naa duŋ na meŋ na.
13 Alitolu mennu be jamfariŋ,
ali naa a juubee ŋa meŋ ke,
mennu be sutiyaariŋ,
ali soŋ n na semboo la.”
14 Junubelaalu mennu be Siyoni, kijoo farata le.
Jarajaroo dunta Alla sookilaalu la.
Ì ko, “Jumaa le be ntolu kono,
meŋ niŋ Yaawe la dimbaa si tara noo ñoo kaŋ?
Jumaa le be ntolu kono,
meŋ si tara noo dimbaa dendeŋo la,
meŋ buka faa noo?”
15 Moo meŋ kekuwolu tilinta,
aniŋ a fokumoolu ka ke tooñaa ti,
meŋ buka sotoo ke tapaleeyaa kono,
meŋ buka dukoo muta,
meŋ ka a tuloo kaasi feeroolu la ka moo faa,
aniŋ ka a ñaa kaasi kuu kuruŋ kewo la,
16 wo le be ke la moo ti,
meŋ be tara la tankoo kono.
Tatoo meŋ be konkoo kaŋ,
be ke la a ye tankaraŋo le ti.
A be domoroo soto la le,
aduŋ jiyo te a dasa la.
Yaawe le mu ǹ na Mansoo ti
17 Ali faŋo ñaa be Mansa Kallankewo je la le,
aduŋ ali be a la bankoo dulaa jamfariŋolu bee je la le.
18 Wo to ali hakiloo be bula la
silaŋo la le meŋ laata ali kaŋ nuŋ,
ali si a fo ko, “Wo moo lee
meŋ ka ǹ na feŋolu yaatee?
Wo moo lee, meŋ ka ǹ na feŋolu peesa?
Wo moo lee, meŋ ka ǹ na tatoolu konti?”
19 Ali te wo faŋ wara moolu je la kotenke,
mennu ka kaŋ siifaalu fo,
ali buka mennu moyi noo,
aniŋ ka diyaamu ko mennu neŋo kadata,
ali te mennu fahaamu noo la.
20 Siyoni juubee, ǹ ka ǹ na diina beŋolu kidimandi daameŋ.
Ali be a je la le,
Yerusalaamu be tara la tenkuŋo meŋ kono,
ko tiriliisoo* meŋ pikaloolu te wutu la a noo to,
aniŋ meŋ juloolu te kuntu noo la muumeeke.
21 Yaawe be a la sembe waroo yitandi la ǹ na jee le to.
Baa fanuŋo aniŋ boloŋ baa be tara la jee le.
Bari hani wo ǹ jawoolu te kele kuluŋolu jiba noo la jee,
sako kuluŋ baalu si tambi jee.
22 Yaawe le mu ǹ na kiitiikuntulaa ti,
Yaawe le mu ǹ na ñaatonkoo ti.
Yaawe le mu ǹ na mansoo ti.
Ate le be ǹ tanka la.
23 Bari ǹ jawoolu la kuluŋo juloo maŋ bambaŋ,
a dokoolu ka jiijaa le,
aduŋ a foño mutaraŋ faanoo maŋ fanu.
Wo to, ñapinkaŋ feŋ jamaa be talaŋ-talaŋ na le,
lanjuurutoolu faŋolu ye doo soto jee.
24 Moo te tara la Siyoni
meŋ be a fo la ko, “N saasaata le.”
Moolu mennu be sabatiriŋ jee,
ì la junuboolu be kafari la le.
