A Prayer for Justice
1 Why are you so far away, O Lord?
Why do you hide yourself when we are in trouble?
2 The wicked are proud and persecute the poor;
catch them in the traps they have made.
3 The wicked are proud of their evil desires;
the greedy curse and reject the Lord.
4 The wicked do not care about the Lord;
in their pride they think that God doesn't matter.
5 The wicked succeed in everything.
They cannot understand God's judgments;
they sneer at their enemies.
6 They say to themselves, “We will never fail;
we will never be in trouble.”
7 Their speech is filled with curses, lies, and threats;
they are quick to speak hateful, evil words.
8 They hide themselves in the villages,
waiting to murder innocent people.
They spy on their helpless victims;
9 they wait in their hiding place like lions.
They lie in wait for the poor;
they catch them in their traps and drag them away.
10 The helpless victims lie crushed;
brute strength has defeated them.
11 The wicked say to themselves, “God doesn't care!
He has closed his eyes and will never see me!”
12 O Lord, punish those wicked people!
Remember those who are suffering!
13 How can the wicked despise God
and say to themselves, “He will not punish me”?
14 But you do see; you take notice of trouble and suffering
and are always ready to help.
The helpless commit themselves to you;
you have always helped the needy.
15 Break the power of wicked and evil people;
punish them for the wrong they have done
until they do it no more.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever.
Those who worship other gods
will vanish from his land.
17 You will listen, O Lord, to the prayers of the lowly;
you will give them courage.
18 You will hear the cries of the oppressed and the orphans;
you will judge in their favor,
so that mortal men may cause terror no more.
Mätu Ta'diri ta
1 Äye OPI, nya'do gwo le pere lozo etaya?
Nya andivo miro da'do tuse ma'dote rriti ya si etaya?
2 Takozi'bai kayi 'dimäyuro eza driuŋgyi si,
mi'ba ànya ko'deyi abari se ànya ko'bebe ya.
3 Lidri se koziro ka driuŋgyi tausu koziro ya ànyaro rota;
ago mano se yagäru be ka latri otri ago ka OPI ogazo.
4 Driuŋgyi risi mano kozi ti ta OPI ro ko.
Tausu cini ndaro ya nda ekye, anjioko Lu i'do.
5 Ŋgase cini mano kozi ka oyena be ka a'do tu cini si;
nda ni ta vureope Lu ro ko;
nda ka kyila'baazii ndaro mawona.
6 Nda ka tausu ya si ekye: “Ta aza opena ma ko ṛe.
Tu cini ori maro rosi ma'dena ko rriti ya alona.”
7 Ata ndaro twi latri, kowe, ndi ozionya be be;
nda ka rriti ndi taundiro be atana ayani.
8 Nda ka yi da'do 'baŋwai yasi,
lidri se taenjiako tufune.
Nda ka ànya se kandra kado ako gogona!
9 Nda rite vo ruda'do ro ndaro ya oso ibi ronye,
nda ka uvu vuru lidri mäyuro urune;
nda ka ànya uru ondro ànya kodete abari ndaro ya owo.
10 Nda ka ànya se kandrakado ako o'bina vuru;
ago ka o'de ànya dri mbarasi.
11 Mano kozi ka tausu ya si ekye: “Lu ije ta te!
Nda se mi ndaro te ago ni ko ma ondrene alona!”
12 Nyikyi Äye OPI Lu, nyeza lidri kozi kai!
Miyi ta ànya se kabe ugu rueza ro!
13 Tana e'di lidri kozi ga Lu gozo
ago ka tausu ya si ekye: “Lu ezana ma ko ya?”
14 Oko nya voondre; mindre rriti ndi rueza be te
ago mi orivoya nja ŋgaopane.
Mano kandrakado ako ka andivo ndaro ozo miri;
ondoalo nya lemeri'bai opani.
15 Miŋgo mbara 'di kozi ndi lidri undiro robe ro,
nyeza ànya ta ŋgakozi se ànya koye be rota,
madale ànya yeyi kote tona.
16 OPI ni 'bädri'ba yi rriro ago äduako.
Tu'dei atrai onaruna 'da ni wari ndaro yasi.
17 Äye OPI, nyerina mätu mäwuako'bai ro 'da
nyozona agoago 'da ànyari.
18 Mipena vure ago nyerina liyi ànyaro, liyi 'dise ipite vuru ndi kenvoi ro be 'da,
ukyi lidri se ka odraodra ono oso turi 'da tona.