Psalms 74
1 An Instructive Psalm. Asaph’s. Wherefore, O God, hast thou cast off utterly? Shall thine anger smoke against the flock of thine own pasturing?
Nkulunkulu, usilahleleni kokuphela? Ulaka lwakho luvuthelani ngakuzo izimvu zedlelo lakho?
2 Remember thine own assembly thou didst acquire aforetime, Thou didst redeem the tribe of thine own inheritance, Mount Zion, wherein thou didst take up thy habitation.
Khumbula ibandla lakho owalithenga endulo, intonga yelifa lakho owayihlengayo, le intaba yeZiyoni ohlala kuyo.
3 Lift up thy steps unto the places utterly unsafe, All the mischief!—the foe in the sanctuary!
Phakamisa inyawo zakho ezincithakalweni eziqhubekayo, konke okubi izitha ezikwenzileyo endaweni engcwele.
4 Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of thine appointed meeting, They have set their ensigns as tokens!
Izitha zakho zibhongile phakathi kwezindawo zakho zokubuthanela, zamisa impawu zazo zibe zimpawu.
5 One used to be known according as he carried up high—into the thicket of trees—the axes;
Umuntu waziwa njengophakamisa amahloka eguswini lezihlahla.
6 But, now, the doors thereof all together, with axes and hammers, they batter down.
Kodwa khathesi zitshaye okubaziweyo kwayo ndawonye ngamahloka lezando.
7 They have cast, into the fire, thy sanctuary, To the ground, have they profaned the habitation of thy Name.
Zinikele indlu yakho engcwele emlilweni, zangcolisa indawo yokuhlala yebizo lakho ngokuyiwisela emhlabathini.
8 They have said in their heart, Let us suppress them altogether, They have burned up all the meeting-places of GOD in the land.
Zathi enhliziyweni yazo: Kasibachithe ndawonye. Zatshisa zonke indawo zokubuthanela zikaNkulunkulu elizweni.
9 Our own signs, have we not seen, —There is no longer a prophet, —Neither is there with us, one who knoweth—How long!
Impawu zethu kasiziboni; kakusekho mprofethi; kakho kithi owaziyo ukuthi koze kube nini.
10 How long, O God, shall the adversary, reproach? Shall the enemy revile thy Name perpetually?
Koze kube nini, Nkulunkulu, umcindezeli edelela? Isitha sizahlambaza ibizo lakho kokuphela yini?
11 Wherefore shouldst thou withdraw thy hand—thy right hand? [Bring it] out of the midst of thy bosom! (Selah)
Usifinyezeleni isandla sakho, yebo isandla sakho sokunene? Sikhuphe phakathi kwesifuba sakho.
12 But, God, hath been my king from aforetime, Working Deliverances in the midst of the earth.
Kanti uNkulunkulu uyiNkosi yami kusukela endulo, eyenza insindiso phakathi komhlaba.
13 Thou, didst cleave asunder, in thy might, the sea, Thou didst break in pieces the heads of the Crocodiles, [till they floated] on the waters;
Nguwe owehlukanisa ulwandle ngamandla akho; wafohloza amakhanda emigobho emanzini.
14 Thou, didst crush the heads of the Sea-Monster, Thou didst give him to be food, for the people of the deserts;
Nguwe owachoboza amakhanda kaLeviyathani, wamnikela waba yikudla kwabantu enkangala.
15 Thou, didst cleave open fountain and torrent, Thou, didst dry up rivers of steady flow:
Nguwe owaqhekeza umthombo lesifula, nguwe owomisa imifula egeleza njalo.
16 Thine, is the day, Yea, thine, the night, Thou, didst establish moon and sun;
Usuku ngolwakho, lobusuku ngobakho; nguwe owamisa ukukhanya lelanga.
17 Thou, didst set up all the bounds of the earth, As for summer and winter, thou, didst form them!
Nguwe owamisa yonke imikhawulo yomhlaba; nguwe owenza ihlobo lobusika.
18 Remember this, An enemy, hath reproached Yahweh, Yea, an impious people, have reviled thy Name.
Khumbula lokhu, isitha siyangisile, Nkosi, labantu abayizithutha bahlambazile ibizo lakho.
19 Do not deliver up, to a wild beast, the life of thy turtle-dove, The living host of thine oppressed ones, do not forget perpetually.
Ungawunikeli umphefumulo wejuba lakho ezinyamazaneni zendle; ungakhohlwa ixuku lezihlupheki zakho phakade.
20 Have respect to thy covenant, For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.
Nanzelela isivumelwano; ngoba indawo ezimnyama zomhlaba zigcwele indawo zokuhlala zesihluku.
21 May the crushed one not again be confounded, As for the oppressed and the needy, let them praise thy Name.
Kangabuyeli eyangekile ocindezelweyo; ohluphekayo loswelayo kabalidumise ibizo lakho.
22 Arise! O God, plead thine own cause, Remember the reproach of thee, from the impious one, all the day:
Vuka, Nkulunkulu! Ulumele udaba lwakho, ukhumbule ihlazo lakho ngoyisiwula usuku lonke.
23 Do not forget the voice of thine adversaries, The noise of thine assailants, ascending continually.
Ungakhohlwa ilizwi lezitha zakho, ukuxokozela kwabakuvukelayo kwenyuka njalonjalo.
