Wetin Our Papa-dem Tell Us
For di director of music. Wisdom psalm wey di pikin-dem of Korah sing.
The people talk the conquest wey dem papa describe, then dem put am side by side with today: dem scatter dem, loot dem, sell dem cheap, dem don be joke among nations — and dem insist say dem never abandon the covenant. The prayer end by asking dem Papa why e dey sleep.
44 1O our Papa, we don hear with our own ears; our papa-dem don tell us di work wey You do for their time, for di days of long-long ago. 2With Your own hand You drive comot di nations, but You plant our papa-dem; You crush di people-dem, but You set our papa-dem free. 3Because dem no take di land with their own sword, and their own arm no save dem; but na Your right hand, Your arm, and di light of Your face — because You bin dey happy with dem.
4You be my King, our Papa; command di victory-dem of Jacob. 5Through You we dey push our enemy-dem back; through Your name we dey trample dem wey rise against us. 6Because I no dey trust my bow, and my sword no dey save me. 7But You don save us from our enemy-dem and You don shame dem wey hate us. 8We don dey boast for our Papa di whole day, and we go praise Your name forever. Selah. a a v8 Selah: na musical or worship mark for di psalm, e fit dey signal say make person pause or take small quiet time reflect.
9But now You don reject us and put us for shame, and You no dey go out with our army-dem again. 10You make us run back before our enemy, and dem wey hate us dey loot us anyhow dem like. 11You hand us over like sheep wey dem go chop, and You don scatter us among di nations. 12You sell Your people for almost notin and You no gain anytin from di sale. 13You make us tin wey our neighbor-dem dey use mock, dem wey dey around us dey laugh us and look us down. 14You make us tin wey di nations dey talk bad about, people wey oda nations dey shake their head for. 15Di whole day my shame dey for my front, and shame don cover my face, 16because of di voice of dem wey dey mock and insult, before di enemy wey dey take revenge.
17All dis don come for us, but still we no forget You, and we no betray Your Covenant. 18Our heart no turn back, and our foot no waka comot from Your road, 19even as You don crush us for di place wey jackal dey stay and cover us with deep darkness. 20If we bin forget di name of our Papa or stretch our hand to strange god, 21our Papa no for find am out? Because E know di secret-dem wey dey inside heart. 22But because of You dem dey kill us di whole day; dem dey count us like sheep wey dem wan slaughter. b b v22 Paul carry dis very cry take describe believer-dem wey dey suffer because dem dey follow Jesus — but “for all dis tins we be conqueror pass conqueror through Am wey love us” (Romans 8:36-37). Di Papa no dey ever abandon im pikin-dem, even when to dey faithful cost everytin.
23Wake up! Why You dey sleep, Papa wey be Oga over all? Rise up; no reject us forever. 24Why You dey hide Your face and forget our suffering and how dem dey oppress us? 25Because we don bow reach di dust; our body stick to di ground. 26Rise up come help us! Redeem us because of Your Covenant love.
