Wetin Our Papa-Papa Dem Tell Us
For di director of music. Wisdom psalm wey di sons of Korah write.
Di people recite di conquest wey dia forefathers describe, then dem put am side by side with di present: dem don scatter dem, dem don loot dem, dem sell dem cheap, dem don turn joke among di nations — and dem insist say dem never abandon di covenant. Di prayer end as dem ask dia Papa why e dey sleep.
44 1O our Papa, we don hear with our own ear; our papa-papa dem don tell us di work wey you do for their time, for di olden days. 2With your own hand you drive comot di nations, but you plant our papa-papa dem; you crush di people dem, but you set our papa-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 take joy for dem.
4You be my King, our Papa; command di victory dem of Jacob. 5Na through you we dey push our enemy dem back; na 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 don put dem wey hate us to shame. 8We don dey boast for our Papa di whole day, and we go praise your name forever. a a v8 Selah: na musical or liturgical mark for di psalm, wey likely dey signal say make person pause or take small time quiet down reflect.
9But now you don reject us and disgrace us, and you no dey go out with our army dem again. 10You make us dey run back for front of di 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 nothing and you no gain anything from di sale. 13You make us something wey our neighbour dem dey use mock, dem wey dey around us dey laugh us and dey despise us. 14You make us proverb among di nations, people wey oda nations dey shake their head for. 15Di whole day my disgrace dey my front, and shame don cover my face, 16for di voice of di person wey dey mock and dey insult, for di face of di enemy wey dey take revenge.
17All dis don happen to us, but still we never forget you, and we never betray your Covenant. 18Our heart never turn back, and our step never comot from your road, 19even though you don crush us for di place where jackal dem dey and don cover us with deep darkness. 20If we for don forget di name of our Papa or stretch our hand go meet foreign god, 21our Papa no for don find am out? Because e know di secret dem of di 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 same cry to describe believers wey dey suffer because dem dey follow Jesus — but “for all dis things we be more than 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 everything.
23Wake up! Why you dey sleep, Papa wey be Oga over all? Shake yourself up; no reject us forever. 24Why you dey hide your face and forget our suffering and our oppression? 25Because we don bow down go inside di dust; our body dey stick for di ground. 26Stand up and help us! Redeem us because of your love wey no dey change.
