Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.
Yimi umuntu olubonileyo usizi ngenxa yoswazi lokuthukuthela kukaThixo.
2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
Ungixotshile, wangiphumputhekisa emnyameni hatshi ekukhanyeni;
3 Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long.
ngempela usengiphakamisele isandla sakhe, waphindaphinda ilanga lonke.
4 He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones.
Usenze ijwabu lami laluphala, wangephula amathambo.
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
Ungihanqile wangihonqolozela ngosizi langobunzima.
6 He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.
Ungenze ngahlala emnyameni njengalabo abafa kudala.
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.
Ungihonqolozele ngenqaba ukuze ngingaphunyuki; ungibophe nko ngamaketane.
8 Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer.
Kuthi lanxa ngimemeza loba ngidinga usizo, awuvalele phandle umkhuleko wami.
9 He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked.
Uvale indlela yami ngamatshe; waphambukisa izindlela zami.
10 He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
Njengebhele licathamile, njengesilwane sicatshile,
11 He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
wangihudulela eceleni kwendlela, wangifohloza, wangitshiya ngingelamsizi.
12 He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow.
Wadonsa idandili lakhe, ngaba yikudla kwemitshoko yakhe.
13 He pierced my kidneys with His arrows.
Wangiciba enhliziyweni ngemitshoko evela emxhakeni wakhe.
14 I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
Ngaba yinhlekisa ebantwini bakithi bonke; sengitshona ngiyingoma eyinhlekisa kubo.
15 He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
Ungigqibe ngemithi ebabayo, wanginathisa inyongo.
16 He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust.
Ungihlafunise ukhethe ngamazinyo; wangigiqa ebhuqwini.
17 My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
Ngincitshiwe ukuthula; angisakwazi ingabe iyini impumelelo.
18 So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”
Ngakho ngithi, “Sebuphelile ubucwazicwazi bami, lakho konke engangikulindele kuThixo.”
19 Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
Ngikhumbula ukuhlupheka lokuntula kwami, ubumunyu lenyongo.
20 Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me.
Konke ngikukhumbula kamhlophe, umoya wami wephukile.
21 Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
Kodwa ngikhumbula lokhu ngibe lethemba:
22 Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
Ngenxa yothando olukhulu lukaThixo kasibhujiswanga, ngoba isihawu sakhe kasipheli.
23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
Siba sitsha ukusa kwamalanga; kukhulu ukuthembeka kwakho.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
Ngiyazitshela ngithi, “UThixo uyisabelo sami; ngakho ngizalindela yena.”
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
UThixo ulungile kulowo omethembayo, kulowo omdingayo;
26 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
kuhle ukulinda ngokuthula, ukulindela insindiso kaThixo.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
Kuhle ukuthi umuntu alithwale ijogwe ngesikhathi esesemutsha.
28 Let him sit alone in silence, for God has disciplined him.
Kahlale yedwa ngokuthula, ngoba uThixo ulibeke phezu kwakhe.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust— perhaps there is still hope.
Kembele ubuso bakhe ethulini, mhlawumbe ithemba lizakuba khona.
30 Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with reproach.
Kaphe isihlathi sakhe kulowo ofuna ukumhlankala, agcwale ihlazo.
31 For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
Ngoba uThixo kabalahli abantu kuze kube nini lanini.
32 Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
Loba engaletha ubuhlungu, uzatshengisa uzwelo, lukhulu kakhulu uthando lwakhe olungapheliyo.
33 For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
Ngoba kehliseli ukuhlupheka losizi ebantwini ngokuthanda.
34 To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
Ukuhlifiza ngezinyawo zonke izibotshwa elizweni,
35 to deny a man justice before the Most High,
ukuncitsha umuntu amalungelo akhe phambi koPhezukonke,
36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit— of these the Lord does not approve.
ukungahluleli kuhle, kambe uThixo uyabe engaziboni izinto ezinjalo na?
37 Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
Ngubani ongatsho ulutho lwenzakale nxa lungavunyelwanga nguThixo na?
38 Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
Akuveli emlonyeni woPhezukonke ukuthi kuyehla inhlupheko lezinto ezinhle na?
39 Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?
Pho kungani umuntu ophilayo esola nxa ejeziselwa izono zakhe na?
40 Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
Kasilingeni njalo sihlole izindlela zethu, sibuyele kuThixo.
41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
Asiphakamiseleni inhliziyo lezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu ezulwini sithi:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled; You have not forgiven.”
“Sonile sahlamuka, njalo kawusithethelelanga.
43 You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity.
Uzigubuzele ngolaka waxhumana lathi; ubhubhisile ungelazwelo.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through.
Uzisibekele ngeyezi ukuze kungafinyeleli mkhuleko kuwe.
45 You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
Usenze saba ngamanyala lengcekeza phakathi kwezizwe.
46 All our enemies open their mouths against us.
Izitha zethu zonke zivule imilomo yazo zezwakala zisihoza.
47 Panic and pitfall have come upon us— devastation and destruction.
Sesihlukuluzwe yikuthuthumela lokukhilikithela, ukudilika lokubhidlika.”
48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Imifula yezinyembezi iyajuluka emehlweni ami ngoba abantu bakithi babhujisiwe.
49 My eyes overflow unceasingly, without relief,
Amehlo ami azajuluka kokuphela, engelakuphumula,
50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
UThixo aze akhangele phansi esezulwini, angibone.
51 My eyes bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
Engikubonayo kuthelela usizi emphefumulweni wami ngenxa yabesifazane bonke bomuzi wakithi.
52 Without cause my enemies hunted me like a bird.
Labo ababa yizitha zami kungelasizatho, bangizingela njengenyoni.
53 They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.
Bazama ukuquma impilo yami emgodini bangijikijela ngamatshe;
54 The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
amanzi asibekela ikhanda lami, ngabona ukuthi okwami sekuphelile.
55 I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit.
Ngalimemezela ibizo lakho, Oh Thixo, ngisekujuleni komgodi.
56 You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.”
Wezwa ukuncenga kwami: “Ungavali indlebe zakho nxa ngikhalela ukwenyulwa.”
57 You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not be afraid.”
Wasondela lapho ngikumemeza, wathi kimi, “Ungesabi.”
58 You defend my cause, O Lord; You redeem my life.
Oh Thixo, wasamukela isikhalazo sami; wahlenga ukuphila kwami.
59 You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; vindicate my cause!
Ububonile Thixo, ububi obenziwe kimi. Ngisekela kulobubunzima!
60 You have seen all their malice, all their plots against me.
Usubonile ukujula kokusonga kwabo, lamacebo abo wonke ngami.
61 O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me—
Awu Thixo, uzwile inhlamba zabo, wonke amacebo abo ngami,
62 the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long.
ukunyenyeza lokungunguna kwabo ngami ukusa kwamalanga.
63 When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song.
Ake ubabone! Bahlezi kumbe bajamile, bayangihleka ngezingoma zabo.
64 You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Awu Thixo, akubaphindisele ngokubafaneleyo, ngalokho okwenziwe yizandla zabo.
65 Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; may Your curse be upon them!
Basibekele ngelembu ezinhliziyweni zabo, isiqalekiso sakho sehlele phezu kwabo!
66 You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
Xhumana labo ngolaka, ubabhubhise ngaphansi kwamazulu kaThixo.
