Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.
Ngiyindodaebone inhlupheko ngentonga yolaka lwayo.
2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
Ingikhokhele yangihambisa emnyameni kodwa hatshi ekukhanyeni.
3 Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long.
Isibili iphenduke yamelana lami; iphendule isandla sayo imelene lami usuku lonke.
4 He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones.
Igugisile inyama yami lesikhumba sami; yephulile amathambo ami.
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
Yakhile imelene lami, yangihanqa ngenyongo lobunzima.
6 He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.
Ingihlalise endaweni ezimnyama, njengabafa endulo.
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.
Ingibiyele ukuze ngingaphumi, yenza iketane lami lethusi laba nzima.
8 Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer.
Njalo nxa ngikhala ngimemeza, ivalela phandle umkhuleko wami.
9 He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked.
Ibiyele indlela yami ngamatshe abaziweyo, yenza izindlela zami zagoba.
10 He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
Yaba kimi njengebhere elicathemeyo, isilwane ezindaweni zensitha.
11 He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
Iphambule izindlela zami, yangidabudabula, yangenza unxiwa.
12 He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow.
Igobisile idandili layo, yangimisa njengento yokunenjwa ngomtshoko.
13 He pierced my kidneys with His arrows.
Yenze amadodana esamba semitshoko yayo angena ezinsweni zami.
14 I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
Ngaba yinhlekisa kibo bonke abantu bakithi, ingoma yabo usuku lonke.
15 He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
Ingisuthise ngezinto ezibabayo, yanginathisa umhlonyane.
16 He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust.
Njalo ichoboze amazinyo ami ngokhethe, yangigiga emlotheni.
17 My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
Njalo wena walahla umphefumulo wami khatshana lokuthula; ngikhohlwe okuhle.
18 So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”
Ngakho ngithi: Kubhubhile amandla ami lethemba lami eNkosini.
19 Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
Khumbula inhlupheko yami lokuzulazula kwami, umhlonyane lenyongo.
20 Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me.
Umphefumulo wami uhlala ukukhumbula, njalo ukhotheme phakathi kwami.
21 Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
Lokhu ngiyakubuyisela enhliziyweni yami, ngakho-ke ngiyathemba.
22 Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
Kuyizihawu zeNkosi ukuthi kasiqedwanga, ngoba izisa zakhe kazipheli;
23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
zintsha ikuseni yonke; lukhulu uthembeko lwayo.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
INkosi iyisabelo sami, kutsho umphefumulo wami; ngakho-ke ngizathemba kiyo.
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
INkosi ilungile kwabayilindelayo, kumphefumulo oyidingayo.
26 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
Kuhle ukuthi umuntu athembe, njalo ngokuthula kusindiso lweNkosi.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
Kuhle emuntwini ukuthi athwale ijogwe ebutsheni bakhe.
28 Let him sit alone in silence, for God has disciplined him.
Kahlale yedwa, athule, ngoba isimethese lona.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust— perhaps there is still hope.
Kabeke umlomo wakhe othulini; mhlawumbe kungaba khona ithemba.
30 Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with reproach.
Kanikele isihlathi sakhe komtshayayo; asuthe inhlamba.
31 For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
Ngoba iNkosi kayiyikulahla kuze kube phakade.
32 Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
Ngoba lanxa idabukisile, kanti izakuba lesihawu ngobunengi bezisa zayo.
33 For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
Ngoba kayihluphi ngenhliziyo yayo idabukise abantwana babantu;
34 To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
ukuchoboza ngaphansi kwenyawo zayo zonke izibotshwa zomhlaba;
35 to deny a man justice before the Most High,
ukuphambukisa ilungelo lomuntu phambi kobuso boPhezukonke;
36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit— of these the Lord does not approve.
ukuphambanisa umuntu kudaba lwakhe, iNkosi kayikuboni yini?
37 Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
Ngubani ongakukhuluma, njalo kwenzeke, nxa iNkosi ingakulayanga?
38 Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
Kakuphumi ububi lokuhle emlonyeni woPhezukonke yini?
39 Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?
Ngakho usolelani umuntu ophilayo, umuntu ngezono zakhe?
40 Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
Asihlole silinge izindlela zethu, sibuyele eNkosini.
41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
Asiphakamisele inhliziyo lezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu emazulwini.
42 “We have sinned and rebelled; You have not forgiven.”
Thina siphambukile, saba lenkani; wena kawuthethelelanga.
43 You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity.
Wembese ngolaka, waxotshana lathi, wabulala, kawuhawukelanga.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through.
Uzembese ngeyezi, ukuze kungedluli umkhuleko.
45 You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
Usenze saba yimfucuza lezibi phakathi kwezizwe.
46 All our enemies open their mouths against us.
Zonke izitha zethu zivule umlomo wazo zimelene lathi.
47 Panic and pitfall have come upon us— devastation and destruction.
Ukwesaba lomgodi kukhona phambi kwethu, incithakalo lokwephuka.
48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Ilihlo lami lehlisa imifula yamanzi ngokuchitheka kwendodakazi yabantu bami.
49 My eyes overflow unceasingly, without relief,
Ilihlo lami liyajuluka, kaliyekeli, kungelakuma,
50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
ize ikhangele phansi ibone iNkosi isezulwini.
51 My eyes bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
Ilihlo lami lenza umphefumulo wami ube buhlungu ngenxa yawo wonke amadodakazi omuzi wakithi.
52 Without cause my enemies hunted me like a bird.
Izitha zami zingizingele kabuhlungu njengenyoni, kungelasizatho.
53 They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.
Bayiqumile impilo yami emgodini, baphosa ilitshe phezu kwami.
54 The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
Amanzi ageleza phezu kwekhanda lami; ngathi: Ngiqunyiwe.
55 I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit.
Ngabiza ibizo lakho, Nkosi, ngisemgodini phansi;
56 You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.”
wezwa ilizwi lami; ungafihli indlebe yakho ekuphefumuleni kwami, ekukhaleleni kwami usizo.
57 You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not be afraid.”
Wasondela ngosuku lapho ngikubiza, wathi: Ungesabi.
58 You defend my cause, O Lord; You redeem my life.
Nkosi, uzimele izindaba zomphefumulo wami, wahlenga impilo yami.
59 You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; vindicate my cause!
Nkosi, ubonile ukoniwa kwami; yahlulela udaba lwami.
60 You have seen all their malice, all their plots against me.
Ubonile yonke impindiselo yabo, wonke amacebo abo amelene lami.
61 O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me—
Uzwile inhlamba yabo, Nkosi, wonke amacebo abo amelene lami,
62 the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long.
indebe zabangivukelayo, lokuzindla kwabo kumelene lami lonke usuku.
63 When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song.
Khangela ukuhlala kwabo, lokusukuma kwabo; ngiyingoma yabo.
64 You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Buyisela kibo impindiselo, Nkosi, njengokomsebenzi wezandla zabo.
65 Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; may Your curse be upon them!
Banike ubulukhuni benhliziyo, isiqalekiso sakho kibo.
66 You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
Xotshana labo ngolaka, ubabhubhise bangabi ngaphansi kwamazulu eNkosi.
