Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen trouble by the rod of his wrath.
Ngiyindodaebone inhlupheko ngentonga yolaka lwayo.
2 By him I have been made to go in the dark where there is no light.
Ingikhokhele yangihambisa emnyameni kodwa hatshi ekukhanyeni.
3 Truly against me his hand has been turned again and again all the day.
Isibili iphenduke yamelana lami; iphendule isandla sayo imelene lami usuku lonke.
4 My flesh and my skin have been used up by him and my bones broken.
Igugisile inyama yami lesikhumba sami; yephulile amathambo ami.
5 He has put up a wall against me, shutting me in with bitter sorrow.
Yakhile imelene lami, yangihanqa ngenyongo lobunzima.
6 He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead.
Ingihlalise endaweni ezimnyama, njengabafa endulo.
7 He has put a wall round me, so that I am not able to go out; he has made great the weight of my chain.
Ingibiyele ukuze ngingaphumi, yenza iketane lami lethusi laba nzima.
8 Even when I send up a cry for help, he keeps my prayer shut out.
Njalo nxa ngikhala ngimemeza, ivalela phandle umkhuleko wami.
9 He has put up a wall of cut stones about my ways, he has made my roads twisted.
Ibiyele indlela yami ngamatshe abaziweyo, yenza izindlela zami zagoba.
10 He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.
Yaba kimi njengebhere elicathemeyo, isilwane ezindaweni zensitha.
11 By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste.
Iphambule izindlela zami, yangidabudabula, yangenza unxiwa.
12 With his bow bent, he has made me the mark for his arrows.
Igobisile idandili layo, yangimisa njengento yokunenjwa ngomtshoko.
13 He has let loose his arrows into the inmost parts of my body.
Yenze amadodana esamba semitshoko yayo angena ezinsweni zami.
14 I have become the sport of all the peoples; I am their song all the day.
Ngaba yinhlekisa kibo bonke abantu bakithi, ingoma yabo usuku lonke.
15 He has made my life nothing but pain, he has given me the bitter root in full measure.
Ingisuthise ngezinto ezibabayo, yanginathisa umhlonyane.
16 By him my teeth have been broken with crushed stones, and I am bent low in the dust.
Njalo ichoboze amazinyo ami ngokhethe, yangigiga emlotheni.
17 My soul is sent far away from peace, I have no more memory of good.
Njalo wena walahla umphefumulo wami khatshana lokuthula; ngikhohlwe okuhle.
18 And I said, My strength is cut off, and my hope from the Lord.
Ngakho ngithi: Kubhubhile amandla ami lethemba lami eNkosini.
19 Keep in mind my trouble and my wandering, the bitter root and the poison.
Khumbula inhlupheko yami lokuzulazula kwami, umhlonyane lenyongo.
20 My soul still keeps the memory of them; and is bent down in me.
Umphefumulo wami uhlala ukukhumbula, njalo ukhotheme phakathi kwami.
21 This I keep in mind, and because of this I have hope.
Lokhu ngiyakubuyisela enhliziyweni yami, ngakho-ke ngiyathemba.
22 It is through the Lord's love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.
Kuyizihawu zeNkosi ukuthi kasiqedwanga, ngoba izisa zakhe kazipheli;
23 They are new every morning; great is your good faith.
zintsha ikuseni yonke; lukhulu uthembeko lwayo.
24 I said to myself, The Lord is my heritage; and because of this I will have hope in him.
INkosi iyisabelo sami, kutsho umphefumulo wami; ngakho-ke ngizathemba kiyo.
25 The Lord is good to those who are waiting for him, to the soul which is looking for him.
INkosi ilungile kwabayilindelayo, kumphefumulo oyidingayo.
26 It is good to go on hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord.
Kuhle ukuthi umuntu athembe, njalo ngokuthula kusindiso lweNkosi.
27 It is good for a man to undergo the yoke when he is young.
Kuhle emuntwini ukuthi athwale ijogwe ebutsheni bakhe.
28 Let him be seated by himself, saying nothing, because he has put it on him.
Kahlale yedwa, athule, ngoba isimethese lona.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if by chance there may be hope.
Kabeke umlomo wakhe othulini; mhlawumbe kungaba khona ithemba.
30 Let his face be turned to him who gives him blows; let him be full of shame.
Kanikele isihlathi sakhe komtshayayo; asuthe inhlamba.
31 For the Lord does not give a man up for ever.
Ngoba iNkosi kayiyikulahla kuze kube phakade.
32 For though he sends grief, still he will have pity in the full measure of his love.
Ngoba lanxa idabukisile, kanti izakuba lesihawu ngobunengi bezisa zayo.
33 For he has no pleasure in troubling and causing grief to the children of men.
Ngoba kayihluphi ngenhliziyo yayo idabukise abantwana babantu;
34 In a man's crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
ukuchoboza ngaphansi kwenyawo zayo zonke izibotshwa zomhlaba;
35 In his turning away the right of a man before the face of the Most High.
ukuphambukisa ilungelo lomuntu phambi kobuso boPhezukonke;
36 In his doing wrong to a man in his cause, the Lord has no pleasure.
ukuphambanisa umuntu kudaba lwakhe, iNkosi kayikuboni yini?
37 Who is able to say a thing, and give effect to it, if it has not been ordered by the Lord?
Ngubani ongakukhuluma, njalo kwenzeke, nxa iNkosi ingakulayanga?
38 Do not evil and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
Kakuphumi ububi lokuhle emlonyeni woPhezukonke yini?
39 What protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?
Ngakho usolelani umuntu ophilayo, umuntu ngezono zakhe?
40 Let us make search and put our ways to the test, turning again to the Lord;
Asihlole silinge izindlela zethu, sibuyele eNkosini.
41 Lifting up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens.
Asiphakamisele inhliziyo lezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu emazulwini.
42 We have done wrong and gone against your law; we have not had your forgiveness.
Thina siphambukile, saba lenkani; wena kawuthethelelanga.
43 Covering yourself with wrath you have gone after us, cutting us off without pity;
Wembese ngolaka, waxotshana lathi, wabulala, kawuhawukelanga.
44 Covering yourself with a cloud, so that prayer may not get through.
Uzembese ngeyezi, ukuze kungedluli umkhuleko.
45 You have made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples.
Usenze saba yimfucuza lezibi phakathi kwezizwe.
46 The mouths of all our haters are open wide against us.
Zonke izitha zethu zivule umlomo wazo zimelene lathi.
47 Fear and deep waters have come on us, wasting and destruction.
Ukwesaba lomgodi kukhona phambi kwethu, incithakalo lokwephuka.
48 Rivers of water are running down from my eyes, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Ilihlo lami lehlisa imifula yamanzi ngokuchitheka kwendodakazi yabantu bami.
49 My eyes are streaming without stopping, they have no rest,
Ilihlo lami liyajuluka, kaliyekeli, kungelakuma,
50 Till the Lord's eye is turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven.
ize ikhangele phansi ibone iNkosi isezulwini.
51 The Lord is unkind to my soul, more than all the daughters of my town.
Ilihlo lami lenza umphefumulo wami ube buhlungu ngenxa yawo wonke amadodakazi omuzi wakithi.
52 They who are against me without cause have gone hard after me as if I was a bird;
Izitha zami zingizingele kabuhlungu njengenyoni, kungelasizatho.
53 They have put an end to my life in the prison, stoning me with stones.
Bayiqumile impilo yami emgodini, baphosa ilitshe phezu kwami.
54 Waters were flowing over my head; I said, I am cut off.
Amanzi ageleza phezu kwekhanda lami; ngathi: Ngiqunyiwe.
55 I was making prayer to your name, O Lord, out of the lowest prison.
Ngabiza ibizo lakho, Nkosi, ngisemgodini phansi;
56 My voice came to you; let not your ear be shut to my breathing, to my cry.
wezwa ilizwi lami; ungafihli indlebe yakho ekuphefumuleni kwami, ekukhaleleni kwami usizo.
57 You came near in the day when I made my prayer to you: you said, Have no fear.
Wasondela ngosuku lapho ngikubiza, wathi: Ungesabi.
58 O Lord, you have taken up the cause of my soul, you have made my life safe.
Nkosi, uzimele izindaba zomphefumulo wami, wahlenga impilo yami.
59 O Lord, you have seen my wrong; be judge in my cause.
Nkosi, ubonile ukoniwa kwami; yahlulela udaba lwami.
60 You have seen all the evil rewards they have sent on me, and all their designs against me.
Ubonile yonke impindiselo yabo, wonke amacebo abo amelene lami.
61 Their bitter words have come to your ears, O Lord, and all their designs against me;
Uzwile inhlamba yabo, Nkosi, wonke amacebo abo amelene lami,
62 The lips of those who came up against me, and their thoughts against me all the day.
indebe zabangivukelayo, lokuzindla kwabo kumelene lami lonke usuku.
63 Take note of them when they are seated, and when they get up; I am their song.
Khangela ukuhlala kwabo, lokusukuma kwabo; ngiyingoma yabo.
64 You will give them their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands.
Buyisela kibo impindiselo, Nkosi, njengokomsebenzi wezandla zabo.
65 You will let their hearts be covered over with your curse on them.
Banike ubulukhuni benhliziyo, isiqalekiso sakho kibo.
66 You will go after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the Lord.
Xotshana labo ngolaka, ubabhubhise bangabi ngaphansi kwamazulu eNkosi.
