Lamentations 3
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Yimi umuntu olubonileyo usizi ngenxa yoswazi lokuthukuthela kukaThixo.
2 Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light.
Ungixotshile, wangiphumputhekisa emnyameni hatshi ekukhanyeni;
3 Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day.
ngempela usengiphakamisele isandla sakhe, waphindaphinda ilanga lonke.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones.
Usenze ijwabu lami laluphala, wangephula amathambo.
5 He hath built against me, and encompassed [me] with gall and toil.
Ungihanqile wangihonqolozela ngosizi langobunzima.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.
Ungenze ngahlala emnyameni njengalabo abafa kudala.
7 He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
Ungihonqolozele ngenqaba ukuze ngingaphunyuki; ungibophe nko ngamaketane.
8 Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
Kuthi lanxa ngimemeza loba ngidinga usizo, awuvalele phandle umkhuleko wami.
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
Uvale indlela yami ngamatshe; waphambukisa izindlela zami.
10 He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.
Njengebhele licathamile, njengesilwane sicatshile,
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
wangihudulela eceleni kwendlela, wangifohloza, wangitshiya ngingelamsizi.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Wadonsa idandili lakhe, ngaba yikudla kwemitshoko yakhe.
13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
Wangiciba enhliziyweni ngemitshoko evela emxhakeni wakhe.
14 I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day.
Ngaba yinhlekisa ebantwini bakithi bonke; sengitshona ngiyingoma eyinhlekisa kubo.
15 He hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood.
Ungigqibe ngemithi ebabayo, wanginathisa inyongo.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
Ungihlafunise ukhethe ngamazinyo; wangigiqa ebhuqwini.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity.
Ngincitshiwe ukuthula; angisakwazi ingabe iyini impumelelo.
18 And I said, My strength is perished, and my hope in Jehovah.
Ngakho ngithi, “Sebuphelile ubucwazicwazi bami, lakho konke engangikulindele kuThixo.”
19 Remember thou mine affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
Ngikhumbula ukuhlupheka lokuntula kwami, ubumunyu lenyongo.
20 My soul hath [them] constantly in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Konke ngikukhumbula kamhlophe, umoya wami wephukile.
21 — This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope.
Kodwa ngikhumbula lokhu ngibe lethemba:
22 It is of Jehovah's loving-kindness we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not;
Ngenxa yothando olukhulu lukaThixo kasibhujiswanga, ngoba isihawu sakhe kasipheli.
23 they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Siba sitsha ukusa kwamalanga; kukhulu ukuthembeka kwakho.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Ngiyazitshela ngithi, “UThixo uyisabelo sami; ngakho ngizalindela yena.”
25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.
UThixo ulungile kulowo omethembayo, kulowo omdingayo;
26 It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah.
kuhle ukulinda ngokuthula, ukulindela insindiso kaThixo.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth:
Kuhle ukuthi umuntu alithwale ijogwe ngesikhathi esesemutsha.
28 He sitteth solitary and keepeth silence, because he hath laid it upon him;
Kahlale yedwa ngokuthula, ngoba uThixo ulibeke phezu kwakhe.
29 he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;
Kembele ubuso bakhe ethulini, mhlawumbe ithemba lizakuba khona.
30 he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.
Kaphe isihlathi sakhe kulowo ofuna ukumhlankala, agcwale ihlazo.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever;
Ngoba uThixo kabalahli abantu kuze kube nini lanini.
32 but if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses:
Loba engaletha ubuhlungu, uzatshengisa uzwelo, lukhulu kakhulu uthando lwakhe olungapheliyo.
33 for he doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.
Ngoba kehliseli ukuhlupheka losizi ebantwini ngokuthanda.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
Ukuhlifiza ngezinyawo zonke izibotshwa elizweni,
35 to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
ukuncitsha umuntu amalungelo akhe phambi koPhezukonke,
36 to wrong a man in his cause, — will not the Lord see it?
ukungahluleli kuhle, kambe uThixo uyabe engaziboni izinto ezinjalo na?
37 Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?
Ngubani ongatsho ulutho lwenzakale nxa lungavunyelwanga nguThixo na?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High doth not there proceed evil and good?
Akuveli emlonyeni woPhezukonke ukuthi kuyehla inhlupheko lezinto ezinhle na?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Pho kungani umuntu ophilayo esola nxa ejeziselwa izono zakhe na?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
Kasilingeni njalo sihlole izindlela zethu, sibuyele kuThixo.
41 Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands unto God in the heavens.
Asiphakamiseleni inhliziyo lezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu ezulwini sithi:
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
“Sonile sahlamuka, njalo kawusithethelelanga.
43 Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared.
Uzigubuzele ngolaka waxhumana lathi; ubhubhisile ungelazwelo.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through.
Uzisibekele ngeyezi ukuze kungafinyeleli mkhuleko kuwe.
45 Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Usenze saba ngamanyala lengcekeza phakathi kwezizwe.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
Izitha zethu zonke zivule imilomo yazo zezwakala zisihoza.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and ruin.
Sesihlukuluzwe yikuthuthumela lokukhilikithela, ukudilika lokubhidlika.”
48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the ruin of the daughter of my people.
Imifula yezinyembezi iyajuluka emehlweni ami ngoba abantu bakithi babhujisiwe.
49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
Amehlo ami azajuluka kokuphela, engelakuphumula,
50 till Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens.
UThixo aze akhangele phansi esezulwini, angibone.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
Engikubonayo kuthelela usizi emphefumulweni wami ngenxa yabesifazane bonke bomuzi wakithi.
52 They that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird.
Labo ababa yizitha zami kungelasizatho, bangizingela njengenyoni.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me.
Bazama ukuquma impilo yami emgodini bangijikijela ngamatshe;
54 Waters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
amanzi asibekela ikhanda lami, ngabona ukuthi okwami sekuphelile.
55 I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.
Ngalimemezela ibizo lakho, Oh Thixo, ngisekujuleni komgodi.
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.
Wezwa ukuncenga kwami: “Ungavali indlebe zakho nxa ngikhalela ukwenyulwa.”
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
Wasondela lapho ngikumemeza, wathi kimi, “Ungesabi.”
58 Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life.
Oh Thixo, wasamukela isikhalazo sami; wahlenga ukuphila kwami.
59 Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
Ububonile Thixo, ububi obenziwe kimi. Ngisekela kulobubunzima!
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their imaginations against me.
Usubonile ukujula kokusonga kwabo, lamacebo abo wonke ngami.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, all their imaginations against me;
Awu Thixo, uzwile inhlamba zabo, wonke amacebo abo ngami,
62 the lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day.
ukunyenyeza lokungunguna kwabo ngami ukusa kwamalanga.
63 Behold thou their sitting down and their rising up: I am their song.
Ake ubabone! Bahlezi kumbe bajamile, bayangihleka ngezingoma zabo.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands;
Awu Thixo, akubaphindisele ngokubafaneleyo, ngalokho okwenziwe yizandla zabo.
65 give them obduracy of heart, thy curse unto them;
Basibekele ngelembu ezinhliziyweni zabo, isiqalekiso sakho sehlele phezu kwabo!
66 pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Xhumana labo ngolaka, ubabhubhise ngaphansi kwamazulu kaThixo.
