Lamentations 4
1 How is the gold become dim! the most pure gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary poured out at the top of all the streets!
Yeka igolide eselilahlekelwe yikukhazimula kwalo, igolide elicolekileyo selijujukile! Amatshe aligugu angcwele aselahliwe ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke.
2 The sons of Zion, so precious, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Yeka izinsizwa zaseZiyoni ezincomekayo, ezake zaba lesisindo njengegolide, okwamanje sezingathi zimbiza zebumba, umsebenzi wezandla zombumbi!
3 Even the jackals offer the breast, they give suck to their young; the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
Ngitsho lamakhanka asemunyisa abantwabawo emabeleni awo, kodwa abantu bami kabaselazwelo njengezintshe enkangala.
4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst; the young children ask bread, no man breaketh it unto them.
Ngenxa yokoma, ulimi losane lunamathele elwangeni lomlomo; abantwana bancenga becela isinkwa kodwa kakho obaphayo.
5 They that fed delicately are desolate in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dung-hills.
Labo ababesidla izibiliboco sebeyiziceli emigwaqweni. Labo abondliwa ebutifitifini sebelala esilotheni.
6 And the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the reward of the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were violently laid upon her.
Isijeziso sabantu bakithi sikhulu kuleseSodoma, yona eyabhujiswa ngomzuzwana, akwaze kwaba lasandla esazama ukunceda.
7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, whiter than milk; they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their figure was as sapphire.
Amakhosana abo ayekhazimula kulongqwaqwane, emhlophe nke kulochago, imizimba yabo ibomvana njengamatshe ohlobo lwerubhi, ukubukeka kwabo kunjengelitshe elikhazimulayo.
8 Their visage is darker than blackness, they are not known in the streets; their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is withered, it is become like a stick.
Kodwa manje sebemnyama kulomsizi; kabasananzwa langubani emigwaqweni. Isikhumba sabo sesinamathele emathanjeni abo; sesome okogodo.
9 The slain with the sword are happier than the slain with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.
Bangcono labo ababulawa ngenkemba, kulalabo abafa ngendlala; bazaca baphele, bekhukhuzwa yindlala ngoba kungelakudla okuvela emasimini.
10 The hands of pitiful women have boiled their own children: they were their meat in the ruin of the daughter of my people.
Ngezandla zabo abesifazane abalesihelo, bapheke abantwababo, babenza ukudla kwabo ngesikhathi abantu bakithi bebulawa.
11 Jehovah hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath consumed the foundations thereof.
UThixo ubhodlisile intukuthelo yakhe; uluthulule ulaka lwakhe olwesabekayo. Uwulumathisile umlilo eZiyoni, watshisa izisekelo zayo.
12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
Amakhosi omhlaba ayengakholwa, labantu basemhlabeni babengakholwa ukuthi izitha labahlaseli bangangena emasangweni eJerusalema.
13 [It is] for the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, who have shed the blood of the righteous in the midst of her.
Kodwa kwenzakala ngenxa yezono zabaphrofethi bakhona, lamanyala abaphristi bakhona, abachitha igazi labalungileyo ngaphakathi kwalo iJerusalema.
14 They wandered about blind in the streets; they were polluted with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
Manje sebephumputha emigwaqweni njengabantu abayiziphofu. Sebengcoliswe ligazi kakuselamuntu ongathinta izembatho zabo.
15 They cried unto them, Depart! Unclean! Depart! depart, touch not! When they fled away, and wandered about, it was said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn [there].
Abantu bayabaxotsha bathi, “Sukani! Lingcolile! Sukani! Sukani! Lingasithinti!” Nxa bebaleka bentula, abantu bezizwe bathi, “Ngeke bahlale lapha njalo.”
16 The face of Jehovah hath divided them; he will no more regard them. They respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the aged.
UThixo ngokwakhe ubahlakazile; kasabalondolozi. Abaphristi kabasahlonitshwa, labadala kabasananzwa.
17 Our eyes still failed for our vain help; in our watching, we have watched for a nation that did not save.
Phezu kwalokho, amehlo ethu afiphala elindele ize engaboni sizo; siseziqongweni zethu zokulinda, salinda silindele isizwe esasingelancedo kithi.
18 They hunted our steps, that we could not go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
Abantu babesicwathela indawo zonke, ngakho sasesisesaba ukuhamba emigwaqweni yethu. Sasesiphelelwe, insuku zethu sezibaliwe, ngoba isiphetho sethu sesifikile.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens; they chased us hotly upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
Abasixotshayo babelejubane kulengqungqulu emkhathini; baxotshana lathi ezintabeni njalo basicathamela enkangala.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
Ogcotshiweyo kaThixo, oyikuphila kwethu uqobo, wabanjwa emijibileni yabo. Sakhumbula ukuthi ngaphansi kwesithunzi sakhe sizahlala phakathi kwezizwe.
21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: the cup shall pass also unto thee; thou shalt be drunken, and make thyself naked.
Jabula uthokoze, wena Ndodakazi yase-Edomi, wena ohlala elizweni lase-Uzi. Kodwa lakuwe izafika inkezo le; uzanatha udakwe, unqunulwe.
22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity. He will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
Ndodakazi yaseZiyoni, isijeziso sakho sizaphela; akayikwelula isikhathi sokuthunjwa kwakho. Kodwa, maye kuwe Ndodakazi yase-Edomi, uzakujezisa ngesono sakho, achaye obala ububi bakho.
