Lamentations 3
1 Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
Yimi umuntu olubonileyo usizi ngenxa yoswazi lokuthukuthela kukaThixo.
2 Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
Ungixotshile, wangiphumputhekisa emnyameni hatshi ekukhanyeni;
3 Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
ngempela usengiphakamisele isandla sakhe, waphindaphinda ilanga lonke.
4 Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
Usenze ijwabu lami laluphala, wangephula amathambo.
5 Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
Ungihanqile wangihonqolozela ngosizi langobunzima.
6 Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
Ungenze ngahlala emnyameni njengalabo abafa kudala.
7 Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
Ungihonqolozele ngenqaba ukuze ngingaphunyuki; ungibophe nko ngamaketane.
8 Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
Kuthi lanxa ngimemeza loba ngidinga usizo, awuvalele phandle umkhuleko wami.
9 Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
Uvale indlela yami ngamatshe; waphambukisa izindlela zami.
10 Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
Njengebhele licathamile, njengesilwane sicatshile,
11 Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
wangihudulela eceleni kwendlela, wangifohloza, wangitshiya ngingelamsizi.
12 Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
Wadonsa idandili lakhe, ngaba yikudla kwemitshoko yakhe.
13 He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
Wangiciba enhliziyweni ngemitshoko evela emxhakeni wakhe.
14 He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
Ngaba yinhlekisa ebantwini bakithi bonke; sengitshona ngiyingoma eyinhlekisa kubo.
15 He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
Ungigqibe ngemithi ebabayo, wanginathisa inyongo.
16 Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
Ungihlafunise ukhethe ngamazinyo; wangigiqa ebhuqwini.
17 Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
Ngincitshiwe ukuthula; angisakwazi ingabe iyini impumelelo.
18 Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
Ngakho ngithi, “Sebuphelile ubucwazicwazi bami, lakho konke engangikulindele kuThixo.”
19 Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
Ngikhumbula ukuhlupheka lokuntula kwami, ubumunyu lenyongo.
20 Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
Konke ngikukhumbula kamhlophe, umoya wami wephukile.
21 Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
Kodwa ngikhumbula lokhu ngibe lethemba:
22 Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
Ngenxa yothando olukhulu lukaThixo kasibhujiswanga, ngoba isihawu sakhe kasipheli.
23 Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
Siba sitsha ukusa kwamalanga; kukhulu ukuthembeka kwakho.
24 Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
Ngiyazitshela ngithi, “UThixo uyisabelo sami; ngakho ngizalindela yena.”
25 Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
UThixo ulungile kulowo omethembayo, kulowo omdingayo;
26 Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
kuhle ukulinda ngokuthula, ukulindela insindiso kaThixo.
27 Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
Kuhle ukuthi umuntu alithwale ijogwe ngesikhathi esesemutsha.
28 Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
Kahlale yedwa ngokuthula, ngoba uThixo ulibeke phezu kwakhe.
29 Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
Kembele ubuso bakhe ethulini, mhlawumbe ithemba lizakuba khona.
30 Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
Kaphe isihlathi sakhe kulowo ofuna ukumhlankala, agcwale ihlazo.
31 Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
Ngoba uThixo kabalahli abantu kuze kube nini lanini.
32 Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
Loba engaletha ubuhlungu, uzatshengisa uzwelo, lukhulu kakhulu uthando lwakhe olungapheliyo.
33 Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
Ngoba kehliseli ukuhlupheka losizi ebantwini ngokuthanda.
34 Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
Ukuhlifiza ngezinyawo zonke izibotshwa elizweni,
35 Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,
ukuncitsha umuntu amalungelo akhe phambi koPhezukonke,
36 Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
ukungahluleli kuhle, kambe uThixo uyabe engaziboni izinto ezinjalo na?
37 Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
Ngubani ongatsho ulutho lwenzakale nxa lungavunyelwanga nguThixo na?
38 Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
Akuveli emlonyeni woPhezukonke ukuthi kuyehla inhlupheko lezinto ezinhle na?
39 Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
Pho kungani umuntu ophilayo esola nxa ejeziselwa izono zakhe na?
40 Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
Kasilingeni njalo sihlole izindlela zethu, sibuyele kuThixo.
41 Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
Asiphakamiseleni inhliziyo lezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu ezulwini sithi:
42 Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
“Sonile sahlamuka, njalo kawusithethelelanga.
43 Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
Uzigubuzele ngolaka waxhumana lathi; ubhubhisile ungelazwelo.
44 Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
Uzisibekele ngeyezi ukuze kungafinyeleli mkhuleko kuwe.
45 Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
Usenze saba ngamanyala lengcekeza phakathi kwezizwe.
46 Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
Izitha zethu zonke zivule imilomo yazo zezwakala zisihoza.
47 Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
Sesihlukuluzwe yikuthuthumela lokukhilikithela, ukudilika lokubhidlika.”
48 Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Imifula yezinyembezi iyajuluka emehlweni ami ngoba abantu bakithi babhujisiwe.
49 Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
Amehlo ami azajuluka kokuphela, engelakuphumula,
50 Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
UThixo aze akhangele phansi esezulwini, angibone.
51 Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
Engikubonayo kuthelela usizi emphefumulweni wami ngenxa yabesifazane bonke bomuzi wakithi.
52 Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
Labo ababa yizitha zami kungelasizatho, bangizingela njengenyoni.
53 Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
Bazama ukuquma impilo yami emgodini bangijikijela ngamatshe;
54 Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
amanzi asibekela ikhanda lami, ngabona ukuthi okwami sekuphelile.
55 Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
Ngalimemezela ibizo lakho, Oh Thixo, ngisekujuleni komgodi.
56 Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
Wezwa ukuncenga kwami: “Ungavali indlebe zakho nxa ngikhalela ukwenyulwa.”
57 Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
Wasondela lapho ngikumemeza, wathi kimi, “Ungesabi.”
58 Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
Oh Thixo, wasamukela isikhalazo sami; wahlenga ukuphila kwami.
59 Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
Ububonile Thixo, ububi obenziwe kimi. Ngisekela kulobubunzima!
60 Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
Usubonile ukujula kokusonga kwabo, lamacebo abo wonke ngami.
61 Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
Awu Thixo, uzwile inhlamba zabo, wonke amacebo abo ngami,
62 Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
ukunyenyeza lokungunguna kwabo ngami ukusa kwamalanga.
63 Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
Ake ubabone! Bahlezi kumbe bajamile, bayangihleka ngezingoma zabo.
64 Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
Awu Thixo, akubaphindisele ngokubafaneleyo, ngalokho okwenziwe yizandla zabo.
65 Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
Basibekele ngelembu ezinhliziyweni zabo, isiqalekiso sakho sehlele phezu kwabo!
66 Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
Xhumana labo ngolaka, ubabhubhise ngaphansi kwamazulu kaThixo.
