Lamentations 1
1 How desolate sits the city of Jerusalem, once filled with people! She has become like a widow, she who was once great among the nations. The queen of all the world has become a slave-laborer.
Kuthule kuthe cwaka! Yeka lelidolobho elalinyakazela abantu! Selinjengomfelokazi, kanti lalilodumo phakathi kwezizwe. Lona elaliyindlovukazi phakathi kwezigodi, khathesi seliyisigqili.
2 She cries bitterly through the night, tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite all her many lovers, no one comes to comfort her. Betrayed by all her friends, they are now her enemies.
Linjengowesifazane okhala kabuhlungu ebusuku, inyembezi zithe hlikilili ezihlathini. Kakho phakathi kwazo zonke izithandwa zakhe ongamduduza. Bonke abangane bakhe bamhlamukele; sebeyizitha zakhe.
3 Judah has been dragged off into captivity, suffering miserably under brutal slavery; she lives among the nations but has no place of her own where she can rest. Those chasing her have brought her down and she cannot escape.
UJuda useye ebugqilini ngemva kokuhlupheka lokudonsa nzima. Usehlala phakathi kwabezizwe; akatholi ndawo yokuphumula. Bonke abamzingelayo bamxhumile ephakathi kokuhlupheka kwakhe.
4 Even the roads to Zion are in mourning because no one travels on them to go to the religious festivals. All her gates are empty. Her priests groan in sadness. Her girls are suffering. She herself is in bitter distress.
Iyalila imigwaqo eya eZiyoni, ngoba kasekho ozayo emikhosini yalo emisiweyo. Wonke amasango alo asekhohlakele, abaphristi balo bayabubula, amantombazana alo ayagomela, lona lidabukile kakhulu.
5 Those who hated her now control her; her enemies enjoy life, because the Lord has made her suffer due to all her sins of rebellion. Her children have been taken away as prisoners of the enemy.
Izitha zalo sezingababusi balo; ziyaklamasa. UThixo ulehlisele usizi ngenxa yezono zalo ezinengi. Abantwabalo bathunjiwe, baba yizigqili zezitha.
6 All the glory has left the Daughter of Zion. Her leaders are like deer that can't find any grass to eat. They don't even have the strength to run away when the hunter comes after them!
Kuphelile konke ukubenyezela kweNdodakazi yaseZiyoni. Amakhosana ayo asenjengezimpala ezingatholi amadlelo; zibalekile zilambile zingelamandla zibalekela umzingeli.
7 As she wanders around in her misery, Jerusalem thinks back to all the wonderful things she once had in the old days. When her enemies conquered her people, she didn't receive any help. Her enemies gloated over her, and laughed at her downfall.
Ngezinsuku zokuhlupheka lokuntula, iJerusalema iyayikhumbula inotho eyayingeyayo ngensuku zayo. Kuthe abantu bayo sebewela ezandleni zezitha, akubanga khona ongayinceda. Zayikhangela nje izitha zayo zahleka ukuchitheka kwayo.
8 Jerusalem sinned terribly which is why she is now treated as someone unclean. Everyone who used to honor her now despise her, because they've seen her naked and ashamed. She herself groans as she turns away.
IJerusalema yonile kakhulu, ngakho isingcolile. Bonke ababeyihlonipha sebeyidelela, ngoba sebebonile ubuze bayo; yona ngokwayo ibubula ize ifulathele.
9 Her uncleanness contaminates her skirts. She didn't think about what would happen. Her fall was a shock, and no one was there to comfort her. “Please, Lord, see how much I'm suffering, because the enemy has won!” she says.
Ukungcola kwayo kwabhixa izidwaba zayo; kayinakanga ikusasa yayo. Ukuwa kwayo kwesabeka, kungekho oyiduduzayo. “Oh Thixo, ake ukhangele ukuhlupheka kwami, ngoba isitha sesinqobile.”
10 The invader has stolen all her treasures. She even had to watch as heathen nations went into her sanctuary, people you had forbidden to enter.
Isitha saphanga yonke inotho yayo; yabona izizwe ezingakholwayo zingena endlini yayo engcwele, bona labo owabanqabela ukungena phakathi kwebandla lakho.
11 All her people groan, looking for bread. They have spent what they value the most to buy food so they can stay alive. “Please, Lord, look and see what's happening to me,” she says. “It's as if I'm worthless!
Bonke abantu bayo bayagomela behamba bedinga ukudla; bathengisa inotho yabo eligugu ngokudla ukuze bangafi. “Oh Thixo, ake ungihawukele ngoba sengidelelwa.”
12 Don't you care anything about it, all you people passing by? Take a look and see! Is there any suffering as bad as mine, punished by the Lord when he became angry?
“Kakusilutho kini yini lina lonke elidlula lapha? Ake likhangele nje libone. Kambe kukhona ukuhlupheka okulingana lokwami, khona lokhu engakwehliselwayo, nguThixo ngosuku lokuvutha kolaka lwakhe?
13 He sent down fire from heaven that destroyed my bones. He spread out a net to catch my feet, tripping me over. He abandoned me, leaving me sick all day long.
Wehlisa umlilo uvela phezulu, wawehlisela phakathi kwamathambo ami. Wangithiya ezinyaweni ngomambule, wangibuyisela emuva. Wangenza ngaba lesizungu, ngaswela amandla ilanga lonke.
14 He took my rebellious sins and twisted them together into a yoke that he tied to my neck. He took away all my strength, and handed me over defenseless to my enemies.
Izono zami zisongwe zaba lijogwe; ngezandla zakhe wazelukela ndawonye. Zetheswe entanyeni yami, uThixo wangiqeda amandla. Usengifuqele kulabo engingeke ngimelane labo.
15 The Lord brushed aside all my strong soldiers defending me. He called up an army to attack me, to crush my young men. The Lord has trampled down the virgin Daughter of Judah like grapes in a winepress.
UThixo kabemukelanga bonke abangabebutho lami; usebize impi ukuthi ingihlasele, ichoboze zonke izinsizwa zami. Esihluzweni sakhe sewayini, uThixo unyathelele phansi iNdodakazi yakoJuda eGcweleyo.
16 This is why I'm weeping, tears flowing from my eyes, because there's is no one here to comfort me, no one to make me feel better. There's nothing left for my children because the enemy has conquered us.”
Yikho ngilila, amehlo ami empompoza inyembezi. Kakho oseduze ongangiduduza, kakho ongavusa umphefumulo wami. Abantwabami sebeswela ngoba isitha sinqobile.”
17 Zion holds out her hands in distress, but there's no one to comfort her. The Lord issued orders against Jacob, and his neighbors became his enemies. Jerusalem is to them something disgusting.
IZiyoni yelulile isandla sayo kodwa kakho oyiduduzayo. UThixo usekumisile ngoJakhobe ukuthi abakhelene laye babe yizitha zakhe; iJerusalema isiphenduke yaba yinto engcolileyo kubo.
18 “The Lord has done what's right, because I rebelled against his instructions. Listen, everyone everywhere; look at what I'm suffering. My young women and young men have been taken off into captivity.
“UThixo ulungile, kodwa ngaphikisana lomlayo wakhe. Lalelani bantu lonke; khangelani ukuhawula kwami. Izinsizwa lezintombi zami zonke sezaya ekuthunjweni.
19 I called out for help to my lovers, but they betrayed me. My priests and elders starved to death in the city as they tried to find food to keep themselves alive.
Ngakhala kulabo engidlelana labo, kodwa banginina. Abaphristi bami labadala bami babhubhela phakathi kwedolobho besadinga ukudla, ukuze baziphilise.
20 Can't you see, Lord, how upset I am? inside I am in turmoil; my heart is breaking because I've been so rebellious. Outside, the sword kills those I love; inside, it's like I'm living in the house of death.
Ake ubone, Oh Thixo, ukuthi ngihlupheka njani! Ngiyatsha ngaphakathi kwami, ngidungekile enhliziyweni yami, ngoba bengilihlongandlebe. Ngaphandle, inkemba iyadabukisa; ngaphakathi, yikufa kodwa.
21 People hear me groaning, but no one comes to comfort me. All my enemies have heard about the bad things that have happened to me, and they're delighted that it was you who did it. Please bring about the day of judgment that you promised so they can end up like me.
Abantu bakuzwile ukububula kwami, kodwa kakho ongangiduduza. Zonke izitha zami zikuzwile ukuhlupheka kwami; ziyathokoza ngalokhu okwenzileyo. Sengathi ungalufikisa lolusuku owalumisayo, ukuze labo babe njengami.
22 May you see all the evil things they've done! Treat them the same way as you've treated me as a result of all my rebellious sins, for I'm groaning all the time, and I'm sick at heart.”
Abuvele kuwe bonke ububi babo; yenza kubo konke okwenzileyo kimi ngenxa yezono zami zonke. Kunengi ukububula kwami, lenhliziyo yami iphela amandla.”
