Lamentations 3
1 I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Yimi umuntu olubonileyo usizi ngenxa yoswazi lokuthukuthela kukaThixo.
2 He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
Ungixotshile, wangiphumputhekisa emnyameni hatshi ekukhanyeni;
3 Surely against me he turns his hand again and again all the day.
ngempela usengiphakamisele isandla sakhe, waphindaphinda ilanga lonke.
4 My flesh and my skin he has made old; he has broken my bones.
Usenze ijwabu lami laluphala, wangephula amathambo.
5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
Ungihanqile wangihonqolozela ngosizi langobunzima.
6 He has made me to dwell in dark places, like those that have been long dead.
Ungenze ngahlala emnyameni njengalabo abafa kudala.
7 He has walled me in, so I can't escape; he has made my chains heavy.
Ungihonqolozele ngenqaba ukuze ngingaphunyuki; ungibophe nko ngamaketane.
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
Kuthi lanxa ngimemeza loba ngidinga usizo, awuvalele phandle umkhuleko wami.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone; he has made my paths crooked.
Uvale indlela yami ngamatshe; waphambukisa izindlela zami.
10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
Njengebhele licathamile, njengesilwane sicatshile,
11 He has obstructed my path, and torn me in pieces; he has made me desolate.
wangihudulela eceleni kwendlela, wangifohloza, wangitshiya ngingelamsizi.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Wadonsa idandili lakhe, ngaba yikudla kwemitshoko yakhe.
13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to pierce my inward parts.
Wangiciba enhliziyweni ngemitshoko evela emxhakeni wakhe.
14 I have become a laughingstock to all peoples, and their song all the day.
Ngaba yinhlekisa ebantwini bakithi bonke; sengitshona ngiyingoma eyinhlekisa kubo.
15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has given me in full measure wormwood.
Ungigqibe ngemithi ebabayo, wanginathisa inyongo.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel; he has pressed me down in the dust.
Ungihlafunise ukhethe ngamazinyo; wangigiqa ebhuqwini.
17 You have removed my soul far away from peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
Ngincitshiwe ukuthula; angisakwazi ingabe iyini impumelelo.
18 And I said, "My strength and my hope has perished from Jehovah."
Ngakho ngithi, “Sebuphelile ubucwazicwazi bami, lakho konke engangikulindele kuThixo.”
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
Ngikhumbula ukuhlupheka lokuntula kwami, ubumunyu lenyongo.
20 My soul considers them, and is depressed.
Konke ngikukhumbula kamhlophe, umoya wami wephukile.
21 But this I call to my mind; therefore I have hope:
Kodwa ngikhumbula lokhu ngibe lethemba:
22 Jehovah's faithful love does not cease; his compassion does not fail.
Ngenxa yothando olukhulu lukaThixo kasibhujiswanga, ngoba isihawu sakhe kasipheli.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Siba sitsha ukusa kwamalanga; kukhulu ukuthembeka kwakho.
24 "Jehovah is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
Ngiyazitshela ngithi, “UThixo uyisabelo sami; ngakho ngizalindela yena.”
25 Jehovah is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
UThixo ulungile kulowo omethembayo, kulowo omdingayo;
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
kuhle ukulinda ngokuthula, ukulindela insindiso kaThixo.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke while he is young.
Kuhle ukuthi umuntu alithwale ijogwe ngesikhathi esesemutsha.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence when he is disciplining him.
Kahlale yedwa ngokuthula, ngoba uThixo ulibeke phezu kwakhe.
29 Let him put his mouth to the dust, there may yet be hope.
Kembele ubuso bakhe ethulini, mhlawumbe ithemba lizakuba khona.
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him; let him be filled with insults.
Kaphe isihlathi sakhe kulowo ofuna ukumhlankala, agcwale ihlazo.
31 For Jehovah will not reject forever.
Ngoba uThixo kabalahli abantu kuze kube nini lanini.
32 For though he may cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the abundance of his loving kindness.
Loba engaletha ubuhlungu, uzatshengisa uzwelo, lukhulu kakhulu uthando lwakhe olungapheliyo.
33 For he is not predisposed to bring affliction or suffering to human beings.
Ngoba kehliseli ukuhlupheka losizi ebantwini ngokuthanda.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth;
Ukuhlifiza ngezinyawo zonke izibotshwa elizweni,
35 to deprive a man of justice before the face of the Most High,
ukuncitsha umuntu amalungelo akhe phambi koPhezukonke,
36 to subvert a man in his cause, Jehovah does not approve.
ukungahluleli kuhle, kambe uThixo uyabe engaziboni izinto ezinjalo na?
37 Who can speak a thing and have it come to pass, unless Jehovah has commanded it?
Ngubani ongatsho ulutho lwenzakale nxa lungavunyelwanga nguThixo na?
38 Doesn't both calamity and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
Akuveli emlonyeni woPhezukonke ukuthi kuyehla inhlupheko lezinto ezinhle na?
39 Why does 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 examine and search our ways, and return to Jehovah.
Kasilingeni njalo sihlole izindlela zethu, sibuyele kuThixo.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Asiphakamiseleni inhliziyo lezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu ezulwini sithi:
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled, and you have not forgiven.
“Sonile sahlamuka, njalo kawusithethelelanga.
43 You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you killed without sparing.
Uzigubuzele ngolaka waxhumana lathi; ubhubhisile ungelazwelo.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
Uzisibekele ngeyezi ukuze kungafinyeleli mkhuleko kuwe.
45 You have made us rubbish and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Usenze saba ngamanyala lengcekeza phakathi kwezizwe.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
Izitha zethu zonke zivule imilomo yazo zezwakala zisihoza.
47 Fear and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.
Sesihlukuluzwe yikuthuthumela lokukhilikithela, ukudilika lokubhidlika.”
48 Streams of tears run down from my eyes because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Imifula yezinyembezi iyajuluka emehlweni ami ngoba abantu bakithi babhujisiwe.
49 My tears flow and do not cease, without respite,
Amehlo ami azajuluka kokuphela, engelakuphumula,
50 until Jehovah looks down and sees from heaven.
UThixo aze akhangele phansi esezulwini, angibone.
51 My eyes bring my soul grief, because of all the daughters of my city.
Engikubonayo kuthelela usizi emphefumulweni wami ngenxa yabesifazane bonke bomuzi wakithi.
52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
Labo ababa yizitha zami kungelasizatho, bangizingela njengenyoni.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, and have cast a stone on me.
Bazama ukuquma impilo yami emgodini bangijikijela ngamatshe;
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, 'I am finished.'
amanzi asibekela ikhanda lami, ngabona ukuthi okwami sekuphelile.
55 I called on your name, Jehovah, out of the depths of the pit.
Ngalimemezela ibizo lakho, Oh Thixo, ngisekujuleni komgodi.
56 You heard my voice; do not hide your ear at my sighs, to my cry.
Wezwa ukuncenga kwami: “Ungavali indlebe zakho nxa ngikhalela ukwenyulwa.”
57 You drew near in the day that I called on you; you said, "Do not be afraid."
Wasondela lapho ngikumemeza, wathi kimi, “Ungesabi.”
58 Jehovah, you have taken up the case for my soul; you have redeemed my life.
Oh Thixo, wasamukela isikhalazo sami; wahlenga ukuphila kwami.
59 You have seen, Jehovah, the wrong done to me; judge my case.
Ububonile Thixo, ububi obenziwe kimi. Ngisekela kulobubunzima!
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their plots against me.
Usubonile ukujula kokusonga kwabo, lamacebo abo wonke ngami.
61 You have heard their insults, Jehovah, and all their plots against me.
Awu Thixo, uzwile inhlamba zabo, wonke amacebo abo ngami,
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
ukunyenyeza lokungunguna kwabo ngami ukusa kwamalanga.
63 Look their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their mocking song.
Ake ubabone! Bahlezi kumbe bajamile, bayangihleka ngezingoma zabo.
64 You will render to them what they deserve, Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
Awu Thixo, akubaphindisele ngokubafaneleyo, ngalokho okwenziwe yizandla zabo.
65 You will give them hardness of heart as your curse to them.
Basibekele ngelembu ezinhliziyweni zabo, isiqalekiso sakho sehlele phezu kwabo!
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Xhumana labo ngolaka, ubabhubhise ngaphansi kwamazulu kaThixo.
