Lamentations 4
1 How is dimmed the gold! changed the most fine gold! Poured out are the stones of the sanctuary, at the top of all the streets.
Yeka ukufiphala kwegolide, ukuphenduka kwegolide elihle kakhulu! Amatshe endawo engcwele achithiwe ekuqaleni kwazo zonke izitalada.
2 The precious sons of Zion, they who were weighed against pure gold, How are they accounted as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Amadodana aligugu eZiyoni, alinganiswa legolide elihle, yeka ukuthiwa kwawo ayizitsha zebumba, umsebenzi wezandla zombumbi!
3 Even wild dogs, draw out the breast, give suck to their whelps—The daughter of my people, hath become cruel, like the ostriches in the desert.
Ngitsho amakhanka ehlisa ibele, amunyise imidlwane yawo; kodwa indodakazi yabantu bami isilesihluku, njengezintshe enkangala.
4 The tongue of the suckling, cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst, —Young children, have asked bread, there was none, to break, it to them.
Ulimi lomunyayo lunamathela olwangeni lwakhe ngenxa yokoma; abantwanyana bacela isinkwa, kakho obahlephulelayo.
5 They who used to eat delicacies, are deserted in the streets, —They who used to be carried on crimson, have embraced heaps of refuse.
Ababesidla izibiliboco baphundlekile ezitaladeni; abondliwa ngeziyibubende bagona inqumbi zomquba.
6 And the punishment of the daughter of my people hath grown greater than the punishment of Sodom, —which was overthrown as in a moment, when no hands had been laid violently upon her.
Ngoba icala lendodakazi yabantu bami likhulu kulesono seSodoma, eyachithwa kwangathi ngomzuzwana, kungelazandla ezayonayo.
7 Purer were her Nazirites than snow, whiter were they than milk, —more ruddy, in body, than coral, A sapphire, was their beauty of form.
AmaNazari ayo ayehlambulukile kuleliqhwa elikhithikileyo, emhlophe kulochago, ebomvana ngomzimba kulamakorali, isimo sawo sasingesesafire.
8 Darker than a coal, is their visage, They are not known in the streets—Their skin shrivelleth on their bones, is withered, become like a stick.
Ukubonakala kwawo sekumnyama kulomsizi, kawaziwa ezitaladeni; isikhumba sawo sinamathele emathanjeni awo, somile, saba njengogodo.
9 Better are the slain of the sword, than the slain of the famine, —for, these, pine away, stricken through, wanting the produce of the field.
Ababulawa ngenkemba bangcono kulababulawa yindlala; ngoba laba bayacikizeka behlatshwa yikuswela izithelo zensimu.
10 The hands of compassionate women, have cooked their own children, —they have served as nourishment to them, in the grievous injury of the daughter of my people.
Izandla zabesifazana abalesihawu zapheka abantwana babo; baba yikudla kwabo ekwephukeni kwendodakazi yabantu bami.
11 Yahweh hath completed his indignation, hath poured out the glow of his anger; and hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured her foundations.
INkosi iphelelisile intukuthelo yayo, ithululile ukuvutha kolaka lwayo, yaphemba umlilo eZiyoni oqothule izisekelo zayo.
12 Neither the kings of the earth, nor any of the inhabitants of the world, believed, that an adversary or an enemy, should enter, the gates of Jerusalem!
Amakhosi omhlaba labo bonke abakhileyo bomhlaba babengayikukholwa ukuthi umcindezeli lesitha babengangena emasangweni eJerusalema.
13 [It is] for the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests, —who have been pouring out, in her midst, the blood of the righteous!
Kwakungenxa yezono zabaprofethi bayo leziphambeko zabapristi bayo, abachitha igazi labalungileyo phakathi kwayo.
14 They have wandered—blind—in the streets, have defiled themselves with blood; so that men may not touch their garments.
Bazula njengeziphofu ezitaladeni, bangcoliswa ngegazi, kangangokuthi abantu kabangelakuthinta izembatho zabo.
15 Turn aside! Unclean! have they cried to them, Turn aside! Turn aside! Do not touch! because they have fled, yea, wandered, Men said among the nations, They will not again tarry;
Bamemeza kubo bathi: Sukani, kungcolile, sukani, sukani, lingathinti! Lapho bebaleka njalo bezula, bathi phakathi kwabezizwe: Kabasayikuhlala njengabezizwe.
16 The face of Yahweh, hath scattered them, He will look them out no more: The persons of the priests, they have not respected, To the elders, have they shown no favour.
Ubuso beNkosi bubahlakazile, kayisayikubananza; kabahloniphanga ubuso babapristi, kababanga lomusa kubadala.
17 Silly shall our eyes fail, for our help that is vain: In our watchtower, have we watched—for a nation that will not save.
Thina, amehlo ethu asaphela kusizo lwethu oluyize; ekulindeleni kwethu salindela isizwe esingelakusisindisa.
18 They have laid snares for our steps, that we cannot walk in our own broadways: Drawn near hath our end, Fulfilled are our days, yea arrived hath our end.
Bazingela izinyathelo zethu ukuze singahambi ezitaladeni zethu; isiphetho sethu sisondele, insuku zethu zigcwalisekile, ngoba isiphetho sethu sesifikile.
19 Swifter are our pursuers, than the eagles of the heavens, —Over the mountains, have they come hotly after us, In the wilderness, have they lain in wait for us.
Abasizingelayo balejubane kulamanqe amazulu; baxotshana lathi ngokutshiseka ezintabeni; basicathamela enkangala.
20 The fragrance of our nostrils, The Anointed of Yahweh, hath been captured in their pits, —of whom we had said—In his shade, shall we live among the nations.
Umoya wamakhala ethu, ogcotshiweyo weNkosi, wabanjwa emigodini yabo, esathi ngaye: Ngaphansi komthunzi wakhe sizaphila phakathi kwezizwe.
21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, thou inhabitress in the and of Uz, —Even unto thee, shall the cup pass along, thou shalt be drunken, and expose thy shame.
Jabula uthokoze, ndodakazi yeEdoma, ohlala elizweni leUzi; inkezo izadlulela lakuwe, uzadakwa, uzinqunule.
22 Completed is thy punishment, O daughter of Zion, He will no more carry thee away captive—He hath punished thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he hath stripped the veil from off thy sins.
Ububi bakho buphelile, ndodakazi yeZiyoni; kasayikukuthumba; uzahambela ububi bakho, ndodakazi yeEdoma; uzakwembula izono zakho.
