Lamentations 2
1 Yahweh was extremely angry [with us]; as a result, [it was as though] [MET] he covered Jerusalem with a dark cloud. Previously it was a beautiful/glorious city, but he has caused it to become a ruins. At the time he punished [MET] Israel, he [even] abandoned his temple [MET] [in Jerusalem].
UThixo wembese iNdodakazi yeZiyoni ngeyezi lolaka lwakhe! Ubutaklazele phansi ubunkanyankanya buka-Israyeli busuka ezulwini busiya emhlabeni; kasinakanga isenabelo sakhe mhla wentukuthelo yakhe.
2 Yahweh destroyed the homes of [the people of] [PRS] Judah; he did not act mercifully. Because he was very angry, he broke down the fortresses of Judah. He has caused our kingdom and our rulers to become disgraced, and he has gotten rid of them.
UThixo kabanga lozwelo lapho eginya yonke imizi kaJakhobe; ngolaka lwakhe udilizele phansi izinqaba zeNdodakazi kaJuda. Usewuchithile umbuso wakhe, lababusi bawo wababhuqa phansi, baba lehlazo.
3 Because he was extremely angry, he has caused Israel to not be powerful [MET] any more. He has refused to assist us when our enemies attacked us. He has destroyed Israel like [SIM] a raging fire destroys everything.
Ngolaka lwakhe olwesabekayo, usegumule zonke impondo zika-Israyeli. Usegodle isandla sakhe sokunene lapho kuqhamuka isitha. Utshise koJakhobe njengelangabi elihangula konke okuseduze.
4 He bent his bow [to prepare to shoot us, his people], as though we were his enemies. He [prepared to] kill the people whom we love the most [MET], members of our own families. He is extremely angry [MTY] with us people of Jerusalem; his anger is like [SIM] a fire.
Usethiye idandili lakhe njengesitha; isandla sakhe sokunene sesiqaphile. Njengesitha usebabulele bonke ababebahle ebusweni; usethele ulaka lwakhe olungumlilo phezu kwethente leNdodakazi yeZiyoni.
5 Yahweh has become like an enemy to [us] Israelis; he has destroyed our palaces and caused our fortresses to become ruins. He has gotten rid of many people in Jerusalem, and caused us to mourn and weep [for those who were killed].
UThixo unjengesitha; usemginyile u-Israyeli. Useziginyile zonke izigodlo zakhe, wabhidliza zonke izinqaba zakhe. Usekwandisile ukukhala lokulilela iNdodakazi kaJuda.
6 He has caused his temple to be smashed [as easily] as [SIM] if it was a shelter in a garden. He has caused [us, his people], to forget all our sacred festivals and Sabbath days. He has caused [our] kings and priests to be rejected because he was extremely angry with them.
Usetshaye wakhukhula umuzi wakhe njengensimu; usebhidlize indawo yakhe yokuhlanganela. UThixo usenze iZiyoni yakhohlwa imikhosi yayo emisiweyo lamaSabatha ayo; olakeni lwakhe olwesabekayo, ukhukhulele khatshana oyinkosi longumphristi.
7 Yahweh has rejected his own altar and abandoned his temple. He has allowed [our] enemies to tear down the walls of [our temple and] our palaces. They shout [victoriously] in the temple of Yahweh, like we [previously shouted] during our sacred festivals.
UThixo uselikhalele i-alithari lakhe, wafulathela indlu yakhe engcwele. Usenikele imithangala yezigodlo zakhe ezandleni zesitha; seziklabalala endlini kaThixo sengathi lilanga lomkhosi omisiweyo.
8 Yahweh was determined to cause the walls of our city [MTY] to be torn down. [It was as though] he measured the walls and [then he completely] destroyed [MTY] them. [It was as though] he caused the towers and walls to lament/weep, [because they were now ruins].
UThixo wazimisela ukudilizela phansi umthangala ohonqolozele iNdodakazi yeZiyoni. Welula intambo yesilinganiso sakhe, akaze agodla isandla sakhe esibhidlizayo. Wenza izinsika lemithangala kwalila; kanyekanye kwatshabalala.
9 The city gates have collapsed; the bars that fastened the gates shut have been smashed. The king and his officials have [been forced to] go to other countries. No longer does anyone teach the people the laws [that God gave to Moses]. The prophets do not receive any visions [because] Yahweh does not give them any.
Amasango akhe asegqibelekile; izinti zawo zephulwe zabhidlizwa. Inkosi yayo lamakhosana ayo achithizelwe kwabezizwe, umthetho kawusekho, labaphrofethi bakhe kabasayamukeli imibono evela kuThixo.
10 The old men of Jerusalem [MTY] sit on the ground, and they say nothing. They wear rough sackcloth and throw dust on their heads [to show that they are sad]. The young girls of Jerusalem bow down [sorrowfully], their faces touching the ground.
Abadala beNdodakazi yeZiyoni bahlezi emhlabathini bathule zwi; bazithele ngothuli emakhanda abo, bazembathisa amasaka. Izintombi zeJerusalema zimbozele amakhanda azo phansi.
11 My eyes are very tired because of my tears; I am very grieved in my soul. Because [very many of] my people have been killed, I grieve and am exhausted. [Even] children and babies are fainting [and dying] in the streets [because they have no food].
Amehlo ami ayehluleka ngokukhala, ngiyatsha ngaphakathi kwami, inhliziyo yami idabukile, ngoba abantu bakithi babhujisiwe, njalo abantwana lensane ziyaqaleka emigwaqweni yomuzi.
12 They cry out to their mothers, “We need [RHQ] something to eat and drink!” They faint like wounded men in the streets of the city. They slowly die in the arms of their mothers.
Zithi kubonina, “Singaphi isinkwa lewayini?” zilokhu ziqaleka njengamadoda alimeleyo emigwaqweni yomuzi, ziphela umphefumulo ezandleni zabonina.
13 You people of Jerusalem [MTY, DOU], (what can I/there is nothing that I can) say [to help you]. No people have [RHQ] suffered like you are suffering; I do not know what I can do to comfort you. The disaster [MET] that you have experienced is as great as the ocean is deep; there is no one [RHQ] who can restore your [city].
Kambe ngingathini kuwe na? Ngingakulinganisa lani, wena Ndodakazi yaseJerusalema? Kambe ngingakufanisa lani ukuze ngikududuze, wena Ndodakazi eGcweleyo yaseZiyoni? Inxeba lakho lizike njengolwandle. Ngubani ongakwelapha na?
14 The prophets among you claimed that they had seen visions [from Yahweh], but what they said was false and worthless. They did not save you from being (exiled/forced to go to other countries), because they did not proclaim that you had sinned. Instead, the messages that they gave you deceived you [because] they were not true.
Imibono yabaphrofethi bakho yayikhohlisa ingasizi lutho; kabasivezanga obala isono sakho ukuze ungehlelwa yikuthunjwa. Ukuvumisa abalenzela khona kwakungamanga, kulikhohlisa.
15 All those who pass by you make fun of [IDM] you; they shake their heads and they hiss/sneer at you. [They say], “Is this that great city of Jerusalem? Is it the city that was the most beautiful city in the world, the city that caused all [the people on] the earth to be joyful?”
Bonke abedlula eceleni kwakho batshaya izandla ngawe; bahleka iNdodakazi yaseJerusalema baze banikine amakhanda besithi, “Kambe yiwo yini umuzi lo owawuthiwa yibuhle obupheleleyo, igugu lomhlaba wonke jikelele?”
16 [Now] all our enemies scoff [IDM] at you; they hiss/sneer [at you] and gnash their teeth [to show that they hate you]. They say, “We have destroyed them! This is what we longed/waited for, and now it has happened!”
Zonke izitha zakho zikukhamisele imilomo; ziyakuhleka zikugedlela amazinyo zisithi, “Sesimnqobile. Selize lafika ilanga esasililindele; kade salilindela.”
17 Yahweh has done what he planned; long ago he threatened to destroy you, and [now] he has done it. He has destroyed [your city] without acting mercifully [toward you]; he has enabled your enemies to he happy about defeating you; he has enabled your enemies to [continually] become stronger.
UThixo usekwenzile ayekuhlosile; useligcwalisile ilizwi lakhe, alikhuluma kudala. Ukuwisile engakuzweli usizi, uvumele isitha santela phezu kwakho, uluphakamisile uphondo lwezitha zakho.
18 I wish/desire that the walls of Jerusalem [APO] would cry out to Yahweh! You people of Jerusalem [MET], Cry day and night! Let your tears flow like rivers. Do not stop grieving; do not stop crying.
Inhliziyo zabantu ziyakhala eNkosini. Awu, mthangala weNdodakazi yaseZiyoni, kazigeleze njengomfula inyembezi zakho, ebusuku lemini; ungaziphi ikhefu, lamehlo akho ungawaphi ukuphumula.
19 Get up [every] night and cry out; tell Yahweh what you are feeling. Raise your arms to plead to him to act mercifully to prevent our children from dying; they are fainting on the street corners because they have no food to eat.
Phakama, nqongoloza ebusuku, lapho kuqalisa imilindo yebusuku; thulula inhliziyo yakho njengamanzi phambi kukaThixo. Phakamisela izandla zakho kuye, uncengela impilo yabantwabakho, abaqalekiswa yindlala ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke.
20 Yahweh, look, and think [about it]! Have you ever [RHQ] caused people to suffer like this before? [It is certainly not right that] [RHQ] women are eating the flesh of their own children, the children whom they have always taken care of! [It is not right that] [RHQ] priests and prophets are being killed in your own temple!
Ake ukhangele, Thixo, ube lozwelo: Ngubani osewake wamphatha kanje? Abesifazane badle inzalo yabo yini, abantwana ababondlileyo na? Umphristi lomphrofethi babulawe endlini engcwele kaThixo na?
21 [The corpses of] people of all ages lie in the streets; [there are even corpses of] young men and young women who have been killed by [our enemies’] swords. Because you were very angry, you caused them to be killed; you have slaughtered them without pitying them [at all].
Abatsha labadala babhazalele ndawonye ebhuqwini lwemigwaqo; izinsizwa zami lezintombi zibulewe ngenkemba. Ubabulele ngosuku lokuthukuthela kwakho; awaze waba lesihawu lapho ubabulala.
22 You summoned our enemies to attack us from every direction, as though you were calling/inviting them to come to a feast. At that time when [you showed that] you were very angry, no one escaped. Our enemies murdered [our little children, ] ones whom we took care of and reared/brought up.
“Njengokunxusela idili, wanginxusela izitha inxa zonke. Ngosuku lolaka lukaThixo, kakho owaphunyukayo loba owasilayo; bonke engangibanakekela lengabondlayo babulewe yisitha sami.”
