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].
INkosi iyigubuzele kangakanani indodakazi yeZiyoni ngeyezi entukuthelweni yayo, yaphosa ubuhle bukaIsrayeli busuka emazulwini busiya emhlabeni; njalo kayisikhumbulanga isenabelo senyawo zayo ngosuku lwentukuthelo yayo!
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.
INkosi iginyile zonke indawo zokuhlala zikaJakobe, ingahawukeli; ekuthukutheleni kwayo idilizile izinqaba zendodakazi yakoJuda, yazisa emhlabathini; yangcolisa umbuso leziphathamandla zawo.
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.
Iqumile ngokuvutha kolaka lwayo lonke uphondo lwakoIsrayeli; yabuyisela emuva isandla sayo sokunene phambi kwesitha; yatshisa imelene loJakobe njengomlilo welangabi oqothula inhlangothi zonke.
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.
Igobisile idandili layo njengesitha; yema ngesandla sayo njengesitha; yabulala zonke izinto eziloyisekayo zamehlo ethenteni lendodakazi yeZiyoni; yathulula ulaka lwayo njengomlilo.
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].
INkosi yaba njengesitha; yaginya uIsrayeli, yaginya zonke izigodlo zakhe, yachitha inqaba zakhe; yandisa ukulila lesililo kundodakazi yakoJuda.
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.
Ithethe ngodlakela idumba layo njengesivande; yachitha indawo yakhe yokuhlanganyela; uJehova wenza ukuthi kukhohlakale eZiyoni umkhosi omisiweyo lesabatha; wadelela inkosi lompristi ngokuvutha kolaka lwakhe.
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.
INkosi ilahlile ilathi layo; yadelela indawo yayo engcwele; yanikela esandleni sesitha imiduli yezigodlo zayo. Zakhupha umsindo endlini yeNkosi njengosukwini 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].
INkosi yacabanga ukuchitha umduli wendodakazi yeZiyoni; yelulile intambo yokulinganisa; kayibuyisanga isandla sayo ekuginyeni; ngakho yenza ukuthi kulile umthangala lomduli, kanyekanye kuphele amandla.
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 ayo atshonile emhlabathini; yabhubhisa yephula imigoqo yayo; inkosi yayo leziphathamandla zayo ziphakathi kwabezizwe; kakulamthetho; labaprofethi bayo kabatholi umbono uvela eNkosini.
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, bathele uthuli ekhanda labo, babhince amasaka; izintombi zeJerusalema zikhothamisele emhlabathini amakhanda azo.
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 ayaphela ngezinyembezi, imibilini yami idungekile, isibindi sami sithululelwe emhlabathini, ngenxa yokwephuka kwendodakazi yabantu bami; ngoba umntwana lomunyayo bayadangala ezitaladeni zomuzi.
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.
Bathi kubonina: Angaphi amabele lewayini? lapho bedangala njengabagwaziweyo ezitaladeni zomuzi, lapho umphefumulo wabo uzithululela esifubeni sabonina.
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].
Ngingakufakazelani? Kuyini engingakufananisa lawe, wena ndodakazi yeJerusalema? Kuyini engingakulinganisa lawe, ukuze ngikududuze, ntombi emsulwa ndodakazi yeZiyoni? Ngoba ukwephuka kwakho kukhulu njengolwandle; ngubani ongakwelapha?
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.
Abaprofethi bakho bakubonele okuyize lokungafanelanga, kabakuvezanga ukona kwakho, ukuze babuyise ukuthunjwa kwakho, kodwa bakubonele imithwalo yamanga lezinkohliso.
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 abedlulayo ngendlela batshaya izandla ngawe, bancife, banikine ikhanda labo ngendodakazi yeJerusalema, besithi: Yiwo lo umuzi yini abathi ngawo uyikuphelela kobuhle, intokozo yomhlaba wonke?
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 umlomo wazo, ziyancifa, zigedle amazinyo, zithi: Siwuginyile; isibili lolu lusuku ebesilulindele, sesilutholile, silubonile.
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.
INkosi yenzile ebikucebile, igcwalisile ilizwi layo eyalilaya kusukela ensukwini zendulo; idilizile, kayihawukelanga; yenzile ukuthi isitha sithokoze phezu kwakho; yaphakamisa uphondo lwabamelene lawe.
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 yabo yakhala eNkosini: Wena mthangala wendodakazi yeZiyoni, inyembezi kazehle njengomfula imini lobusuku; ungaziphi ukuphumula, inhlamvu yelihlo lakho ingapheli!
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.
Sukuma, unqongoloze ebusuku ekuqaleni kwemilindo, uthulule inhliziyo yakho njengamanzi phambi kobuso beNkosi; uphakamise izandla zakho kuyo ngenxa yempilo yabantwana bakho abancinyane, abaphela amandla ngenxa yendlala ekuqaleni kwaso sonke isitalada.
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!
Bona, Nkosi, ukhangele ukuthi wenze njalo kubani. Abesifazana bazakudla isithelo sabo yini, abantwana abancinyane ababasingathileyo? Umpristi lomprofethi bazabulawa endaweni engcwele yeNkosi yini?
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 balele emhlabathini ezitaladeni; intombi zami ezimsulwa lamajaha ami bawile ngenkemba; ubabulele osukwini lolaka lwakho, ujuqile kawuhawukelanga.
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.
Wabiza njengosukwini olumisiweyo izesabiso zami inhlangothi zonke, ukuze ngosuku lolaka lweNkosi kakho ophunyukileyo loseleyo; labo engabasingathayo ngabakhulisa isitha sami sabaqeda.
