Lamentations 1
1 Jerusalem was [once] full of people, but now it is deserted. [Once] it was honored by people all over the world, but now it is [grieving/abandoned] like [SIM] a widow. [Once] it was [honored like] [MET] a princess [is honored] among the nations, but now [we who live here] have become slaves.
Yeka ukuhlala kodwa komuzi owawugcwele abantu! Usunjengomfelokazi owawumkhulu phakathi kwezizwe, owawuyinkosikazi phakathi kwezabelo usuyisibhalwa!
2 We [PRS] weep bitterly [all] night long, with tears flowing down our cheeks. Among [the people in] all [the nations] that loved Jerusalem there are none that comfort us [now]. All [the rulers of those nations that were previously] our allies have betrayed us, and they are all now enemies [of the people of Jerusalem].
Uyakhala lokukhala inyembezi ebusuku, lezinyembezi zawo zisezihlathini zawo. Kawulamduduzi phakathi kwazo zonke izithandwa zawo. Bonke abangane bawo bawuphethe ngenkohliso, sebeyizitha zawo.
3 [The people of] Judah have been (exiled/forced to go to other countries) and caused to suffer greatly as slaves. They live in [other] nations where they do not have peace/safety. Their enemies seized them, and there was no way for them to escape.
UJuda useye ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokuhlupheka langenxa yobukhulu bobugqili; yena uhlala phakathi kwabezizwe, katholi ukuphumula; bonke abamzingelayo bamfica ephakathi kwezimbandezelo.
4 The roads to Zion [Hill] are empty [PRS] because no one comes [here] to [celebrate] the sacred festivals. The city gates are deserted, and the priests groan. The young women [of Jerusalem] cry [because] they are suffering greatly.
Indlela zeZiyoni ziyalila, ngoba kungekho ozayo emkhosini omisiweyo; wonke amasango ayo angamanxiwa; abapristi bayo bayabubula, izintombi zayo ezimsulwa zidabukile, layo isekubabeni.
5 Our enemies have conquered the city, and [now] they prosper. Yahweh has punished [the people of] Jerusalem because of all the sins that they have committed. The children [of Jerusalem] have been captured and taken [to other countries].
Abamelani bayo sebeyinhloko, izitha zayo zonwabile; ngoba iNkosi iyidabulile ngenxa yobunengi beziphambeko zayo; abantwana bayo sebeye ekuthunjweni phambi kwesitha.
6 Jerusalem was a beautiful city, but it is not beautiful now. The leaders [of the city] are like [SIM] deer that are starving because of being unable to find any grass [to eat]. They are very weak, with the result that they are unable to run from their enemies.
Labo bonke ubuhle bayo busukile kundodakazi yeZiyoni. Iziphathamandla zayo zinjengezindluzele ezingatholi idlelo, njalo ziyahamba zingelamandla phambi komzingeli.
7 [The people of] Jerusalem are sad and scattered, and they think about the previous greatness of the city. [But now] our enemies have captured the city, and there is no one to help the people. Our enemies destroyed the city and laughed while they were doing that.
Ezinsukwini zenhlupheko yayo lokuzulazula kwayo iJerusalema yakhumbula zonke izinto zayo eziloyisekayo okwakukhona kusukela ezinsukwini zasendulo, lapho abantu bayo bawela esandleni sesitha, njalo ingelamsizi; izitha zayibona, zahleka usulu amasabatha ayo.
8 [The people of] [PRS] Jerusalem have sinned very much; [it is as though] [MET] the city has become [like] a filthy [rag]. All those who [previously] honored the city [now] despise it, because they see that it has become very disgraced [MET]. Now [the people of] the city groan, and they cover their faces [because they are very ashamed].
IJerusalema yonile kakhulu, ngakho-ke isingcolile; bonke ababeyihlonipha bayidelela, ngoba sebebonile ubuze bayo; yona isibubula, ibuyele emuva.
9 The city has become filthy because of [PRS] the sins that the people have committed; they did not think about what could happen to the city. [Now] the city has been destroyed, and there is no one to comfort [the people]. [The people cry out saying], “Yahweh, look at how we are suffering because our enemies have defeated us!”
Ukungcola kwayo kwakusemiphethweni yezigqoko zayo; kayikhumbulanga ukucina kwayo; ngakho yehla ngokumangalisayo, yayingelamduduzi. Nkosi, bona inhlupheko yami, ngoba isitha sizikhulisile.
10 Our enemies have taken away all our treasures, all the valuable things that we owned. We have seen [soldiers from other] nations, [men who do not worship Yahweh], enter our sacred temple, [the place] where foreigners/non-Israelis were (forbidden/not allowed) to enter.
Isitha selule isandla saso phezu kwazo zonke izinto zayo eziloyisekayo; ngoba ibonile izizwe zingena endaweni yayo engcwele, owazilaya ukuthi zingangeni phakathi kwebandla lakho.
11 The people of the city groan while they search for food; they have given their treasures to get food [to eat] to remain alive. [They say], “Yahweh, look [at us], and see that we are despised!”
Bonke abantu bayo bayabubula, bedinga isinkwa; banike izinto zabo eziloyisekayo ngokudla ukuthi bavuselele umphefumulo. Bona, Nkosi, ukhangele, ngoba ngiyadelelwa.
12 You people who pass by, you do not [RHQ] seem to care at all [about what has happened to us]. Look around and see that there are no other [RHQ] people who are suffering like we are. Yahweh has caused us to suffer because he was extremely angry [with us].
Kakusilutho kini yini lonke elidlulayo ngendlela? Khangelani libone uba kukhona yini usizi njengosizi lwami, olwenziwe kimi, iNkosi engidabule ngalo osukwini lokuvutha kolaka lwayo.
13 [It is as though] he sent a fire from heaven [MTY] that burned in our bones; [it is as though] [MET] he has placed a trap for our feet, and has prevented us from walking any further. He has abandoned us; we are weak/miserable [every day], all day long.
Iphezulu, ithumele umlilo emathanjeni ami, wawehlula; ithiyele unyawo lwami imbule, ingibuyisele emuva; ingenze ngaba lunxiwa, ngaphela amandla usuku lonke.
14 He caused the sins that we have committed to be [like] a heavy load for us to carry; [it is as though] [MET] he tied them around our necks. Previously we were strong, but he has caused us to become weak. He has allowed our enemies to capture us, and we were not able to do anything to resist them.
Ijokwe leziphambeko zami libotshwe ngesandla sayo; zelukiwe, zenyukele entanyeni yami, iwisile amandla ami; iNkosi inginikele ezandleni zabo, ngingelakho ukuvuka.
15 Yahweh looked at our mighty soldiers and laughed at them. He has summoned a great army to [come and] crush our young soldiers. [It is as though] [MET] Yahweh has trampled on [us] people of Judah like [SIM] [people trample] on grapes in a pit [to make wine].
INkosi yeyisile wonke amaqhawe ami phakathi kwami; yabiza umhlangano omelene lami ukuchoboza amajaha ami; iNkosi inyathelele intombi emsulwa, indodakazi yakoJuda, isikhamelo sewayini.
16 I weep because of [all] those things; my eyes are filled with tears. There is no one to comfort me; those who could encourage me are far away. Our enemies have conquered [us], so our children have nothing good to (hope for/expect to happen).
Ngenxa yalezizinto ngiyakhala inyembezi; ilihlo lami, ilihlo lami lehlisa amanzi, ngoba umduduzi obengavuselela umphefumulo wami ukhatshana lami; abantwana bami bachithakele ngoba isitha sinqobile.
17 [We people of] [PRS] Jerusalem reach out our hands [to get help], but there is no one to comfort us. Yahweh has decided concerning [us descendants of] Jacob that the people in nearby nations will become our enemies; so they consider that Jerusalem has become [like] [MET] a filthy rag.
IZiyoni iyelula izandla zayo, kakho oyiduduzayo. INkosi ilayile ngoJakobe ukuthi abamzingelezeleyo babe yizitha zakhe. IJerusalema injengowesifazana ongcolileyo phakathi kwabo.
18 But what Yahweh has done [to us] is fair, because we have rebelled against obeying the commands that he gave [us]. You people everywhere, listen [to us]; [look and] see that we are suffering [greatly]. We had [many] sons and daughters, but they have been captured and forced to go to distant countries.
INkosi ilungile, ngoba ngivukele umlomo wayo. Ake lizwe, bantu lonke, libone usizi lwami. Intombi zami ezimsulwa lamajaha ami baye ekuthunjweni.
19 We pleaded with our allies [to help us], but they [all] refused. Our priests and our leaders have died [from hunger] in the city while they were searching for food [to eat] to remain alive.
Ngabiza izithandwa zami, kodwa zona zangikhohlisa. Abapristi bami labadala bami baphefumula okokucina emzini, besazidingela ukudla ukuze bavuselele umphefumulo wabo.
20 Yahweh, see that we are suffering very much. [It is as though] our inner beings are tormented. We are sad [SYN] because we have rebelled [against you]. Our enemies kill people in the streets with their swords; people are dying [because they have no food to eat].
Bona, Nkosi, ngoba ngilusizi; imibilini yami idungekile, inhliziyo yami iphendukile phakathi kwami, ngoba ngaba lenkani kakhulu. Ngaphandle inkemba iyemuka abantwana, endlini kunjengokufa.
21 People have heard us while we groaned, but no one [came to] comfort us. [Yahweh, ] you caused us to experience this [disaster], and our enemies are happy to see what you have done [to us]. But cause it soon to be the time that you have promised, when our enemies will suffer like we have suffered!
Bezwile ukuthi mina ngiyabubula; kangilamduduzi; zonke izitha zami zizwile ngobubi bami; ziyathokoza ngoba wena ukwenzile. Uzalufikisa usuku osulumemezile, khona zizakuba njengami.
22 [Yahweh, ] see all the evil things that they have done and punish them! [Punish them] like you have punished us for all the sins that we committed! [We say this to you] because we suffer and groan very much, and we (faint/are very sad).
Kabufike bonke ububi bazo phambi kwakho, wenze kizo njengalokhu wenzile kimi ngenxa yazo zonke iziphambeko zami; ngoba ukububula kwami kunengi, lenhliziyo yami iphela amandla.
