< Lamentations 4 >

1 The gold has become tarnished; how the purest gold has changed! The holy stones are scattered at the corner of every street.
Hĩ! Kaĩ thahabu ĩyo nĩĩthirĩte ũkengu wayo-ĩ, thahabu ĩrĩa therie kaĩ ĩrĩ gũthita-ĩ! Tũhiga twa goro tũrĩa twamũre nĩtũhurunjĩtwo magomano-inĩ ma njĩra ciothe.
2 The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in pure gold, but now they are worth no more than clay jars, the work of the potter's hands!
Ariũ a Zayuni arĩa me bata, arĩa rĩmwe mangĩaringithanirio na thogora wa thahabu, kaĩ rĩu moonagwo ta nyũngũ cia rĩũmba-ĩ, o ta wĩra wa moko ma mũũmbi!
3 Even the jackals offer the breast to nurse their cubs, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the desert.
O na mbwe nĩciongithagia ciana ciacio, no andũ akwa matuĩkĩte andũ matarĩ tha, o ta nyaga cia werũ-inĩ.
4 The tongue of the nursing baby sticks to the roof of his mouth by thirst; the children ask for food, but there is none for them.
Rũrĩmĩ rwa gakenge rũnyiitanĩte na karakara nĩ ũndũ wa kũnyoota; twana tũhooyaga irio, no gũtirĩ mũndũ ũtũheaga.
5 Those who used to feast on the finest food now starve in the streets. Those who were brought up wearing scarlet clothing now lie on piles of ashes.
Andũ arĩa rĩmwe maarĩĩaga irio njega, rĩu maikaraga njĩra-inĩ mekonotete, arĩa maarerirwo makĩhumbagwo nguo cia rangi wa ndathi-rĩ, rĩu makomaga ciara-inĩ cia mũhu.
6 The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment and no hands were wrung for her.
Iherithia rĩa andũ akwa nĩ inene gũkĩra rĩa itũũra rĩa Sodomu, rĩrĩa rĩangʼaũranirio o rĩmwe, gũtarĩ guoko kwarĩteithirie.
7 Her leaders were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their form was like sapphire.
Anene akuo maatherete gũkĩra tharunji, na makeerũha gũkĩra iria, maarĩ atune mĩĩrĩ gũkĩra ruru ĩrĩa ndune, magakĩhaana ta kahiga ka goro karĩa getagwo yakuti.
8 Their appearance now is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.
No rĩu mairĩte o na gũkĩra mbiro; matikũũrĩkanaga marĩ njĩra-inĩ. Ikonde cia mĩĩrĩ yao ciũmanĩrĩire na mahĩndĩ; ciumĩte o ta rũthanju.
9 Those who have been killed by the sword were happier than those killed by hunger, who wasted away, pierced by the lack of any harvest from the field.
Kaba arĩa mooragagwo na rũhiũ rwa njora, kũrĩ arĩa makuuaga nĩ ngʼaragu; matooragio nĩkũhũũta, makamoca nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga irio cia kuuma mũgũnda.
10 The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the time when the daughter of my people was being destroyed.
Moko ma andũ-a-nja arĩa marĩ tha nĩmarugire ciana ciao ene, igĩtuĩka irio ciao hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ akwa manangirwo.
11 Yahweh showed all his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.
Jehova nĩarekereirie mangʼũrĩ make biũ; aitũrũrĩte marakara make mahiũ. Nĩakĩtie mwaki kũu Zayuni ũrĩa ũcinĩte mĩthingi yakuo.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world believe, that enemies or opponents could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Athamaki a thĩ matingĩetĩkirie, o na kana kĩrĩndĩ o na kĩmwe gĩa gũkũ thĩ, atĩ thũ na amuku nĩmangĩahotire gũtoonya ihingo cia Jerusalemu.
13 This happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests who have shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
No ũndũ ũcio wekĩkire nĩ ũndũ wa mehia ma anabii akuo, na mawaganu ma athĩnjĩri-Ngai akuo arĩa manaita thakame ya andũ arĩa athingu kũu thĩinĩ.
14 They wandered, blind, through the streets. They were so defiled by that blood that no one was allowed to touch their clothes.
Rĩu maturuuraga njĩra-inĩ ta andũ atumumu. Mathaahĩtio nĩ thakame ũũ atĩ gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe ũngĩgeria kũhutia nguo ciao.
15 “Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they wandered about; people said among the nations, “They can stay here no longer.”
Andũ mamakayagĩrĩria, makoiga atĩrĩ, “Thiĩi nakũu! Mũrĩ na thaahu! Thiĩi! Thiĩi! Mũtigatũhutie!” Ningĩ moora na maatuĩka orũũri, makeerwo atĩrĩ kũu ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ, “Matingĩikara gũkũ rĩngĩ.”
16 Yahweh himself scattered them; he does not watch over them anymore. They do not honor the priests, and they did not show any favor to the elders.
Jehova we mwene nĩwe ũmahurunjĩte; nĩatigĩte kũmarũmbũiya. Athĩnjĩri-Ngai matiheagwo gĩtĩĩo, o na makarega gũtuga athuuri.
17 Our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not rescue us.
Makĩria ma ũguo-rĩ, maitho maitũ nĩmathirire hinya, o tũcũthĩrĩirie ũteithio ũrĩa tũtoonire; kuuma mĩthiringo iitũ ĩrĩa mĩraihu-rĩ, twetereire rũrĩrĩ rũtangĩahotire gũtũhonokia.
18 They followed our steps, we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near and our days were numbered, our end had come.
Andũ maatũcemaga ikinya gwa ikinya, nĩ ũndũ ũcio tũtingĩathiĩrĩire njĩra-inĩ ciitũ. Ithirĩro riitũ rĩgĩkuhĩrĩria, namo matukũ maitũ maarĩ matare, nĩgũkorwo ithirĩro riitũ nĩrĩakinyĩte.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the sky. They chased us to the mountains and lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
Andũ arĩa matũingatithĩtie-rĩ, maarĩ na ihenya gũkĩra nderi irĩ rĩera-inĩ; maatũhanyũkagĩria irĩma-inĩ, na magatuoheria werũ-inĩ.
20 The breath in our nostrils—Yahweh's anointed one—he was the one who was captured in their pits; of whom it was said, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
Mũndũ ũrĩa mũitĩrĩrie maguta nĩ Jehova, o we ũrĩa warĩ ta mĩhũmũ iitũ-rĩ, nĩagwatirio nĩ mĩtego yao. Tweciiragia atĩ tũrĩ kĩĩruru-inĩ gĩake-rĩ, no tũtũũre gatagatĩ ka ndũrĩrĩ.
21 Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and strip yourself naked.
Kena na ũcanjamũke, wee Mwarĩ wa Edomu, o wee ũtũũraga bũrũri wa Uzu. No rĩrĩ, o nawe gĩkombe gĩkĩ nĩgĩgagũkora; ũgaakĩnyuĩra ũrĩĩo, na ũrutwo nguo, ũtigwo njaga.
22 Daughter of Zion, your punishment will come to an end; he will not extend your exile. But daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will uncover your sins.
Wee Mwarĩ wa Zayuni-rĩ, iherithia rĩaku nĩrĩgathira; ndakoongerera ihinda rĩaku rĩa gũikara ũrĩ mũtahe. No wee, Mwarĩ wa Edomu-rĩ, nĩagakũherithĩria mehia maku na aguũrie waganu waku.

< Lamentations 4 >