Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Ngiyindodaebone inhlupheko ngentonga yolaka lwayo.
2 He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
Ingikhokhele yangihambisa emnyameni kodwa hatshi ekukhanyeni.
3 Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
Isibili iphenduke yamelana lami; iphendule isandla sayo imelene lami usuku lonke.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
Igugisile inyama yami lesikhumba sami; yephulile amathambo ami.
5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
Yakhile imelene lami, yangihanqa ngenyongo lobunzima.
6 He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
Ingihlalise endaweni ezimnyama, njengabafa endulo.
7 He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
Ingibiyele ukuze ngingaphumi, yenza iketane lami lethusi laba nzima.
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
Njalo nxa ngikhala ngimemeza, ivalela phandle umkhuleko wami.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
Ibiyele indlela yami ngamatshe abaziweyo, yenza izindlela zami zagoba.
10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
Yaba kimi njengebhere elicathemeyo, isilwane ezindaweni zensitha.
11 He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
Iphambule izindlela zami, yangidabudabula, yangenza unxiwa.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Igobisile idandili layo, yangimisa njengento yokunenjwa ngomtshoko.
13 He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
Yenze amadodana esamba semitshoko yayo angena ezinsweni zami.
14 I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
Ngaba yinhlekisa kibo bonke abantu bakithi, ingoma yabo usuku lonke.
15 He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
Ingisuthise ngezinto ezibabayo, yanginathisa umhlonyane.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
Njalo ichoboze amazinyo ami ngokhethe, yangigiga emlotheni.
17 You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
Njalo wena walahla umphefumulo wami khatshana lokuthula; ngikhohlwe okuhle.
18 I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”
Ngakho ngithi: Kubhubhile amandla ami lethemba lami eNkosini.
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
Khumbula inhlupheko yami lokuzulazula kwami, umhlonyane lenyongo.
20 My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
Umphefumulo wami uhlala ukukhumbula, njalo ukhotheme phakathi kwami.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
Lokhu ngiyakubuyisela enhliziyweni yami, ngakho-ke ngiyathemba.
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.
Kuyizihawu zeNkosi ukuthi kasiqedwanga, ngoba izisa zakhe kazipheli;
23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
zintsha ikuseni yonke; lukhulu uthembeko lwayo.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
INkosi iyisabelo sami, kutsho umphefumulo wami; ngakho-ke ngizathemba kiyo.
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
INkosi ilungile kwabayilindelayo, kumphefumulo oyidingayo.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Kuhle ukuthi umuntu athembe, njalo ngokuthula kusindiso lweNkosi.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Kuhle emuntwini ukuthi athwale ijogwe ebutsheni bakhe.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
Kahlale yedwa, athule, ngoba isimethese lona.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
Kabeke umlomo wakhe othulini; mhlawumbe kungaba khona ithemba.
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
Kanikele isihlathi sakhe komtshayayo; asuthe inhlamba.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
Ngoba iNkosi kayiyikulahla kuze kube phakade.
32 For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
Ngoba lanxa idabukisile, kanti izakuba lesihawu ngobunengi bezisa zayo.
33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
Ngoba kayihluphi ngenhliziyo yayo idabukise abantwana babantu;
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
ukuchoboza ngaphansi kwenyawo zayo zonke izibotshwa zomhlaba;
35 to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
ukuphambukisa ilungelo lomuntu phambi kobuso boPhezukonke;
36 to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.
ukuphambanisa umuntu kudaba lwakhe, iNkosi kayikuboni yini?
37 Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
Ngubani ongakukhuluma, njalo kwenzeke, nxa iNkosi ingakulayanga?
38 Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
Kakuphumi ububi lokuhle emlonyeni woPhezukonke yini?
39 Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Ngakho usolelani umuntu ophilayo, umuntu ngezono zakhe?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
Asihlole silinge izindlela zethu, sibuyele eNkosini.
41 Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Asiphakamisele inhliziyo lezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu emazulwini.
42 “We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
Thina siphambukile, saba lenkani; wena kawuthethelelanga.
43 “You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
Wembese ngolaka, waxotshana lathi, wabulala, kawuhawukelanga.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
Uzembese ngeyezi, ukuze kungedluli umkhuleko.
45 You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
Usenze saba yimfucuza lezibi phakathi kwezizwe.
46 “All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
Zonke izitha zethu zivule umlomo wazo zimelene lathi.
47 Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
Ukwesaba lomgodi kukhona phambi kwethu, incithakalo lokwephuka.
48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Ilihlo lami lehlisa imifula yamanzi ngokuchitheka kwendodakazi yabantu bami.
49 My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
Ilihlo lami liyajuluka, kaliyekeli, kungelakuma,
50 until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
ize ikhangele phansi ibone iNkosi isezulwini.
51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
Ilihlo lami lenza umphefumulo wami ube buhlungu ngenxa yawo wonke amadodakazi omuzi wakithi.
52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
Izitha zami zingizingele kabuhlungu njengenyoni, kungelasizatho.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
Bayiqumile impilo yami emgodini, baphosa ilitshe phezu kwami.
54 Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
Amanzi ageleza phezu kwekhanda lami; ngathi: Ngiqunyiwe.
55 I called on your name, LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
Ngabiza ibizo lakho, Nkosi, ngisemgodini phansi;
56 You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
wezwa ilizwi lami; ungafihli indlebe yakho ekuphefumuleni kwami, ekukhaleleni kwami usizo.
57 You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Wasondela ngosuku lapho ngikubiza, wathi: Ungesabi.
58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
Nkosi, uzimele izindaba zomphefumulo wami, wahlenga impilo yami.
59 LORD, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
Nkosi, ubonile ukoniwa kwami; yahlulela udaba lwami.
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
Ubonile yonke impindiselo yabo, wonke amacebo abo amelene lami.
61 You have heard their reproach, LORD, and all their plans against me,
Uzwile inhlamba yabo, Nkosi, wonke amacebo abo amelene lami,
62 the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
indebe zabangivukelayo, lokuzindla kwabo kumelene lami lonke usuku.
63 You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
Khangela ukuhlala kwabo, lokusukuma kwabo; ngiyingoma yabo.
64 You will pay them back, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Buyisela kibo impindiselo, Nkosi, njengokomsebenzi wezandla zabo.
65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
Banike ubulukhuni benhliziyo, isiqalekiso sakho kibo.
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
Xotshana labo ngolaka, ubabhubhise bangabi ngaphansi kwamazulu eNkosi.
