Lamentations 4
1 How is the gold become dim, Changed the best — the pure gold? Poured out are stones of the sanctuary At the head of all out-places.
Yeka ukufiphala kwegolide, ukuphenduka kwegolide elihle kakhulu! Amatshe endawo engcwele achithiwe ekuqaleni kwazo zonke izitalada.
2 The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How have they been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter.
Amadodana aligugu eZiyoni, alinganiswa legolide elihle, yeka ukuthiwa kwawo ayizitsha zebumba, umsebenzi wezandla zombumbi!
3 Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people is become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.
Ngitsho amakhanka ehlisa ibele, amunyise imidlwane yawo; kodwa indodakazi yabantu bami isilesihluku, njengezintshe enkangala.
4 Cleaved hath the tongue of a suckling unto his palate with thirst, Infants asked bread, a dealer out they have none.
Ulimi lomunyayo lunamathela olwangeni lwakhe ngenxa yokoma; abantwanyana bacela isinkwa, kakho obahlephulelayo.
5 Those eating of dainties have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.
Ababesidla izibiliboco baphundlekile ezitaladeni; abondliwa ngeziyibubende bagona inqumbi zomquba.
6 And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as [in] a moment, And no hands were stayed on her.
Ngoba icala lendodakazi yabantu bami likhulu kulesono seSodoma, eyachithwa kwangathi ngomzuzwana, kungelazandla ezayonayo.
7 Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.
AmaNazari ayo ayehlambulukile kuleliqhwa elikhithikileyo, emhlophe kulochago, ebomvana ngomzimba kulamakorali, isimo sawo sasingesesafire.
8 Darker than blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered — it hath been as wood.
Ukubonakala kwawo sekumnyama kulomsizi, kawaziwa ezitaladeni; isikhumba sawo sinamathele emathanjeni awo, somile, saba njengogodo.
9 Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase of the field.
Ababulawa ngenkemba bangcono kulababulawa yindlala; ngoba laba bayacikizeka behlatshwa yikuswela izithelo zensimu.
10 The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Izandla zabesifazana abalesihawu zapheka abantwana babo; baba yikudla kwabo ekwephukeni kwendodakazi yabantu bami.
11 Completed hath Jehovah His fury, He hath poured out the fierceness of His anger, And he kindleth a fire in Zion, And it devoureth her foundations.
INkosi iphelelisile intukuthelo yayo, ithululile ukuvutha kolaka lwayo, yaphemba umlilo eZiyoni oqothule izisekelo zayo.
12 Believe not did the kings of earth, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That come would an adversary and enemy Into the gates of Jerusalem.
Amakhosi omhlaba labo bonke abakhileyo bomhlaba babengayikukholwa ukuthi umcindezeli lesitha babengangena emasangweni eJerusalema.
13 Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,
Kwakungenxa yezono zabaprofethi bayo leziphambeko zabapristi bayo, abachitha igazi labalungileyo phakathi kwayo.
14 They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been polluted with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,
Bazula njengeziphofu ezitaladeni, bangcoliswa ngegazi, kangangokuthi abantu kabangelakuthinta izembatho zabo.
15 'Turn aside — unclean,' they called to them, 'Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,' For they fled — yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: 'They do not add to sojourn.'
Bamemeza kubo bathi: Sukani, kungcolile, sukani, sukani, lingathinti! Lapho bebaleka njalo bezula, bathi phakathi kwabezizwe: Kabasayikuhlala njengabezizwe.
16 The face of Jehovah hath divided them, He doth not add to behold them, The face of priests they have not lifted up, Elders they have not favoured.
Ubuso beNkosi bubahlakazile, kayisayikubananza; kabahloniphanga ubuso babapristi, kababanga lomusa kubadala.
17 While we exist — consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watch-tower we have watched for a nation [that] saveth not.
Thina, amehlo ethu asaphela kusizo lwethu oluyize; ekulindeleni kwethu salindela isizwe esingelakusisindisa.
18 They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near hath been our end, fulfilled our days, For come hath our end.
Bazingela izinyathelo zethu ukuze singahambi ezitaladeni zethu; isiphetho sethu sisondele, insuku zethu zigcwalisekile, ngoba isiphetho sethu sesifikile.
19 Swifter have been our pursuers, Than the eagles of the heavens, On the mountains they have burned [after] us, In the wilderness they have laid wait for us.
Abasizingelayo balejubane kulamanqe amazulu; baxotshana lathi ngokutshiseka ezintabeni; basicathamela enkangala.
20 The breath of our nostrils — the anointed of Jehovah, Hath been captured in their pits, of whom we said: 'In his shadow we do live among nations.'
Umoya wamakhala ethu, ogcotshiweyo weNkosi, wabanjwa emigodini yabo, esathi ngaye: Ngaphansi komthunzi wakhe sizaphila phakathi kwezizwe.
21 Joy and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even unto thee pass over doth a cup, Thou art drunk, and makest thyself naked.
Jabula uthokoze, ndodakazi yeEdoma, ohlala elizweni leUzi; inkezo izadlulela lakuwe, uzadakwa, uzinqunule.
22 Completed [is] thy iniquity, daughter of Zion, He doth not add to remove thee, He hath inspected thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He hath removed [thee] because of thy sins!
Ububi bakho buphelile, ndodakazi yeZiyoni; kasayikukuthumba; uzahambela ububi bakho, ndodakazi yeEdoma; uzakwembula izono zakho.
