Macakaya 4
1 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.
How the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.
2 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!
How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
3 O na mbwe nĩciongithagia ciana ciacio, no andũ akwa matuĩkĩte andũ matarĩ tha, o ta nyaga cia werũ-inĩ.
Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.
4 Rũrĩmĩ rwa gakenge rũnyiitanĩte na karakara nĩ ũndũ wa kũnyoota; twana tũhooyaga irio, no gũtirĩ mũndũ ũtũheaga.
The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.
5 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.
Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.
6 Iherithia rĩa andũ akwa nĩ inene gũkĩra rĩa itũũra rĩa Sodomu, rĩrĩa rĩangʼaũranirio o rĩmwe, gũtarĩ guoko kwarĩteithirie.
The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.
7 Anene akuo maatherete gũkĩra tharunji, na makeerũha gũkĩra iria, maarĩ atune mĩĩrĩ gũkĩra ruru ĩrĩa ndune, magakĩhaana ta kahiga ka goro karĩa getagwo yakuti.
Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.
8 No rĩu mairĩte o na gũkĩra mbiro; matikũũrĩkanaga marĩ njĩra-inĩ. Ikonde cia mĩĩrĩ yao ciũmanĩrĩire na mahĩndĩ; ciumĩte o ta rũthanju.
But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
9 Kaba arĩa mooragagwo na rũhiũ rwa njora, kũrĩ arĩa makuuaga nĩ ngʼaragu; matooragio nĩkũhũũta, makamoca nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga irio cia kuuma mũgũnda.
Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.
10 Moko ma andũ-a-nja arĩa marĩ tha nĩmarugire ciana ciao ene, igĩtuĩka irio ciao hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ akwa manangirwo.
The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 Jehova nĩarekereirie mangʼũrĩ make biũ; aitũrũrĩte marakara make mahiũ. Nĩakĩtie mwaki kũu Zayuni ũrĩa ũcinĩte mĩthingi yakuo.
The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations.
12 Athamaki a thĩ matingĩetĩkirie, o na kana kĩrĩndĩ o na kĩmwe gĩa gũkũ thĩ, atĩ thũ na amuku nĩmangĩahotire gũtoonya ihingo cia Jerusalemu.
The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 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.
But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
14 Rĩu maturuuraga njĩra-inĩ ta andũ atumumu. Mathaahĩtio nĩ thakame ũũ atĩ gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe ũngĩgeria kũhutia nguo ciao.
They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.
15 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.”
“Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”
16 Jehova we mwene nĩwe ũmahurunjĩte; nĩatigĩte kũmarũmbũiya. Athĩnjĩri-Ngai matiheagwo gĩtĩĩo, o na makarega gũtuga athuuri.
The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.
17 Makĩria ma ũguo-rĩ, maitho maitũ nĩmathirire hinya, o tũcũthĩrĩirie ũteithio ũrĩa tũtoonire; kuuma mĩthiringo iitũ ĩrĩa mĩraihu-rĩ, twetereire rũrĩrĩ rũtangĩahotire gũtũhonokia.
All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.
18 Andũ maatũcemaga ikinya gwa ikinya, nĩ ũndũ ũcio tũtingĩathiĩrĩire njĩra-inĩ ciitũ. Ithirĩro riitũ rĩgĩkuhĩrĩria, namo matukũ maitũ maarĩ matare, nĩgũkorwo ithirĩro riitũ nĩrĩakinyĩte.
They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!
19 Andũ arĩa matũingatithĩtie-rĩ, maarĩ na ihenya gũkĩra nderi irĩ rĩera-inĩ; maatũhanyũkagĩria irĩma-inĩ, na magatuoheria werũ-inĩ.
Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.
20 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.
The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
21 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.
So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself.
22 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.
O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not prolong your exile. But He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins.
