Okukungubaga 4
1 Zaabu ng’ettalazze! Zaabu ennungi ng’efuuse! Amayinja ag’omuwendo gasaasaanye buli luguudo we lutandikira.
[Previously our people were like] [MET] pure gold, but now they are worthless. [Like] [MET] the sacred stones in the temple have been scattered, [our young men have been scattered].
2 Abaana ba Sayuuni ab’omuwendo abaali beenkana nga zaabu ennungi, kaakano bali ng’ensuwa ez’ebbumba, omulimu gw’emikono gy’omubumbi.
The young men of Jerusalem were as valuable as [MET] large amounts of gold, but now people consider that they are as worthless as [ordinary] clay pots.
3 Ebibe biyonsa abaana baabyo, naye abantu bange bafuuse ng’abatalina kisa, bafaanana nga bammaaya mu ddungu.
Even the [female] jackals/wolves feed their pups, but my people act cruelly [toward their children]; they are like [SIM] ostriches in the desert [that abandon their eggs].
4 Olw’ennyonta omwana ayonka gy’alina, olulimi lwe lukwatira ku kibuno ky’akamwa ke; abaana basaba emmere naye tewali n’omu agibawa.
[My people’s] infants’ tongues cling to the roofs/tops of their mouths because they are [extremely] thirsty; the children plead for some food, but no one gives them [any].
5 Abaalyanga ebiwoomerera basabiriza ku nguudo; n’abo abaakuzibwa ng’abambala engoye ezinekaaneka bali ku ntuumu ez’ebisasiro.
People who [previously] ate fine food are [now] starving in the streets; those who previously lived luxuriously [MTY] [now] paw/dig through rubbish heaps [to find some food].
6 Ekibonerezo ky’abantu bange kisinga ekya Sodomu, ekyawambibwa mu kaseera akatono, nga tewali n’omu azze kukibeera.
[The people of] Sodom were struck with a disaster very suddenly, and there was no one to rescue them; but my people have been punished more severely than [the people of] Sodom were punished.
7 Abalangira baabwe baatukula nnyo okusinga omuzira, nga beeru okusinga amata; n’emibiri gyabwe nga mimyufu okusinga amayinja amatwakaavu, era banyirivu nga safiro.
Our leaders’ [behavior] was [previously] very pure, whiter [and brighter] than snow and milk; their bodies were redder than [red] coral/stones; they were very strong and healthy [MET].
8 Naye kaakano badduggala okusinga enziro, era tebakyasobola kutegeerekeka mu nguudo. Olususu lwabwe lukalidde ku magumba gaabwe; lukaze ng’ekiti ekikalu.
But now their faces are blacker than soot, and no one recognizes them in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones, and it has become as dry as [SIM] a wooden [stick].
9 Abafa ekitala bafa bulungi okusinga abafa enjala, kubanga abafa enjala bayongobera ne baggwaawo olw’obutaba na mmere mu nnimiro.
It is better to die in a battle [MTY] than to die of hunger. There was no food to harvest in the fields, so the people slowly starved until they died.
10 Abakazi ab’ekisa abaagala abaana bafumbye abaana baabwe; abaana abaafuuka emmere abantu bange bwe baazikirizibwa.
Women who [usually/previously] were very kind have [killed and] cooked their own children; they ate them [when there was no other food], when Jerusalem was surrounded [by enemy soldiers].
11 Mukama akituukirizza mu busungu bwe obungi, era abayiyeeko obusungu bwe obungi. Yakoleeza omuliro mu Sayuuni ogwayokya emisingi gyakyo.
Yahweh has shown that he was extremely angry; [it is as though] he started/ignited a fire in Jerusalem that burned everything to ashes.
12 Bakabaka b’ensi n’abantu ab’ensi endala tebakkiriza, nti abalabe n’ababakyawa baliyingira mu wankaaki wa Yerusaalemi.
None of the kings on the earth or anyone else believed that any of our enemies could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Ebyo byabatuukako olw’ebibi bya bannabbi be, n’olw’obutali butuukirivu bwa bakabona be, abaayiwa omusaayi gw’abatuukirivu abaababeerangamu.
[But that is what happened]; it happened because the prophets sinned; and the priests [also] sinned by causing innocent people to be executed [MTY].
14 Badoobera mu nguudo nga bamuzibe; bajjudde omusaayi so tewali ayaŋŋanga okukwata ku byambalo byabwe.
The prophets and priests wandered through the streets [as though they were] blind. No one would touch them because their clothes were stained with the blood [of people who had been killed].
15 Abantu baabagobaganya nga boogera nti, “Muveewo, mmwe abatali balongoofu! Muviireewo ddala, so temutukwatako!” Bwe baafuuka emmombooze, amawanga gabagobaganya nga boogera nti, “Tebakyasaana kubeera wano.”
The people [who were alive] shouted, “Stay away [from us] [DOU]! You are defiled/untouchable! Do not touch us!” So the prophets and priests fled [from Israel], and they wandered around from one country to another, because people [in each country] kept saying to them, “You cannot stay here!”
16 Mukama yennyini abasaasaanyizza, takyabafaako. Bakabona tebakyassibwamu kitiibwa, newaakubadde abakadde okuweebwa ebifo eby’oku mwanjo.
It is Yahweh himself who has scattered them; he no longer is concerned about them. People do not respect [our] priests or leaders.
17 Amaaso gaffe gakooye olw’okulindirira okubeerwa okutajja; nga tulindirira eggwanga eriyinza okutulokola.
We [SYN] continued to look for someone to help [us], but it was useless. We continued to watch to see if one of our allies would save us, but none of the nations that we were waiting for could help [us].
18 Baatucocca ne batulemesa okutambulira mu nguudo zaffe; enkomerero yaffe n’eba kumpi, n’ennaku zaffe ne ziggwaayo.
[Our] enemies were hunting for us, so we could not [even] walk in our streets [lest they seize us]. We were about to be captured; it was time for us to be killed.
19 Abaatuyiganyanga baatusinga embiro okusinga n’empungu ez’omu bbanga. Baatugobera mu nsozi ne batuteegera mu ddungu.
Those who pursued us were faster than eagles [flying] in the sky. Even if we fled to the mountains or hid in the desert, they [went there ahead of us and] waited [to attack] us.
20 Oyo Mukama gwe yafukako amafuta yagwa mu mitego gyabwe. Twalowooza nga tulikwekebwa mu kisiikirize kye ne tubeeranga mu mawanga.
[Our king, ] whom Yahweh appointed, was the one who enabled us to remain alive [MTY]; he was the one whom we trusted to protect us [IDM] from [the armies of] other nations. But he was [captured] [like animals are] [MET] caught in a pit.
21 Sanyuka ojaguze, ggwe Omuwala wa Edomu, abeera mu nsi ya Uzi; naye lumu olinywa ku kikompe n’otamiira ne weeyambula.
You people of [IDM] Edom and Uz, [you may] be happy [about what is happening to us now], but [Yahweh] will be punishing [MTY] you [also]. You will become drunk and will be ashamed [because your enemies] will have stripped off your clothes.
22 Ggwe Muwala wa Sayuuni, ekibonerezo kyo kikomye awo, talikwongerayo mu busibe. Naye ggwe omuwala wa Edomu, Mukama alikubonereza, n’ayanika ekibi kyo mu lujjudde.
You [people of] [APO] Jerusalem, the time of your being punished will end; Yahweh will not allow you to continue to live in (exile/foreign countries). But [you people of] [APO] Edom, Yahweh will punish [you]; he will reveal the wicked things that you have done.
