Izililo 3
1 Yimi umuntu olubonileyo usizi ngenxa yoswazi lokuthukuthela kukaThixo.
I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
2 Ungixotshile, wangiphumputhekisa emnyameni hatshi ekukhanyeni;
[It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
3 ngempela usengiphakamisele isandla sakhe, waphindaphinda ilanga lonke.
He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
4 Usenze ijwabu lami laluphala, wangephula amathambo.
He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
5 Ungihanqile wangihonqolozela ngosizi langobunzima.
He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
6 Ungenze ngahlala emnyameni njengalabo abafa kudala.
[It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
7 Ungihonqolozele ngenqaba ukuze ngingaphunyuki; ungibophe nko ngamaketane.
[It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
8 Kuthi lanxa ngimemeza loba ngidinga usizo, awuvalele phandle umkhuleko wami.
Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
9 Uvale indlela yami ngamatshe; waphambukisa izindlela zami.
[It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
10 Njengebhele licathamile, njengesilwane sicatshile,
He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
11 wangihudulela eceleni kwendlela, wangifohloza, wangitshiya ngingelamsizi.
[It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
12 Wadonsa idandili lakhe, ngaba yikudla kwemitshoko yakhe.
[It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
13 Wangiciba enhliziyweni ngemitshoko evela emxhakeni wakhe.
[It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
14 Ngaba yinhlekisa ebantwini bakithi bonke; sengitshona ngiyingoma eyinhlekisa kubo.
All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
15 Ungigqibe ngemithi ebabayo, wanginathisa inyongo.
He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
16 Ungihlafunise ukhethe ngamazinyo; wangigiqa ebhuqwini.
[It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
17 Ngincitshiwe ukuthula; angisakwazi ingabe iyini impumelelo.
Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
18 Ngakho ngithi, “Sebuphelile ubucwazicwazi bami, lakho konke engangikulindele kuThixo.”
I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
19 Ngikhumbula ukuhlupheka lokuntula kwami, ubumunyu lenyongo.
When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
20 Konke ngikukhumbula kamhlophe, umoya wami wephukile.
I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
21 Kodwa ngikhumbula lokhu ngibe lethemba:
However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
22 Ngenxa yothando olukhulu lukaThixo kasibhujiswanga, ngoba isihawu sakhe kasipheli.
Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
23 Siba sitsha ukusa kwamalanga; kukhulu ukuthembeka kwakho.
[He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
24 Ngiyazitshela ngithi, “UThixo uyisabelo sami; ngakho ngizalindela yena.”
[So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
25 UThixo ulungile kulowo omethembayo, kulowo omdingayo;
Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
26 kuhle ukulinda ngokuthula, ukulindela insindiso kaThixo.
[So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
27 Kuhle ukuthi umuntu alithwale ijogwe ngesikhathi esesemutsha.
And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
28 Kahlale yedwa ngokuthula, ngoba uThixo ulibeke phezu kwakhe.
Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
29 Kembele ubuso bakhe ethulini, mhlawumbe ithemba lizakuba khona.
They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
30 Kaphe isihlathi sakhe kulowo ofuna ukumhlankala, agcwale ihlazo.
If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
31 Ngoba uThixo kabalahli abantu kuze kube nini lanini.
Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
32 Loba engaletha ubuhlungu, uzatshengisa uzwelo, lukhulu kakhulu uthando lwakhe olungapheliyo.
Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
33 Ngoba kehliseli ukuhlupheka losizi ebantwini ngokuthanda.
And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
34 Ukuhlifiza ngezinyawo zonke izibotshwa elizweni,
If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
35 ukuncitsha umuntu amalungelo akhe phambi koPhezukonke,
or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
36 ukungahluleli kuhle, kambe uThixo uyabe engaziboni izinto ezinjalo na?
or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
37 Ngubani ongatsho ulutho lwenzakale nxa lungavunyelwanga nguThixo na?
No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
38 Akuveli emlonyeni woPhezukonke ukuthi kuyehla inhlupheko lezinto ezinhle na?
God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
39 Pho kungani umuntu ophilayo esola nxa ejeziselwa izono zakhe na?
[So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
40 Kasilingeni njalo sihlole izindlela zethu, sibuyele kuThixo.
Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
41 Asiphakamiseleni inhliziyo lezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu ezulwini sithi:
We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
42 “Sonile sahlamuka, njalo kawusithethelelanga.
“We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
43 Uzigubuzele ngolaka waxhumana lathi; ubhubhisile ungelazwelo.
You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
44 Uzisibekele ngeyezi ukuze kungafinyeleli mkhuleko kuwe.
You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
45 Usenze saba ngamanyala lengcekeza phakathi kwezizwe.
You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
46 Izitha zethu zonke zivule imilomo yazo zezwakala zisihoza.
All our enemies have insulted us.
47 Sesihlukuluzwe yikuthuthumela lokukhilikithela, ukudilika lokubhidlika.”
We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
48 Imifula yezinyembezi iyajuluka emehlweni ami ngoba abantu bakithi babhujisiwe.
I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
49 Amehlo ami azajuluka kokuphela, engelakuphumula,
My tears continually flow; they will not stop
50 UThixo aze akhangele phansi esezulwini, angibone.
until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
51 Engikubonayo kuthelela usizi emphefumulweni wami ngenxa yabesifazane bonke bomuzi wakithi.
I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
52 Labo ababa yizitha zami kungelasizatho, bangizingela njengenyoni.
Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
53 Bazama ukuquma impilo yami emgodini bangijikijela ngamatshe;
They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
54 amanzi asibekela ikhanda lami, ngabona ukuthi okwami sekuphelile.
The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
55 Ngalimemezela ibizo lakho, Oh Thixo, ngisekujuleni komgodi.
But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
56 Wezwa ukuncenga kwami: “Ungavali indlebe zakho nxa ngikhalela ukwenyulwa.”
I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
57 Wasondela lapho ngikumemeza, wathi kimi, “Ungesabi.”
Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
58 Oh Thixo, wasamukela isikhalazo sami; wahlenga ukuphila kwami.
Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
59 Ububonile Thixo, ububi obenziwe kimi. Ngisekela kulobubunzima!
[Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
60 Usubonile ukujula kokusonga kwabo, lamacebo abo wonke ngami.
You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
61 Awu Thixo, uzwile inhlamba zabo, wonke amacebo abo ngami,
Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
62 ukunyenyeza lokungunguna kwabo ngami ukusa kwamalanga.
Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
63 Ake ubabone! Bahlezi kumbe bajamile, bayangihleka ngezingoma zabo.
Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
64 Awu Thixo, akubaphindisele ngokubafaneleyo, ngalokho okwenziwe yizandla zabo.
Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
65 Basibekele ngelembu ezinhliziyweni zabo, isiqalekiso sakho sehlele phezu kwabo!
Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
66 Xhumana labo ngolaka, ubabhubhise ngaphansi kwamazulu kaThixo.
Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
