Izililo 1

1 Yeka ukuhlala kodwa komuzi owawugcwele abantu! Usunjengomfelokazi owawumkhulu phakathi kwezizwe, owawuyinkosikazi phakathi kwezabelo usuyisibhalwa!

2 Uyakhala lokukhala inyembezi ebusuku, lezinyembezi zawo zisezihlathini zawo. Kawulamduduzi phakathi kwazo zonke izithandwa zawo. Bonke abangane bawo bawuphethe ngenkohliso, sebeyizitha zawo.

3 UJuda useye ekuthunjweni ngenxa yokuhlupheka langenxa yobukhulu bobugqili; yena uhlala phakathi kwabezizwe, katholi ukuphumula; bonke abamzingelayo bamfica ephakathi kwezimbandezelo.

4 Indlela zeZiyoni ziyalila, ngoba kungekho ozayo emkhosini omisiweyo; wonke amasango ayo angamanxiwa; abapristi bayo bayabubula, izintombi zayo ezimsulwa zidabukile, layo isekubabeni.

5 Abamelani bayo sebeyinhloko, izitha zayo zonwabile; ngoba iNkosi iyidabulile ngenxa yobunengi beziphambeko zayo; abantwana bayo sebeye ekuthunjweni phambi kwesitha.

6 Labo bonke ubuhle bayo busukile kundodakazi yeZiyoni. Iziphathamandla zayo zinjengezindluzele ezingatholi idlelo, njalo ziyahamba zingelamandla phambi komzingeli.

7 Ezinsukwini zenhlupheko yayo lokuzulazula kwayo iJerusalema yakhumbula zonke izinto zayo eziloyisekayo okwakukhona kusukela ezinsukwini zasendulo, lapho abantu bayo bawela esandleni sesitha, njalo ingelamsizi; izitha zayibona, zahleka usulu amasabatha ayo.

8 IJerusalema yonile kakhulu, ngakho-ke isingcolile; bonke ababeyihlonipha bayidelela, ngoba sebebonile ubuze bayo; yona isibubula, ibuyele emuva.

9 Ukungcola kwayo kwakusemiphethweni yezigqoko zayo; kayikhumbulanga ukucina kwayo; ngakho yehla ngokumangalisayo, yayingelamduduzi. Nkosi, bona inhlupheko yami, ngoba isitha sizikhulisile.

10 Isitha selule isandla saso phezu kwazo zonke izinto zayo eziloyisekayo; ngoba ibonile izizwe zingena endaweni yayo engcwele, owazilaya ukuthi zingangeni phakathi kwebandla lakho.

11 Bonke abantu bayo bayabubula, bedinga isinkwa; banike izinto zabo eziloyisekayo ngokudla ukuthi bavuselele umphefumulo. Bona, Nkosi, ukhangele, ngoba ngiyadelelwa.

12 Kakusilutho kini yini lonke elidlulayo ngendlela? Khangelani libone uba kukhona yini usizi njengosizi lwami, olwenziwe kimi, iNkosi engidabule ngalo osukwini lokuvutha kolaka lwayo.

13 Iphezulu, ithumele umlilo emathanjeni ami, wawehlula; ithiyele unyawo lwami imbule, ingibuyisele emuva; ingenze ngaba lunxiwa, ngaphela amandla usuku lonke.

14 Ijokwe leziphambeko zami libotshwe ngesandla sayo; zelukiwe, zenyukele entanyeni yami, iwisile amandla ami; iNkosi inginikele ezandleni zabo, ngingelakho ukuvuka.

15 INkosi yeyisile wonke amaqhawe ami phakathi kwami; yabiza umhlangano omelene lami ukuchoboza amajaha ami; iNkosi inyathelele intombi emsulwa, indodakazi yakoJuda, isikhamelo sewayini.

16 Ngenxa yalezizinto ngiyakhala inyembezi; ilihlo lami, ilihlo lami lehlisa amanzi, ngoba umduduzi obengavuselela umphefumulo wami ukhatshana lami; abantwana bami bachithakele ngoba isitha sinqobile.

17 IZiyoni iyelula izandla zayo, kakho oyiduduzayo. INkosi ilayile ngoJakobe ukuthi abamzingelezeleyo babe yizitha zakhe. IJerusalema injengowesifazana ongcolileyo phakathi kwabo.

18 INkosi ilungile, ngoba ngivukele umlomo wayo. Ake lizwe, bantu lonke, libone usizi lwami. Intombi zami ezimsulwa lamajaha ami baye ekuthunjweni.

19 Ngabiza izithandwa zami, kodwa zona zangikhohlisa. Abapristi bami labadala bami baphefumula okokucina emzini, besazidingela ukudla ukuze bavuselele umphefumulo wabo.

20 Bona, Nkosi, ngoba ngilusizi; imibilini yami idungekile, inhliziyo yami iphendukile phakathi kwami, ngoba ngaba lenkani kakhulu. Ngaphandle inkemba iyemuka abantwana, endlini kunjengokufa.

21 Bezwile ukuthi mina ngiyabubula; kangilamduduzi; zonke izitha zami zizwile ngobubi bami; ziyathokoza ngoba wena ukwenzile. Uzalufikisa usuku osulumemezile, khona zizakuba njengami.

22 Kabufike bonke ububi bazo phambi kwakho, wenze kizo njengalokhu wenzile kimi ngenxa yazo zonke iziphambeko zami; ngoba ukububula kwami kunengi, lenhliziyo yami iphela amandla.