< Maombolezo 1 >

1 Tazama jinsi mji ulivyoachwa ukiwa, mji ambao zamani ulikuwa umejaa watu! Jinsi ambavyo umekuwa kama mama mjane, ambaye wakati fulani alikuwa maarufu miongoni mwa mataifa! Yule ambaye alikuwa malkia miongoni mwa majimbo sasa amekuwa mtumwa.
See her seated by herself, the town which was full of people! She who was great among the nations has become like a widow! She who was a princess among the countries has come under the yoke of forced work!
2 Kwa uchungu, hulia sana usiku, machozi yapo kwenye mashavu yake. Miongoni mwa wapenzi wake wote hakuna yeyote wa kumfariji. Rafiki zake wote wamemsaliti, wamekuwa adui zake.
She is sorrowing bitterly in the night, and her face is wet with weeping; among all her lovers she has no comforter: all her friends have been false to her, they have become her haters.
3 Baada ya mateso na kufanyishwa kazi kikatili, Yuda amekwenda uhamishoni. Anakaa miongoni mwa mataifa, hapati mahali pa kupumzika. Wote ambao wanamsaka wamemkamata katikati ya dhiki yake.
Judah has been taken away as a prisoner because of trouble and hard work; her living-place is among the nations, there is no rest for her: all her attackers have overtaken her in a narrow place.
4 Barabara zielekeazo Sayuni zaomboleza, kwa kuwa hakuna yeyote anayekuja kwenye sikukuu zake zilizoamriwa. Malango yake yote yamekuwa ukiwa, makuhani wake wanalia kwa uchungu, wanawali wake wanahuzunika, naye yuko katika uchungu wa maumivu makuu.
The ways of Zion are sad, because no one comes to the holy meeting; all her doorways are made waste, her priests are breathing out sorrow: her virgins are troubled, and it is bitter for her.
5 Adui zake wamekuwa mabwana zake, watesi wake wana raha. Bwana amemletea huzuni kwa sababu ya dhambi zake nyingi. Watoto wake wamekwenda uhamishoni, mateka mbele ya adui.
Those who are against her have become the head, everything goes well for her haters; for the Lord has sent sorrow on her because of the great number of her sins: her young children have gone away as prisoners before the attacker.
6 Fahari yote imeondoka kutoka kwa Binti Sayuni. Wakuu wake wako kama ayala ambaye hapati malisho, katika udhaifu wamekimbia mbele ya anayewasaka.
And all her glory has gone from the daughter of Zion: her rulers have become like harts with no place for food, and they have gone in flight without strength before the attacker.
7 Katika siku za mateso yake na kutangatanga, Yerusalemu hukumbuka hazina zote ambazo zilikuwa zake siku za kale. Wakati watu wake walipoanguka katika mikono ya adui, hapakuwepo na yeyote wa kumsaidia. Watesi wake walimtazama na kumcheka katika maangamizi yake.
Jerusalem keeps in mind, in the days of her sorrow and of her wanderings, all the desired things which were hers in days gone by; when her people came into the power of her hater and she had no helper, her attackers saw their desire effected on her and made sport of her destruction.
8 Yerusalemu ametenda dhambi sana kwa hiyo amekuwa najisi. Wote waliomheshimu wanamdharau, kwa maana wameuona uchi wake. Yeye mwenyewe anapiga kite na kugeukia mbali.
Great is the sin of Jerusalem; for this cause she has become an unclean thing: all those who gave her honour are looking down on her, because they have seen her shame: now truly, breathing out grief, she is turned back.
9 Uchafu wake umegandamana na nguo zake; hakuwaza juu ya maisha yake ya baadaye. Anguko lake lilikuwa la kushangaza, hapakuwepo na yeyote wa kumfariji. “Tazama, Ee Bwana, teso langu, kwa maana adui ameshinda.”
In her skirts were her unclean ways; she gave no thought to her end; and her fall has been a wonder; she has no comforter: see her sorrow, O Lord; for the attacker is lifted up.
10 Adui ametia mikono juu ya hazina zake zote, aliona mataifa ya kipagani wakiingia mahali patakatifu pake, wale uliowakataza kuingia kwenye kusanyiko lako.
The hand of her hater is stretched out over all her desired things; for she has seen that the nations have come into her holy place, about whom you gave orders that they were not to come into the meeting of your people.
11 Watu wake wote wanalia kwa uchungu watafutapo chakula; wanabadilisha hazina zao kwa chakula ili waweze kuendelea kuishi. “Tazama, Ee Bwana, ufikiri, kwa maana nimedharauliwa.”
Breathing out grief all her people are looking for bread; they have given their desired things for food to give them life: see, O Lord, and take note; for she has become a thing of shame.
12 “Je, si kitu kwenu, ninyi nyote mpitao kando? Angalieni kote mwone. Je, kuna maumivu kama maumivu yangu yale yaliyotiwa juu yangu, yale Bwana aliyoyaleta juu yangu katika siku ya hasira yake kali?
Come to me, all you who go by! Keep your eyes on me, and see if there is any pain like the pain of my wound, which the Lord has sent on me in the day of his burning wrath.
13 “Kutoka juu alipeleka moto, akaushusha katika mifupa yangu. Aliitandia wavu miguu yangu na akanirudisha nyuma. Akanifanya mkiwa, na mdhaifu mchana kutwa.
From on high he has sent fire into my bones, and it has overcome them: his net is stretched out for my feet, I am turned back by him; he has made me waste and feeble all the day.
14 “Dhambi zangu zimefungwa kwenye nira, kwa mikono yake zilifumwa pamoja. Zimefika shingoni mwangu na Bwana ameziondoa nguvu zangu. Amenitia mikononi mwa wale ambao siwezi kushindana nao.
A watch is kept on my sins; they are joined together by his hand, they have come on to my neck; he has made my strength give way: the Lord has given me up into the hands of those against whom I have no power.
15 “Bwana amewakataa wapiganaji wa vita wote walio kati yangu, ameagiza jeshi dhidi yangu kuwaponda vijana wangu wa kiume. Katika shinikizo lake la divai Bwana amemkanyaga Bikira Binti Yuda.
The Lord has made sport of all my men of war in me, he has got men together against me to send destruction on my young men: the virgin daughter of Judah has been crushed like grapes under the feet of the Lord.
16 “Hii ndiyo sababu ninalia na macho yangu yanafurika machozi. Hakuna yeyote aliye karibu kunifariji, hakuna yeyote wa kuhuisha roho yangu. Watoto wangu ni wakiwa kwa sababu adui ameshinda.”
For these things I am weeping; my eye is streaming with water; because the comforter who might give me new life is far from me: my children are made waste, because the hater is strong.
17 Sayuni ananyoosha mikono yake, lakini hakuna yeyote wa kumfariji. Bwana ametoa amri kwa ajili ya Yakobo kwamba majirani zake wawe adui zake; Yerusalemu umekuwa kitu najisi miongoni mwao.
Zion's hands are outstretched; she has no comforter; the Lord has given orders to the attackers of Jacob round about him: Jerusalem has become like an unclean thing among them.
18 “Bwana ni mwenye haki, hata hivyo niliasi dhidi ya amri yake. Sikilizeni, enyi mataifa yote, tazameni maumivu yangu. Wavulana wangu na wasichana wangu wamekwenda uhamishoni.
The Lord is upright; for I have gone against his orders: give ear, now, all you peoples, and see my pain, my virgins and my young men have gone away as prisoners.
19 “Niliita washirika wangu lakini walinisaliti. Makuhani wangu na wazee wangu waliangamia mjini walipokuwa wakitafuta chakula ili waweze kuishi.
I sent for my lovers, but they were false to me: my priests and my responsible men were breathing their last breath in the town, while they were looking for food to give them new life.
20 “Angalia, Ee Bwana, jinsi nilivyo katika dhiki! Nina maumivu makali ndani yangu, nami ninahangaika moyoni mwangu, kwa kuwa nimekuwa mwasi sana. Huko nje, upanga unaua watu, ndani, kipo kifo tu.
See, O Lord, for I am in trouble; the inmost parts of my body are deeply moved; my heart is turned in me; for I have been uncontrolled: outside the children are put to the sword, and in the house there is death.
21 “Watu wamesikia ninavyolia kwa uchungu, lakini hakuna yeyote wa kunifariji. Adui zangu wote wamesikia juu ya dhiki yangu, wanafurahia lile ulilolitenda. Naomba uilete siku uliyoitangaza ili wawe kama mimi.
Give ear to the voice of my grief; I have no comforter; all my haters have news of my troubles, they are glad because you have done it: let the day of fate come when they will be like me.
22 “Uovu wao wote na uje mbele zako; uwashughulikie wao kama vile ulivyonishughulikia mimi kwa sababu ya dhambi zangu zote. Kulia kwangu kwa uchungu ni kwingi na moyo wangu umedhoofika.”
Let all their evil-doing come before you; do to them as you have done to me for all my sins: for loud is the sound of my grief, and the strength of my heart is gone.

< Maombolezo 1 >