The Sorrows of Jerusalem
1 How lonely lies Jerusalem, once so full of people!
Once honored by the world, she is now like a widow;
The noblest of cities has fallen into slavery.
2 All night long she cries; tears run down her cheeks.
Of all her former friends, not one is left to comfort her.
Her allies have betrayed her and are all against her now.
3 Judah's people are helpless slaves, forced away from home.
They live in other lands, with no place to call their own—
Surrounded by enemies, with no way to escape.
4 No one comes to the Temple now to worship on the holy days.
The young women who sang there suffer, and the priests can only groan.
The city gates stand empty, and Zion is in agony.
5 Her enemies succeeded; they hold her in their power.
The Lord has made her suffer for all her many sins;
Her children have been captured and taken away.
6 The splendor of Jerusalem is a thing of the past.
Her leaders are like deer that are weak from hunger,
Whose strength is almost gone as they flee from the hunters.
7 A lonely ruin now, Jerusalem recalls her ancient splendor.
When she fell to the enemy, there was no one to help her;
Her conquerors laughed at her downfall.
8 Her honor is gone; she is naked and held in contempt.
She groans and hides her face in shame.
Jerusalem made herself filthy with terrible sin.
9 Her uncleanness was easily seen, but she showed no concern for her fate.
Her downfall was terrible; no one can comfort her.
Her enemies have won, and she cries to the Lord for mercy.
10 The enemies robbed her of all her treasures.
She saw them enter the Temple itself,
Where the Lord had forbidden Gentiles to go.
11 Her people groan as they look for something to eat;
They exchange their treasures for food to keep themselves alive.
“Look at me, Lord,” the city cries; “see me in my misery.”
12 “Look at me!” she cries to everyone who passes by.
“No one has ever had pain like mine,
Pain that the Lord brought on me in the time of his anger.
13 “He sent fire from above, a fire that burned inside me.
He set a trap for me and brought me to the ground.
Then he abandoned me and left me in constant pain.
14 “He took note of all my sins and tied them all together;
He hung them around my neck, and I grew weak beneath the weight.
The Lord gave me to my foes, and I was helpless against them.
15 “The Lord laughed at all my strongest soldiers;
He sent an army to destroy my young men.
He crushed my people like grapes in a wine press.
16 “That is why my eyes are overflowing with tears.
No one can comfort me; no one can give me courage.
The enemy has conquered me; my people have nothing left.
17 “I stretch out my hands, but no one will help me.
The Lord has called enemies against me from every side;
They treat me like some filthy thing.
18 “But the Lord is just, for I have disobeyed him.
Listen to me, people everywhere; look at me in my pain.
My young men and women have been taken away captive.
19 “I called to my allies, but they refused to help me.
The priests and the leaders died in the city streets,
Looking for food to keep themselves alive.
20 “Look, O Lord, at my agony, at the anguish of my soul!
My heart is broken in sorrow for my sins.
There is murder in the streets; even indoors there is death.
21 “Listen to my groans; there is no one to comfort me.
My enemies are glad that you brought disaster on me.
Bring the day you promised; make my enemies suffer as I do.
22 “Condemn them for all their wickedness;
Punish them as you punished me for my sins.
I groan in misery, and I am sick at heart.”
Zogwadza zwe nzi nkulu
1 Wabe dongo seni nzi nkulu!
Nzi nkulu wakatongobe uli zhele bathu!
Wotjinga tjilikadzi iwo wakatongobe uli nkulu mu zwitjaba!
Iwo wakatongobe nkololokadzi mu zwitjaba
watjibe nlanda!
2 Unolila busiku gose,
mishodzi iye ili pa dama.
Mu zwamba zwizwe zose akuna unon'nyaladza
bakwinya babe bose bakan'tjebela
bakanshandukila batjibe zwita zwizwe!
3 Juda watapiwa ngo dziyidzika ne bulanda gwakabipa.
Wotjigala pakati kwe zwitjaba,
akuna iko kwaanga nyaluluka!
Batatamili babe banon'kulila,
pakati kwe manikano dzidze!
4 Zila dzinoyenda ku Ziyoni dzolila
akutjina banoyenda ku mizano yakabigwa,
mabazhe awe wose aatjina bathu,
bapirisiti bayo banogomela koga.
Baanadi bayo bamu tjililo,
Ziyoni imu buyendasi bukulu!
5 Zwita zwizwe zombusa
zwita zwizwe zwakabhudilila.
Ngoti Yahwe banthama kuti adziyile
adziyile ngekwe zwibi zwizwe zwinji.
Bana babe bakatapiwa
betapiwa mbeli kwe zwita.
6 Gudzo le nkololokadzi Ziyoni lafuluka,
batungamili bayo botjinga mapipha asina fulo,
anoyenda asina matatabuko,
akanyala kutizha bavimi.
7 Jerusalema unokumbula
mu mazhuba awe e kudziyidzika ne zogwadza
zose zwakanaka kudwa mazhuba a ntolo,
e bathu babe bewila mu maboko e zwita,
kusina ne ng'ompela kumbhatsha,
zwita zwizwe zwimpembelela,
zwidada ngekwe kuwa kukwe.
8 Jerusalema wakathama tjibi tjakabipa
ndizo wabe ne shambgwa,
bose bakabe benkudza botjinlingila pasi,
ngoti bakabona mbujo iye,
wakazhalilana ngono unogala akafupatila.
9 Shambgwa yakabasa tjiambalo tjitje
koga aatokumbula kuti konopelela ngayi,
ndizo kuwa kukwe kwakabangalala seni,
aana n'nyaladzi.
“Imwi Yahwe, bonani kudziyidzika kwangu
ngoti tjita tjandikulila!”
10 Tjita tjakatambunudzila maboko atjo
pezhugwi kwe zwithu zwizwe zwakanaka,
nge malebeswa zwitjaba zwangina mu bugalo gugwe gwakayengemala
ibo bamakadzibila kungina mu gubungano lenyu.
11 Bathu babe bose banotshinda beshaka zojiwa,
banoteetshanya thundu yabo nge zojiwa
kuti ndizo batjile basife.
“Bonani, imwi Yahwe, ibeni nge hanya,
ngoti ndolingigwa pasi.”
12 “Apa akute kuli tjimwe kumuli
imwi bapindi be zila kene?
Lingani mubone,
apa kuna zogwadza zwinonga zwangu kene,
zwandakalongwa mu zwili kene?
Izo Yahwe zwabakandilonga,
mu zhuba le kugwadza moyo kwabo kukulu?
13 “Kudwa pezhugwi bakatumila moto
ukangina mu mafupa angu.
Bakawala gwanga mu makumbo angu,
bakathama kuti ndiwe ne tjashule
bakandisiya ndimaama koga,
nditimbama zhuba lose.
14 “Zwibi zwangu zwakasungiligwa
mu ntshibha wangu se jokwi,
zwakasunganyiwa nge luboko gwabo,
batilika jokwi labo mu ntshibha wangu,
bathama kuti simba langu lipele.
Yahwe bandilonga mu maboko
a ibabo bandisingake alingisana nabo.
15 “She abana hanya ne balume bangu bakasima bandinabo.
Bakatumila ngwa kubhayana nami ngolobesa bazhuzha bangu.
She batshambatshamba se tjiswinilo tje zhambi
mwanadi nkololokadzi we Juda.
16 “Ngekwe zwithu izwezwi ndolila,
mesho angu anowunga mishodzi,
akuna upejo kundinyaladza,
akuna unomusa meya yangu.
Bana bangu basala mu zhuba,
ngobe zwita zwangu zwakunda.”
17 Ziyoni wakatjinga nge maboko awe,
koga akuna iye unon'nyaladza.
Yahwe bakadusa ndaulo kulingisana na Jakubo,
kuti babakidzani naye babe zwita zwizwe.
Jerusalema yatjibe tjithu tjina shambgwa pakati kwabo.
18 “Yahwe bakalulwama,
imi ndimi ndakapandukila dama labo.
Bhulutanani imwi bathu bose,
kakale bonani kudziyidzika kwangu,
baanadi bangu ne bazhuzha bangu
bakatapiwa.
19 “Ndakadana zwamba zwangu
koga bakanditjebela,
bapirisiti bangu ne sholotjena
bakafila mu nzi nkulu,
batjavimana ne zojiwa
kuti batjile.
20 “Bonani, kaa Yahwe ndimu buyendasi,
meya dzangu dzakadzongeka,
moyo wangu auzogadzikana,
ngoti ndakapanduka kwazo.
Ku dzizila thumo lolila,
mu ng'umba lufu gu ipapobo.
21 “Ihwani sekwa ndinotshinda ndiko,
akuna iye unondinyaladza.
Zwita zwangu zwakahwa ngekwe mang'oni angu,
bakashathila tjamakandithama.
Zhisani kaa zhuba lamakaleba,
kuti ndizo zwifanane nami.
22 “Bubi gwabo bose ngaguzhe mbeli kwenyu,
mubathame koga sekwa makathama
nami ngekwe zwibi zwangu,
ngoti kutshinda kwangu kunjisa
ne moyo wangu wotjitimbama.”