In Praise of Jerusalem
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the Lord's house.”
2 And now we are here,
standing inside the gates of Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem is a city restored
in beautiful order and harmony.
4 This is where the tribes come,
the tribes of Israel,
to give thanks to the Lord
according to his command.
5 Here the kings of Israel
sat to judge their people.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you prosper.
7 May there be peace inside your walls
and safety in your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my relatives and friends
I say to Jerusalem, “Peace be with you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God
I pray for your prosperity.
Kukudziwa kwe Jerusalema
1 Ndakashatha pa bakandidwa beti,
“Ngatiyende ku Ng'umba ya Yahwe!”
2 Makumbo edu amile
mukati kwe mikoba iyo, iwe Jerusalema.
3 Jerusalema, wakabakwa se nzi nkulu
umile wakasomana kwakasima.
4 Njudzi dzoyenda ku uli,
njudzi dza Yahwe,
sekwa kwakalauligwa Iziraela,
kuti aboke zina la Yahwe.
5 Ngobe ndiko kwakabigwa zwigalo zwe bushe,
zwigalo zwe bushe zwe ng'umba ya Dafite.
6 Tembezelelani kunyalala kwe Jerusalema:
“Dzene bangabhudilila ibabo banokuda.
7 Kunyalala ngakube mukati kwe bhakasa lilo,
ne mbakililo mu thungamakole dzidzo.”
8 Kuthamila zwikamu ne bazwalani bangu.
Ndowoti, “Kunyalala ngakube nawe.”
9 Kuthamila ng'umba ya Yahwe Ndzimu wedu,
ndotembezelela kubhudilila kuko!