Lilila batungamili be Iziraela
1 “Iwe lila ulilila babusi be Iziraela 2 uti,
“ ‘Mme benyu bakabe bali shumbakadzi yakwako
pakati kwe shumba njinji.
Bakabe belala pakati kwe shumbana
belela bana babo.
3 Bakalela imwe ye shumbana dzabo
ikabe shumba yakasima.
Ikazwidiya kumwaulanya tjainobhata
ngono ikaja bathu.
4 Njudzi dzikahwa nge kwayo
ngono ikabhatshigwa nge bhuzhu ladzo.
Bakaikwebela ku Egipiti
nge zwihweko.
5 “ ‘Ngono mayi bakati bebona kugalabgwe kwabo kusazhadzisika
ne yemula dzabo dzatjinyika,
bakatola imwe ye shumbana dzabo
bakaithama shumba yakasima.
6 Ikayendayenda pakati kwe dzimwe shumba
ngoti yakabe yabe shumba yakasima.
Ikazwidiya kumwaulanya tjainobhata
ngono ikaja bathu.
7 Ikaliga mbako dzabo dzakasima
ikakolomodza mizi yabo.
Shango naibo bose bamu ili bakalobgwa nge ana
ha behwa kubomba kwayo.
8 Ipapo njudzi dzikashangana kugwa nayo,
bose kudwa ku mituthu yakapoteleka.
Bakaiwalila gwanga gwabo
ngono ikabhakhwa mu bhuzhu labo.
9 Bakaikweba nge zwihweko bakailonga mu zongondo,
ngono bakaizhisa kuna mambo we Bhabhiloni,
bakailonga mu ng'umba ye busungwa,
ndizo tjibombo tjayo tjikasitjahwike kakale
pezhugwi kwe matombo e Iziraela.
10 “ ‘Mme benyu bakabe benga nzhambi mu nnda wenyu we zhambi
wakadzwagwa pawunde ne vula
wakabe uzwala mitjelo una thabi njinji
ngoti una vula njinji.
11 Thabi dzawo dzakabe dzakasima
dzakalizanila kuthama ludozo gwe bumambo.
Wakabe wakakulila pezhugwi
una thabi dzakalobana,
uboneka nge bulefu gwawo
nenge thabi dzawo njinji.
12 Koga wakasimugwa nge bushongola bukulu
ukalashigwa pasi,
phepo ye kubhezhuba ikauwomesa.
Mitjelo yawo ikapulugwa,
thabi dzawo dzakasima dzikawoma
ngono moto ukadzipisa.
13 Ngwenu watjidzwagwa mu tjilambanyika,
mushango yakawoma isina vula.
14 Moto ukanyengela udwa mu gumwe gwe thabi dzawo hwulu,
ngono ukapisa mitjelo yawo,
akuna lutabi gwakasima gwasala muuli
gwakalizanila kuthama ludozo gwe bumambo.’
“Ikoku lumbo gwe tjililo, ngakutogwe ili tjililo.”
A Funeral Song for Israel's Leaders
The Lord said:
1 Ezekiel, sing a funeral song for two of Israel's leaders:
2 Your mother was a brave lioness
who raised her cubs
among lions.
3 She taught one of them to hunt,
and he learned to eat people.
4 When the nations heard of him,
they trapped him in a pit,
then they used hooks
to drag him to Egypt.
5 His mother waited
for him to return.
But soon she lost all hope
and raised another cub,
who also became fierce.
6 He hunted with other lions
and learned to eat people.
7 He destroyed fortresses
and ruined towns;
his mighty roar
terrified everyone.
8 Nations plotted to kill him,
and people came from all over
to spread out a net
and catch him in a trap.
9 They put him in a cage
and took him to Babylonia.
The lion was locked away,
so that his mighty roar
would never again be heard
on Israel's hills.
10 Your mother was a vine like you,
growing near a stream.
There was plenty of water,
so she was filled with branches
and with lots of fruit.
11 Her strong branches
became symbols of authority,
and she was taller
than all other trees—
everyone could see how strong
and healthy she was.
12 But in anger, I pulled her up
by the roots
and threw her to the ground,
where the scorching desert wind
dried out her fruit.
Her strong branches wilted
and burned up.
13 Then she was planted
in a hot, dry desert,
14 where her stem caught fire,
and flames burned
her branches and fruit.
Not one strong branch is left;
she is stripped bare.
This funeral song must be sung with sorrow.