1 “Koga ngwenu ndosekwa ne batjetjana mundili,
ibo botate babo bandakabe ndilingila pasi,
ndisingake abashanganya ne mbgwa dze pkhwizi dzangu.
2 Naiko ndobuyigwa neni mu simba le maboko abo,
ngoti simba labo lapela mubali.
3 Bakapeleledziwa nge kusheta nenge zhala,
bepupuna mu shango yakawomelela ye tjilambanyika.
4 Betjela mazhani ana mwenyu mu matenjana
bebesa nti unoyi ntshwayilo kuzwidziyisa.
5 Banotatigwa kutjena pakati kwe bathu,
banomimiligwa sekunomimiligwa mbava.
6 Bakapelela begala mu phili dze mikukwana yakawoma,
mu mimwina ye shango ne mu makuwu.
7 Banomimila bali pakati kwe matenje,
bezwikubunganya mu mibabashulo.
8 Bana be zwilengwe! Bana be banolingigwa pasi,
bakatatigwa kutjena mu shango belidzigwa tjimi.
9 “Ngono ngwenu ndatjibe lumbo gwabo,
anditobhuda pa milomo yabo.
10 Banondishinyata, banomila kule kule nami,
abatotja naiko kundithwila mate mu buso.
11 Ngoti Ndzimu wakatoba nshongonshongo wangu ndikawobama,
bandishandukila, bakaposela tomo mbeli kwangu.
12 Ku luboko gwangu gwe luji banolingigwa pasi banomilika bendinginilila,
bebiga mapuzhu kuteya makumbo angu,
banobaka makuma anotathila kundinginilila.
13 Banokolomola zila yangu.
Banobhudilila mukundikolomodza,
akuna unobadziba.
14 Banongina se ungati nkoba wakazhuka,
banokomba bezha bekunguluka.
15 Lutjo gwakandiambala,
Gudzo langu latatigwa kutjena se phepo,
kubhudilila kwangu kwapadza se makole.
16 “Ngono ngwenu butjilo gwangu gobipila mbeli,
mazhuba angu e kudziyidzika anondikulila.
17 Busiku mafupa angu anopanda,
panda kunondipanda akutoma.
18 Nge masimba makulu zogwadza zotjinga tjiambalo tjangu,
zondipomba se iphika tje tjiambalo tjangu.
19 Wakandilashila mu dope,
ndotjinga hwuluba ne nlota.
20 Ndolilila kumuli, koga amutondidabila,
Ndoma mbeli kwenyu ngono amuna hanya nami.
21 Makandishandukila kube nkukutu mundili,
nge simba le luboko gwenyu mogwa nami.
22 Mondimilidzila mu phepo, munditathisa iyo,
mondihwuhwunganya mu matutu.
23 Dumbu, ndoziba kuti mondiyisa ku lufu,
ku ng'umba yakabigigwa bose banotjila.
24 “Dumbu, akuna ungamilidza luboko gugwe ali mu duluthulu le dongo,
mu kudziyidzika kukwe elila ekumbila bhatsho kene.
25 Apa andizolilila ibabo bakamanikana kene?
Andizohwila ngoni nshayi kene?
26 Koga ndakalindila bubuya, kukazha mbipo,
ndikati ndakamilila tjedza kukazha zhalima.
27 Moyo wangu wakati tshi! Andizodzikama.
Mazhuba e buyendasi anozha kundili.
28 Ndabe ntema koga kusi ngekutshwa ne zhuba,
ndomilika mu gubungano ndililila bhatsho.
29 Ndatjibe hama ye phungubgwe,
nkwinya we fukumudzi!
30 Ganda langu labe demadema, lokwakwanyuka,
mafupa angu anopisa nge nthuto.
31 Tjilidzo tjangu tje laya tjatjibe tje tjililo,
ne lunyanga gwangu gwabe nlidzo kuna bamu tjililo.
1 But men younger than I am make fun of me now!
Their fathers have always been so worthless
that I wouldn't let them help my dogs guard sheep.
2 They were a bunch of worn-out men,
too weak to do any work for me.
3 They were so poor and hungry
that they would gnaw dry roots—
at night, in wild, desolate places.
4 They pulled up the plants of the desert and ate them,
even the tasteless roots of the broom tree!
5 Everyone drove them away with shouts,
as if they were shouting at thieves.
6 They had to live in caves,
in holes dug in the sides of cliffs.
7 Out in the wilds they howled like animals
and huddled together under the bushes.
8 A worthless bunch of nameless nobodies!
They were driven out of the land.
9 Now they come and laugh at me;
I am nothing but a joke to them.
10 They treat me with disgust;
they think they are too good for me,
and even come and spit in my face.
11 Because God has made me weak and helpless,
they turn against me with all their fury.
12 This mob attacks me head-on;
they send me running; they prepare their final assault.
13 They cut off my escape and try to destroy me;
and there is no one to stop them.
14 They pour through the holes in my defenses
and come crashing down on top of me;
15 I am overcome with terror;
my dignity is gone like a puff of wind,
and my prosperity like a cloud.
16 Now I am about to die;
there is no relief for my suffering.
17 At night my bones all ache;
the pain that gnaws me never stops.
18 God seizes me by my collar
and twists my clothes out of shape.
19 He throws me down in the mud;
I am no better than dirt.
20 I call to you, O God, but you never answer;
and when I pray, you pay no attention.
21 You are treating me cruelly;
you persecute me with all your power.
22 You let the wind blow me away;
you toss me about in a raging storm.
23 I know you are taking me off to my death,
to the fate in store for everyone.
24 Why do you attack a ruined man,
one who can do nothing but beg for pity?
25 Didn't I weep with people in trouble
and feel sorry for those in need?
26 I hoped for happiness and light,
but trouble and darkness came instead.
27 I am torn apart by worry and pain;
I have had day after day of suffering.
28 I go about in gloom, without any sunshine;
I stand up in public and plead for help.
29 My voice is as sad and lonely
as the cries of a jackal or an ostrich.
30 My skin has turned dark; I am burning with fever.
31 Where once I heard joyful music,
now I hear only mourning and weeping.