1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! 2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. 3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits. 4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. 5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy. 6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer. 7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths. 8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. 9 Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself . 10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. 11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.
12 ¶ Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. 13 From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day. 14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up. 15 The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress. 16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. 17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.
18 ¶ The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. 19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls. 20 Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. 21 They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me. 22 Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.
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.”