Lamentations 1
1 Maye! Waze wasala dengwane umuzi obugcwele abantu! Sewuphenduke umfelokazi phakathi kwezizwe. Owesifazane obehloniphekile phakathi kwezifunda, usephenduke isigqila.
2 Ebusuku ukhala kalusizi, kugeleza izinyembezi ezihlathini; akasekho omduduzayo, phakathi kwezithandwa zakhe. Bonke abangani bakhe abebemkhohlisa, sebephenduke izitha zakhe.
3 UJuda usekuthunjweni, ngenxa yokuhlupheka nangenxa yobugqila obukhulu; uhlala phakathi kwezizwe, akakutholi ukuphumula. Bonke abamxoshayo, bamficile phakathi kobuhlungu.
4 Imigwaqo yaseZiyoni iyalila, akusekho muntu osaya emikhosini emisiweyo; onke amasango akhona aseyincithakalo, abaphristi bakhona bayabubula, izintombi zakhona ziyahlupheka; nalo linomunyu.
5 Abamelene nalo sebephenduke banjengamakhosi, izitha zalo zinokuthula. USimakade ulihluphile ngenxa yobuningi beziphambeko zalo. Izingane zalo sezihambile, zisekuthunjweni, ebusweni besitha.
6 Bonke ubukhazikhazi sebuphelile endodakazini iZiyoni; izikhulu zakhona sezinjengezinyamazane ezingafumani dlelo, zihamba zingenamandla phambi kwabazixoshayo.
7 IJerusalema ekuhluphekeni nasekuzulazuleni kwalo, liyazikhumbula zonke izinto ezinhle elalinazo emandulo. Lapho abantu balo bewela esandleni sesitha, akubanga bikho muntu owabasiza. Isitha sabukela, sababhinqa ngokuwa kwalo.
8 IJerusalema lone kakhulu, ngakho-ke seliyisinengiso; bonke abebelihlonipha sebeyaledelela, ngokuba bebone ubunqunu balo; nalo seliyabubula, liphenduka libafulathela.
9 Ukungcola kwalo kusemphethweni wezingubo zalo, alicabanganga ngomphumela wokona kwalo, liwile ngendlela emangalisayo, akekho ongaliduduza. Bheka Simakade, ukuhlupheka kwami, ngokuba isitha sinqobile.
10 Isitha selulele isandla saso phezu kwakho konke okuthandekayo kwalo. Impela libabonile abezizwe bengena endaweni yalo engcwele; labo owayala ukuba bangangeni ebandleni lakho.
11 Bonke abantu bakhona bayabubula, befuna isinkwa. Bakhipha okuthandekayo kwabo ngokuba befuna ukudla ukuze basimamise umphefumulo. Bheka, Simakade, ubone, ngokuba sengiphenduke into eyedelelwayo.
12 Akunithinti yini nina nonke enedlula ngendlela na? Bhekani nibone ukuthi bukhona yini ubuhlungu obunjengobuhlungu obehliselwe mina, uSimakade angihluphekise ngabo ngosuku lolaka lwakhe oluvuthayo.
13 “Uthumele umlilo wakhe ekweliphezulu, wangena emathanjeni ami, wawehlula; unekele izinyawo zami inethi, wangiqumba phansi; ngalala amankeyane. Ungishiye ngiyincithakalo, ngiphelelwe ngamandla usuku lonke.
14 “Iziphambeko zami ziboshelwe ejokeni ngesandla sakhe, waziphica ndawonye wazibeka entanyeni yami; wanqinda namandla ami. USimakade unginikele ezandleni zalabo engingakwazi ukumelana nabo.
15 “INkosi uSimakade iwalaxazile onke amaqhawe ami, ibize imbizo ukuze imelane nami; ifihlize izinsizwa zami, kuhle kwesikhamo sewayini inyathele intombi eyindodakazi yakwaJuda.
16 “Ngenxa yalokho ngiyakhala, ngikhihla isililo, ngokuba akukho mduduzi eduze nami obezohlumelela umoya wami. Abantwana bami bayincithakalo, ngoba isitha singehlulile.”
17 IZiyoni lelula izandla zalo, akukho noliduduzayo. USimakade uyalile ngoJakobe ukuthi labo abamzungezile bayoba yizitha zakhe. IJerusalema seliphenduke isinengiso phakathi kwabo.
18 “USimakade ungijezise ngokufanele, ngokuba angililalelanga izwi lakhe. Lalelani bantu, bukani nibone ubuhlungu bami. Izintombi nezinsizwa zami zihambile, zisekuthunjiweni.
19 “Izithandwa zami ngazibiza, zona zangikhohlisa. Abaphristi namalunga ami bafele emzini, bezama ukufuna ukudla ukuze basimamise ukuphila kwabo.
20 “Bheka, Simakade, ngokuba ngilusizi, kuphethuka izibilini. Inhliziyo yami iyayaluza ngaphakathi, ngokuba ngihlubuke kakhulu. Ngaphandle inkemba idla lubi; endlini ngukufa kodwa.
21 “Bangizwile ngibubula, kepha akekho ongiduduzile. Zonke izitha zami zizwile ngosizi lwami, zajabula ukuthi nguwe ongenze nje. Lwenze lufike lolo suku owamemezela ngalo, zenze nazo zifane nami.
22 “Bonke ububi bazo mabufinyelele ebusweni bakho, nakuzo yenza njengoba wenze kimi, ngenxa yazo zonke iziphambeko zami, ngokuba kukhulu ukububula kwami; idangele nenhliziyo yami.”