Lamentations (1/5)  

1. Yeka ukuhlala kwawo wodwa umuzi owawugcwele abantu! Usunjengomfelokazi wona owawumkhulu phakathi kwezizwe. Wona owawuyinkosikazi phakathi komuzi usuyisibhalwa.
2. Uyakhala lokukhala inyembezi ebusuku, inyembezi zawo zehla ezihlathini zawo. Phakathi kwazo zonke izithandwa zawo kakho owududuzayo. Bonke abangane bawo bawuphethe ngenkohliso, sebeyizitha zawo.
3. UJuda wathunjwa waya kwezinye izizwe ngenxa yokuhlupheka lobugqili obukhulu. Usehlezi phakathi kwezizwe, katholi ukuphumula. Bonke abamzingelayo bamficile ephakathi kobuhlungu.
4. Imigwaqo eya eZiyoni iyalila, ngoba kakho ozayo kuyo emikhosini emisiweyo. Emasangweni ayo kakulabantu, labapristi bayo bayabubula. Intombi zayo ziyahlupheka. Isekubabeni.
5. Izitha zayo seziyibusa, ziyaphumelela, ngoba i Nkosi yenze yahlupheka ngenxa yobunengi beziphambeko zayo. Abantwana bayo bathunjiwe yizitha.
6. Bonke ubukhosi buphelile eZiyoni. Izikhulu zayo sezinjengendluzele ezingatholi idlelo, zibalekile zingelamandla phambi kwabazixotshayo.
7. IJerusalema iyakhumbula ensukwini zokuhlupheka lezosizi lwayo konke okuhle okwakukhona ensukwini zasendulo. Nxa abantu bayo bewela ezandleni zesitha, kwakungekho olisizayo; isitha sathokoza ngayo, sahleka ukuchitheka kwayo.
8. IJerusalema yonile kakhulu, ngakho isiyisinengiso. Bonke ababeyihlonipha sebeyidelela, ngoba sebebonile ubuze bayo. Yebo, isibubula, ikhangele eceleni.
9. Ukungcola kwayo kwakusezidwabeni zayo, kayikhumbulanga ngokuchitheka kwayo. Ngakho-ke ukuwa kwayo kukhulu, kayilaye umduduzi. Nkosi, akukhangele ukuhlupheka kwayo, ngoba isitha sesinqobile.
10. Isitha selula izandla zaso ukuthatha konke okuhle kwayo. Ibonile izizwe zihlasela indlu yayo engcwele, zona owazalela ukungena phakathi kwebandla lakho.
11. Bonke abantu bayo bayabubula bedinga ukudla; banike okuligugu kwayo ngokudla ukuze baqinise amandla abo. Nkosi, ake ukhangele ngoba mina Jerusalema ngiyadelelwa.
12. Kakusilutho kini yini lonke elidlulayo? Khangelani libone ukuthi kukhona yini usizi olunjengolwami, olwehliselwe phezu kwami, i Nkosi engehlisele lona esukwini lokuthukuthela kwayo.
13. Iphezulu ithumele umlilo, yawehlisela emathanjeni ami. Yathiya inyawo zami ngembule, yangibuyisela emuva. Yangitshiya ngithithibele, ngiphele amandla usuku lonke.
14. Iziphambeko zami zabotshelwa kimi, isandla sayo sazithandela kimi. Ijogwe layo lafakwa entanyeni yami, ngaphela amandla ngenxa yobunzima balo. INkosi yangiyekelela kilo, ngehluleka ukuma.
15. INkosi yeyisile wonke amaqhawe ami phakathi kwami, yabiza umhlangano omelene lami ukubulala amajaha ami. INkosi inyathele isikhamelo sewayini sentombi emsulwa, indodakazi yakoJuda.
16. Ngiyakhala inyembezi ngenxa yalezizinto, amehlo ami ajuluka inyembezi; ngoba umduduzi ukhatshana lami obezangimisa isibindi. Abantwana bami bachithekile ngoba isitha sinqobile.
17. IZiyoni iyelula izandla zayo, kodwa kakho oyiduduzayo. I Nkosi ilayile ngoJakobe ukuthi abakhelene laye babe yizitha zakhe. IJerusalema injengowesifazana owehlukanisiweyo phakathi kwabo.
18. I Nkosi ilungile, ngoba ngilihlamukile ilizwi layo. Kodwa ake lizwe, bantu lonke, libone ukuhlupheka kwami. Intombi zami lamajaha ami kuthunjiwe.
19. Ngabiza izithandwa zami, kodwa zangikhohlisa. Abapristi labadala bami baphelela phakathi komuzi, besadinga ukudla ukuze baqinise amandla abo.
20. Ake ukhangele, Nkosi, ngoba sengihluphekile. Imibilini yami idungekile, inhliziyo yami ikhathazekile phakathi kwami, ngoba ngihlamukile kakhulu. Phandle yinkemba ebulalayo, endlini yikufa.
21. Ake uzwe ukububula kwami, kakho ongiduduzayo. Zonke izitha zami zizwile ngokuhlupheka kwami, ziyathokoziswa yikuthi nguwe okwenzileyo. Lufikise usuku osulumemezile, uzenze ukuthi zibe njengami.
22. Kakufike bonke ububi bazo phambi kwakho, wenze kizo njengokwenza kwakho kimi ngenxa yazo zonke iziphambeko zami. Ngoba ukububula kwami kukhulu, lenhliziyo yami ikhathele.

      Lamentations (1/5)