Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us. Consider and look kindly upon our disgrace.
Khumbula, Nkosi, ukuthi kwenzakaleni kithi; khangela, ubone ihlazo lethu.
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to foreigners; our houses to outsiders.
Ilifa lethu seliphendulelwe kwabezizwe, izindlu zethu kwabemzini.
3 We have become orphans without a father; our mothers are like widows.
Siyizintandane, kungelababa; omama banjengabafelokazi.
4 We paid for our drinking water. We acquired our wood for a price.
Amanzi ethu siwanathile ngemali; inkuni zethu ziza ngentengo.
5 We were dragged by our necks. Being weary, no rest was given to us.
Sizingelwa ezintanyeni zethu, sidiniwe, kasilakuphumula.
6 We have given our hand to Egypt and to the Assyrians, so that we may be satisfied with bread.
Sinike isandla sethu kwabeGibhithe, labeAsiriya, ukuze sisuthiswe ngesinkwa.
7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not. And we have carried their iniquities.
Obaba bona, kabasekho, njalo thina sithwele iziphambeko zabo.
8 Servants have become rulers over us. There was no one to redeem us from their hand.
Izigqili ziyasibusa, kakho ongasihluthuna esandleni sazo.
9 We obtained our bread at the risk of our lives, before the face of the sword, in the wilderness.
Sizuza isinkwa sethu ngengozi yempilo yethu, ngenxa yenkemba yenkangala.
10 Our skin was burned, as if by an oven, before the face of the tempest of the famine.
Ijwabu lethu limnyama njengeziko ngenxa yokutshisa okukhulu kwendlala.
11 They humiliated the women in Zion and the virgins in the cities of Judah.
Badlova abesifazana eZiyoni, izintombi ezimsulwa emizini yakoJuda.
12 The leaders were suspended by their hand. They were not ashamed before the faces of the elders.
Iziphathamandla zaphanyekwa ngesandla sazo; ubuso babadala kabuhlonitshwanga.
13 They have sexually abused the adolescents, and the children were corrupted in the wood.
Amajaha athwala amatshe okuchola, labafana bakhubeka ngaphansi kwenkuni.
14 The elders have ceased from the gates, the youths from the choir of the psalms.
Abadala baphelile esangweni, amajaha ekuhlabeleleni.
15 The gladness of our heart has failed, our singing has been turned into mourning.
Intokozo yenhliziyo yethu iphelile, ukugida kwethu kwaphenduka ukulila.
16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned.
Umqhele wekhanda lethu uwile; hawu, maye kithi, ngoba sonile!
17 Because of this, our heart became gloomy; for this reason, our eyes have been darkened:
Ngenxa yalokhu inhliziyo yethu iphela amandla; ngenxa yalezizinto amehlo ethu afiphele.
18 because of mount Zion, because it was ruined. Foxes have wandered upon it.
Ngenxa yentaba yeZiyoni elunxiwa, amakhanka ahamba phezu kwayo.
19 But you, O Lord, shall remain for eternity, your throne from generation to generation.
Wena, Nkosi, uhlezi kuze kube nininini, isihlalo sakho sobukhosi sisuka esizukulwaneni sisiya esizukulwaneni.
20 Why would you forget us forever? Why would you forsake us for a long time?
Usikhohlweleni njalonjalo, usidela okobude bezinsuku?
21 Convert us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be converted. Renew our days, as from the beginning.
Siphendulele kuwe, Nkosi, sizaphenduka; yenza insuku zethu zibe zintsha njengasendulo.
22 But you have utterly rejected us; you are vehemently angry against us.
Kodwa ususilahlile isibili; usithukuthelele kakhulukazi.
