The Punishment of Jerusalem
The Prophet Speaks:
1 The purest gold is ruined
and has lost its shine;
jewels from the temple
lie scattered in the streets.
2 These are Zion's people,
worth more than purest gold;
yet they are counted worthless
like dishes of clay.

3 Even jackals nurse their young,
but my people are like ostriches
that abandon their own.
4 Babies are so thirsty
that their tongues are stuck
to the roof of the mouth.
Children go begging for food,
but no one gives them any.
5 All who ate expensive foods
lie starving in the streets;
those who grew up in luxury
now sit on trash heaps.

6 My nation was punished worse
than the people of Sodom,
whose city was destroyed
in a flash without the help
of human hands.
7 The leaders of Jerusalem
were purer than snow
and whiter than milk;
their bodies were healthy
and glowed like jewels.
8 Now they are blacker than tar,
and no one recognizes them;
their skin clings to their bones
and is drier than firewood.
9 Being killed with a sword
is better than slowly
starving to death.
10 Life in the city is so bad
that loving mothers have boiled
and eaten their own children.

11 The Lord was so fiercely angry
that he burned the city of Zion
to the ground.
12 Not a king on this earth
or the people of any nation
believed enemies could break
through her gates.

13 Jerusalem was punished because
her prophets and her priests
had sinned and caused the death
of innocent victims.
14 Yes, her prophets and priests
were covered with blood;
no one would come near them,
as they wandered
from street to street.
15 Instead, everyone shouted,
“Go away! Don't touch us!
You're filthy and unfit
to belong to God's people!”

So they had to leave
and become refugees.
But foreign nations told them,
“You can't stay here!”
16 The Lord is the one
who sent them scattering,
and he has forgotten them.
No respect or kindness
will be shown
to the priests or leaders.
17 Our eyes became weary,
hopelessly looking
for help from a nation
that could not save us.
18 Enemies hunted us down
on every public street.
Our time was up;
our doom was near.
19 They swooped down faster
than eagles from the sky.
They hunted for us in the hills
and set traps to catch us
out in the desert.
20 The Lord's chosen leader
was our hope for survival!
We thought he would keep us safe
somewhere among the nations,
but even he was caught
in one of their traps.

21 You people of Edom
can celebrate now!
But your time will come
to suffer and stagger
around naked.
22 The people of Zion
have paid for their sins,
and the Lord will soon
let them return home.
But, people of Edom,
you will be punished,
and your sins exposed.
Jerusalem kombunda yomawiro watjo
1 Ongoldo yetu ongeṋangeṋe ya rira onḓumbe;
omawe wondjuwo ya Muhona
ya rimbara momivanda.

2 Ovazandu va Sion va ri ovahuze
ku eṱe otja ongoldo ongohoke,
nungwari nambano va ṱekisiwa
pozonyungu zomunoko zakauriri.

3 Nandarire ombandje onḓenḓu
i nyamisisa ounatje wayo,
nungwari ovasuko votjihuro tjandje
va umbira ovanatje vawo tjimuna
ozombo mokuti onguza.

4 Ve zepaisisa ovanatje vawo kondjara nonyota;
ovanatje ve ningira ovikurya,
nu kape ningi umwe ngu meve pe.

5 Ovandu mbaa ve ri ovikurya oviwaviwa rukuru,
nambano mave ṱu i ondjara momivanda;
imba mbe kurira mevyaro,
nambano mave pyanga ovikurya moviyaya.

6 Otjiwaṋa tjandje tja verwa tjinene,
nangarire povature va Sodom,
mba wirwa i otjiwonga tja tjimanga
meke ra Ndjambi nokuhinokuvaterwa i omundu.

7 Ovaingona vetu kave zunḓakere,
nu va ri ovakohoke otja ovitutukende,
owo va ri ovazeu novanamasa,
nu va ri nomberukiro ombwa tjinene.

8 Nungwari nambano owo ve rangavara
momivanda nokuhinokuzemburukwa,
ombunikiro yawo ya zorera komuhingo wombize,
omikova vyawo vya kukuta tjimuna omuti,
nu vya kanyatera komaṱupa wawo.

9 A ri kokuwa ku imba mba ṱa movita
pu imba mba ṱa i ondjara,
nu mbe ha ri novikurya okurikareka nomuinyo.

10 Otjiwonga tji tja taurira motjiwaṋa tjandje
tja eta oruhoze;
ooina mba suvera ovanatje vawo,
mave ve tereke okuveisapo ovikurya.

11 Muhona wa surumukisa
omazenge we omanene.
Eye wa rundisa omuriro mOsion,
nowo we tji seseta okumana.

12 Kape nomundu ngamwa apehe,
nangarire inḓa ozombara
zoviwaṋa vyozonganda,
ngwa ri nongamburiro yokutja mape ya
omurwise omunavita a hiti
momivero vya Jerusalem.

13 Nungwari ihi tja tjitwa mena rokutja
ovaprofete vatjo va tjita ourunde,
novapristeri vatjo va tura ondjo yokutirahi
ombinḓu yovandu ovehinandjo motjihuro.

14 Ovanane vatjo va ryanga momivanda
tjimuna ovapoṱu,
nowo va rimbarere ombinḓu tjinene nai,
nga tji pe hi na ngwa ṱuna kozombanda zawo.

15 Ovandu va ravaera ave tja:
“Zapweye! Oweṋe ovahakohoke!
Eṋe mwa zunḓaka! Amu ṱunu ku ami!”
Owo opu va ryangera okuza kotjiwaṋa
tjimwe nokuyenda ku
tjarwe nokuhinokuyakurwa.

16 Muhona ke tji na ko na tja na wo;
eye we ve rimba omuini.
Eye ka raisire ondengero kovapristeri vetu,
nu ka ṱirire ovanane vetu otjari.

17 Eṱe twa paha ombatero,
nungwari a ri omungandjo.
Eṱe twa kara pokuundja ombatero okuza
komuhoko mbu ha ri na yo okutupa.

18 Ovanavita aave tu tjevere;
eṱe kaatu ryanga nangarire momivanda.
Omayuva wetu ya kapita;
ondjandero yetu ye ya.

19 Owo ve tu ramba notjikara otjinene
potjozonguvi nḓu maze rauka meyuru.
Owo ve tu tezera mozondundu;
ve tu kamburira mokuti onguza tjimanga.

20 Owo va kambura omburo yominyo vyetu,
okutja oyo ndji ombara ndja
toororerwe i Muhona,
ku twe riyamekere kutja mai tu
yama koveturwise avehe.

21 Yorokeye, tjiwaṋa tja Edom,
mbu mu tura mehi ra Us;
nyandeye ngunda amamu sora!
Okuyandekwa kweṋu maku ya wina,
neṋe wina mamu teratera muzu amwa ṱohoṋi.

22 Sion, omberero yoye ya manuka;
Muhona ke tji nokukuṱizira
mouhuura rukwao.
Nungwari Edom, Muhona me ku vere
nu ma vandurura ourunde woye.