The Lord's Punishment of Jerusalem
1 The Lord in his anger has covered Zion with darkness.
Its heavenly splendor he has turned into ruins.
On the day of his anger he abandoned even his Temple.
2 The Lord destroyed without mercy every village in Judah
And tore down the forts that defended the land.
He brought disgrace on the kingdom and its rulers.
3 In his fury he shattered the strength of Israel;
He refused to help us when the enemy came.
He raged against us like fire, destroying everything.
4 He aimed his arrows at us like an enemy;
He killed all those who were our joy and delight.
Here in Jerusalem we felt his burning anger.
5 Like an enemy, the Lord has destroyed Israel;
He has left her forts and palaces in ruins.
He has brought on the people of Judah unending sorrow.
6 He smashed to pieces the Temple where we worshiped him;
He has put an end to holy days and Sabbaths.
King and priest alike have felt the force of his anger.
7 The Lord rejected his altar and deserted his holy Temple;
He allowed the enemy to tear down its walls.
They shouted in victory where once we had worshiped in joy.
8 The Lord was determined that the walls of Zion should fall;
He measured them off to make sure of total destruction.
The towers and walls now lie in ruins together.
9 The gates lie buried in rubble, their bars smashed to pieces.
The king and the noblemen now are in exile.
The Law is no longer taught, and the prophets have no visions from the Lord.
10 Jerusalem's old men sit on the ground in silence,
With dust on their heads and sackcloth on their bodies.
Young women bow their heads to the ground.
11 My eyes are worn out with weeping; my soul is in anguish.
I am exhausted with grief at the destruction of my people.
Children and babies are fainting in the streets of the city.
12 Hungry and thirsty, they cry to their mothers;
They fall in the streets as though they were wounded,
And slowly die in their mothers' arms.
13 O Jerusalem, beloved Jerusalem, what can I say?
How can I comfort you? No one has ever suffered like this.
Your disaster is boundless as the ocean; there is no possible hope.
14 Your prophets had nothing to tell you but lies;
Their preaching deceived you by never exposing your sin.
They made you think you did not need to repent.
15 People passing by the city look at you in scorn.
They shake their heads and laugh at Jerusalem's ruins:
“Is this that lovely city? Is this the pride of the world?”
16 All your enemies mock you and glare at you with hate.
They curl their lips and sneer, “We have destroyed it!
This is the day we have waited for!”
17 The Lord has finally done what he threatened to do:
He has destroyed us without mercy, as he warned us long ago.
He gave our enemies victory, gave them joy at our downfall.
18 O Jerusalem, let your very walls cry out to the Lord!
Let your tears flow like rivers night and day;
Wear yourself out with weeping and grief!
19 All through the night get up again and again to cry out to the Lord;
Pour out your heart and beg him for mercy on your children—
Children starving to death on every street corner!
20 Look, O Lord! Why are you punishing us like this?
Women are eating the bodies of the children they loved!
Priests and prophets are being killed in the Temple itself!
21 Young and old alike lie dead in the streets,
Young men and women, killed by enemy swords.
You slaughtered them without mercy on the day of your anger.
22 You invited my enemies to hold a carnival of terror all around me,
And no one could escape on that day of your anger.
They murdered my children, whom I had raised and loved.
Omberero ya Muhona kOjerusalem
1 Owee, Muhona momazenge we
wa kutjira Sion nonḓorera.
Eye wa nakaurira ondjozikiro
ya Israel pehi okuza meyuru;
ke rizemburukire nondjuwo
ye meyuva romazenge we.
2 Muhona wa haṋa ozonganda azehe
zomuhoko wa Jakob nokuhinotjari;
nu momazenge we wa hahaura oviṱunga vya Juda.
Eye wa yamburura ouhona novanane vawo.
3 Momapindi we omanene eye wa nyanyaura
omasa aehe wa Israel;
eye wa panḓa okutuvatera, omunavita tje ya.
Omazenge we ya yaka tjimuna
omuriro mehi ra Jakob,
nowo ya seseta oviṋa avihe.
4 Muhona wa yumba oviku vye
ku eṱe komuhingo womunavita;
eye wa zepa avihe mbye tu nyandisa
omitima nokutuyorokisa.
Muno mOjerusalem twa muna omazenge we
ngaa e nyosa tjimuna omuriro.
5 Muhona we riraisa otja omunavita;
eye wa yandeka otjiwaṋa tja Israel
na hahaura ozondjuwo azehe zouhona
na nyanyaura oviṱunga vyatjo;
eye wa eta oruhoze ndu hi
nomaandero komuhoko wa Juda.
6 Eye wa hahaura ondjuwo ye
maa tu rikotamene ku ye tjimuna
otjikunino tji tja tombwa;
eye wa yandisa omayuva
omayapuke nOmasabata,
nu wa nakaura ombara
nomupristeri momazenge we.
7 Muhona wa tonda otjipunguhiro tje
nu wa tengurura ondjuwo ye;
eye wa yandjera kutja omunavita
a haṋe orumbo rwayo.
Ovanavita va rokohera poṋa paa tu
rikotamenene nondjoroka
tjimuna meyuva romukandi.
8 Muhona we rimanena okuteya
orumbo rwotjihuro tja Sion;
eye we ru saneka nongoze,
nu ka isire po eke re ngandu
ndi tje ru haṋa okumana.
Eye wa eta oruhoze korumbo
rwotjihuro na kotuhungu,
novyo avihe pamwe vya rira ovitambatundu.
9 Omivero vyotjihuro vya sirwa mehi,
novipate vyavyo vya ṱukuṱurwa.
Ombara novaingona votjihuro nambano
ve ri mokati kovanavisenginina.
Omatwako kaye tji hongwa rukwao,
novaprofete vatjo kave tji
pewa ovirimunikise i Muhona.
10 Ovakururume va Jerusalem ve ri pehi kumwi,
ave ritirire oruuma moviuru
nave zara ozombanda zomakutu.
Ovasuko va Jerusalem ve ripete oviuru
vyawo nga tji mavi ṱunu mehi.
11 Omeho wandje ya urwa nokurira;
omuinyo wandje u ri mombamisiro.
Ami mba urisiwa i oruhoze mena
romayandekero wotjiwaṋa tjandje.
Ovanatje novanyame mave
seukire momivanda vyotjihuro.
12 Owo mave uru kooina amave tja:
“Twa ṱondjara nonyota!”
Owo mave wire momivanda
vyotjihuro aayo va tendwa,
nu mave ṱire momake wooina.
13 Hi tje vi, hi ku sasaneke na tjike,
musuko wa Jerusalem?
Hi ku sasaneke na uṋe kutja mbi ku huhumiṋe,
musuko, mukazona wa Sion?
Otjiwonga tjoye otjinene tjinene tjimuna okuvare;
owaṋi ngwa pu okukuverukisa?
14 Ovaprofete voye kava ri notjiṋa
okukuserekarerera posi yovizeze
nomatiku porwe;
omazuvarisiro wawo ye ku wovisa indu
tji ve he ku vandurururire ondjo yoye.
Owo ve ku pa omeripura wokutja
ko nokuhepa okuritanaura.
15 Avehe mbu mave kapita potjihuro
mave tara kove nonyengo.
Owo mave tono otukwise nu mave
nyekerere omanyoneneno wa
Jerusalem amave tja:
“Ihi otji tji ri otjiwa otjimanise are?”
“Indji ondji ri ondjoroka youye auhe are?”
16 Ovanavita na ove avehe mave ku
nyekerere nave ku yahamisire ovinyo.
Owo mave tono otumbweze nave
kweye omayo amave tja:
“Eṱe twe tji nyono!
Ii, indi ondi ri eyuva ndi twa undja!
Re ya, twe ri munu!”
17 Korusenina Muhona
wa yenenisa imbi
mbya tanda kutja ma tjiti:
Eye we tu yandeka nokuhinotjari
otja pe tu zuvarisire rukuru.
Eye wa yandja outoṋi kovanavita na eṱe,
nu we ve yorokisa mena romawiro wetu.
18 Jerusalem, orumbo rwoye ndo
ngaru urakane ku Muhona!
Omahoze woye ngaye pupe tjimuna onḓonḓu,
ouṱuku nomutenya;
o isa okurira nokuṱoruhoze.
19 Ouṱuku auhe penduka povikando
pekepeke okuurakana ku Muhona;
tirahi omutima woye komurungu
wa Muhona tjimuna omeva,
nu u riyarikaṋene ovanatje voye otjari ku ye,
imba ovanatje mbu mave ṱondjara
povikoro avihe vyomivanda!
20 Tara, Muhona!
Tara ku imba mbu mo hihamisa!
Ovakazendu mave ri ovakwatwa vawo,
ovanatje mbu ve kurisa norusuvero!
Ovapristeri novaprofete
mave ṱire mondjuwo yoye!
21 Ovanatje novakurundu avehe va koka
nave saravara momivanda;
ovazandu novasuko va ṱa i
omangaruvyo womunavita.
Ove we ve zepa nokuhinotjari
meyuva romazenge woye.
22 Ove wa ṋanga ovanavita na ami
mbe ndji kovera kominda avihe
kutja ve tjite otjimukandi tjondirisiro.
Nu kape na umwe ngwa yenena
okutaura meyuva ndo romazenge woye.
Owo va zepa ovanatje vandje
mbu mbe kurisa nu mbu mba suvera.
