Jerusalem after Its Fall
1 Our glittering gold has grown dull;
the stones of the Temple lie scattered in the streets.
2 Zion's young people were as precious to us as gold,
but now they are treated like common clay pots.
3 Even a mother wolf will nurse her cubs,
but my people are like ostriches, cruel to their young.
4 They let their babies die of hunger and thirst;
children are begging for food that no one will give them.
5 People who once ate the finest foods die starving in the streets;
those raised in luxury are pawing through garbage for food.
6 My people have been punished even more than the inhabitants of Sodom,
which met a sudden downfall at the hands of God.
7 Our princes were undefiled and pure as snow,
vigorous and strong, glowing with health.
8 Now they lie unknown in the streets, their faces blackened in death;
their skin, dry as wood, has shriveled on their bones.
9 Those who died in the war were better off than those who died later,
who starved slowly to death, with no food to keep them alive.
10 The disaster that came to my people brought horror;
loving mothers boiled their own children for food.
11 The Lord turned loose the full force of his fury;
he lit a fire in Zion that burned it to the ground.
12 No one anywhere, not even rulers of foreign nations,
believed that any invader could enter Jerusalem's gates.
13 But it happened, because her prophets sinned and her priests were guilty
of causing the death of innocent people.
14 Her leaders wandered through the streets as though blind,
so stained with blood that no one would touch them.
15 “Get away!” people shouted. “You're defiled! Don't touch me!”
So they wandered from nation to nation, welcomed by no one.
16 The Lord had no more concern for them; he scattered them himself.
He showed no regard for our priests and leaders.
17 For help that never came, we looked until we could look no longer.
We kept waiting for help from a nation that had none to give.
18 The enemy was watching for us; we could not even walk in the streets.
Our days were over; the end had come.
19 Swifter than eagles swooping from the sky, they chased us down.
They tracked us down in the hills; they took us by surprise in the desert.
20 They captured the source of our life, the king the Lord had chosen,
the one we had trusted to protect us from every invader.
21 Laugh on, people of Edom and Uz; be glad while you can.
Your disaster is coming too; you too will stagger naked in shame.
22 Zion has paid for her sin; the Lord will not keep us in exile any longer.
But Edom, the Lord will punish you; he will expose your guilty acts.
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.
