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.
1 Akutu, oshingoldo osha laula ngahelipi, oshingoldo shiwa sha shituka, omamanya mayapuki okwa ekelwashi momashakeneno omapandavanda aeshe! 2 Ovana vaSion, ovahoololwa, ovo va yelekwa va foshingoldo sha yela, ndelenee ova yelekwa ngahelipi va foitoo yedu, oshilonga shomake shomuhongi woiyuma yedu! 3 Ouvandje voovene hava yandje omavele, hava nyamifa ouvandjona vavo, ndelenee omona okakadona koshiwana shange okwa kukuta, ke nonghenda ngaashi omho yomombuwa. 4 Elaka lokahanana otali kanyatele kondakona omolwenota. Ounona va indila omungome, kape nomunhu ou te u va pambulile. 5 Ava va lya eendja dinyenye, ova pundila po momapandavanda. Ava va djala oikutu itilyana, otava papatele oshala. 6 Osheshi oulunde womona okakadona, oshiwana shange, u dule waSodom, osho sha hanaunwa po mefaukilo, inashi kumwa nande keke lomunhu. 7 Ovapangeli vomuSion ova li va yela ve dule omeva a hekela, okutoka kwavo ku dule kwomashini. Omalutu avo a twima e dule omakorali, olupe lavo la fa safir. 8 Ndelenee paife okufya kwavo okwa laula ku dule omudilombiya; itava shiivika vali momapandavanda. Oshipa shavo sha kanyatela komakipa avo, sha kukuta sha foshiti. 9 Ava va dipawa keongamukonda, ovanelao, ve dule ava va fya kondjala; ava va pundila po va fa va tuwa, osheshi vehe noiliwa yomepya. 10 Omake ovalikadi ovananghenda ovo va paka po ovana vavo vene; ovo va ninga eendja davo, omona okakadona, oshiwana shange, eshi sha teka po. 11 Omwene okwa wanifa oupyuhandu waye nokwa tilashi ehanyo lehandu laye, ndele a temena muSion omundilo, oo wa lungwinifa po omikangha dasho. 12 Eehamba dedu noonakukalamo aveshe vomounyuni inave shi itavela nokutya, omunaita ile omutondadi ta dulu ngeno okuuya mo moivelo yaJerusalem. 13 Oshe va hanga omolwoulunde wovaxunganeki vasho nomolwoilonga ii yovapristeli vasho, molwaava va tilashi ohonde yovayuki meni lasho. 14 Ovo va elaela ngaashi ovapofi momapandavanda, va nyatekwa kohonde, opo oikutu yavo inai shiiva vali okukumwa komunhu. 15 Ovanhu ve va ingidila: “Kandukei po nye oonakunyata! Kandukei po! Kandukei po! Inamu kuma!” Eshi va ya onhapo natango tuu ohava elaela; nomokati kovapaani mwa tiwa: Vo itava ka kala vali apa. 16 Oshipala shOmwene she va halakanifa po. Oye ite ke va tala vali nohokwe. Inava fimaneka vali ovapristeli noinava fila ovaxungu onghenda.
17 Omesho etu otaa loloka oshimha mokuteelela ekwafo letu. Monhele yetu yepashukilo ohatu tale nokuteelela oshiwana eshi itashi ka kwafa. 18 Vo ova hondjaunina eenghwate detu, opo fye tuha shiive okweenda momapandavanda etu. Exulilo letu ole uya popepi, omafiku etu a wana, heeno, exulilo letu la fika. 19 Ovataataai vetu va li ve nonhapo i dule okutuka kweenhwa domevalelwa. Ovo ve tu shikula keemhunda, ve tu nangela mofuka. 20 Oye omufudo womayulu etu, omuvaekwa wOmwene, okwa yulwa momakelo avo, Oye ou twa li tu shii: “Omomudile waye hatu ka kala mo mokati kovapaani.”
21 Hafa nokunyakukwa, oove omona okakadona Edom, to kala moshilongo shaUs! Eholo otali ke ku hanga yo. Ove oto ka kolwa ndele to ka kala hamuhele. 22 Okuhandukilwa kwoye omona okakadona Sion okwa xula. Oye ite ku efele vali moupika. Ndelenee owii woye, oove omona okakadona Edom, ote u kongolola po, ta holola omatimba oye.
