Ondjenda ya Jerusalem
1 Owee, Jerusalem nambano tja ṱouza,
rukuru tji tje urire novandu!
Otjo rukuru tji tja yozikirwe i oviwaṋa,
nambano tji ri otja omuhepundu;
otjihuro otjiingona tjinene movihuro
nambano tja rira otjikarere.
2 Ouṱuku auhe tja rara ama tji riri;
omahoze maye pupu kovitama vyatjo.
Movetjisuvere avehe va rukuru kamu
tji na omutjihuhumiṋe.
Omapanga watjo ya rira omahaṱakama,
nu nambano aehe omanavita na tjo.
3 Ovajuda va huurwa nu ave rire
ovakarere ovehinamerivaterero.
Va rambwa mozoyawo nu ve ri
momahi warwe nokuhina poṋa pu
mave yenene okutja opawo oveni,
va koverwa i ovanavita,
nokuhinokoṋa ku mave taurire.
Omivero vyotjihuro vi ri tjo,
nomivanda vya Sion vi ri moruhoze.
4 Kape na ngu meya kondjuwo
ya Muhona okuyekurikotamena
ku ye momayuva omayapuke.
Ovakazona mbe imbura momayuva
nga ve noruhoze;
novapristeri mave tjeme uriri.
5 Ovetjiṋiṋikize va toṋa;
nave tji ṱiza momasa wawo.
Muhona omuini we tji yandja koruhoze
mena romauvi watjo omengi tjinene;
ovanatje vatjo va kamburwa i
ovanavita nu va huurwa.
6 Ongongo ya Jerusalem aihe ya
rira otjiṋa tjorukapitaveze.
Ovanane vatjo ve ri otja
ozongoṱu nḓe hi nomaryo;
nowo va wotama,
tjinga amave taurire oveverambe.
7 Jerusalem matji rizemburuka
ounene watjo oukuru,
nambano otjo tji ri momayuva
wondjenda nowombamisiro.
Otjo tji tja wira mouvara wovanavita,
kapa ri omundu ngwe tji yeura;
ovetjihavere va nyekerera ondjandero yatjo.
8 Ondjozikiro yatjo kai tji po;
otjo tji ri mutundu,
nu tja nyengurwa.
Otjo matji tjeme nu matji horeke
omurungu watjo mohoṋi.
Jerusalem tje riṱunda otjini nouvi watjo ounene.
9 Ouhakohoke watjo aa u munikire ko,
nungwari otjo katji ningire ko na tja noumba watjo.
Ondjandero yatjo ya ri ondirise;
kape na ngwe tji huhumiṋa.
Ovanavita na tjo va toṋa,
notjo tja kwa otjari ku Muhona.
10 Ovanavita na tjo va punda
ovihuze vyatjo avihe.
Otjo tje ve muna amave hiti
mondjuwo ya Muhona oini
Muhona ma tjaera imba mbe he ri
Ovajuda kutja ave ha hiti mu yo.
11 Ovature vatjo avehe ve tjema,
tji mave paha otjiṋa okurya;
owo ve pimba ovihuze vyawo ve pewe
ovikurya kutja ve kare nomuinyo.
Otjihuro matji ravaere nai: “Tara ku ami,
Muhona, nu u ndji
mune mondjenda yandje!”
12 Otjo matji ravaere nai ku auhe
ngu ma kapita mbo:
“Tara ku ami! Kape na ngwa ri nomihihamo
mbya sana kovyandje,
imbi omihihamo Muhona mbya eta
kombanda yandje meyuva romazenge we.
13 “Eye wa hinda omuriro okuza kombanda,
omuriro mbwe ndji nyosa moukoto.
Eye we ndji twira po ombate ne ndji raurire pehi.
We ndji esa momihihamo omikarerere.
14 “Eye wa ṱakamisa omauvi wandje
aehe ne ye kutu kumwe;
eye we ye twa kosengo yandje,
nami mba pungarisiwa i ondjinda yawo.
Muhona we ndji yandja kovanavita na ami,
nami hiye sora okurivatera ku wo.
15 “Muhona wa nakaura ovarwe
vandje ozombangaṋe avehe;
eye wa hinda otjimbumba tjovarwe wovita
okuyekuyandeka ovazandu vandje omitanda.
Eye wa yata omuhoko wa Juda tjimuna
omandjembere motjikameno.
16 “Omeho wandje opu maye pupire omahoze.
Kape na ngu me ndji huhumiṋa;
kape na ngu me ndji panḓiparisa.
Ovanavita ve ndji havera;
ovandu vandje va kurungisiwa.
17 “Ami me roporora omake wandje,
nungwari kape na ngu
me ndji huhumiṋa.
Muhona we ndji isanena
ovanavita kominda avihe;
owo mave ndji vara otja otjiṋa otjiyaukise.
18 “Nungwari Muhona omusemba,
orondu ami himba ri nonḓuviro ku ye.
Purateneye ku ami, viwaṋa ngamwa akuhe;
tareye ku ami momihihamo vyandje!
Ovazandu novakazona vandje va huurwa.
19 “Ami mba isana ovendjisuvere,
nungwari owo va panḓa okundjivatera.
Ovapristeri novanane vandje va kokera momivanda
vyotjihuro amave paha ovikurya
kutja ve kare nomuinyo.
20 “Muhona, tara kongondjero yandje na
kombamisiro yomuinyo wandje!
Omutima wandje wa ṱoruhoze,
tjinga ambe ku pirukira aruhe.
Mu notjiṱiro momivanda;
nangarire mozondjuwo mu nonḓiro.
21 “Purateneye kokutjema kwandje;
kape na ngu me ndji yarura pehi omutima.
Ovanavita na ami avehe mave nyanda kutja
ove omuini wa eta oumba kombanda yandje.
Eta eyuva ndi wa kwizika, ngari ye;
hihamisa ovanavita na ami
tjimuna tji we ndji hihamisa.
22 “Ve pangura mena romauvi wawo
aehe ngu va tjita;
ve vera otja tji we ndji verera omauvi wandje.
Omatjemeno wandje omengi tjinene,
nami mba urwa momutima.”
Lonely Jerusalem
The Prophet Speaks:
1 Jerusalem, once so crowded,
lies deserted and lonely.
This city that was known
all over the world
is now like a widow.
This queen of the nations
has been made a slave.
2 Each night, bitter tears
flood her cheeks.
None of her former lovers
are there to offer comfort;
her friends have betrayed her
and are now her enemies.
3 The people of Judah are slaves,
suffering in a foreign land,
with no rest from sorrow.
Their enemies captured them
and were terribly cruel.
4 The roads to Zion mourn
because no one travels there
to celebrate the festivals.
The city gates are deserted;
priests are weeping.
Young women are raped;
Zion is in sorrow!
5 Enemies now rule the city
and live as they please.
The Lord has punished Jerusalem
because of her awful sins;
he has let her people
be dragged away.
6 Zion's glory has disappeared.
Her leaders are like deer
that cannot find pasture;
they are hunted down
till their strength is gone.
7 Her people recall the good life
that once was theirs;
now they suffer
and are scattered.
No one was there to protect them
from their enemies who sneered
when their city was taken.
8 Jerusalem's horrible sins
have made the city a joke.
Those who once admired her
now hate her instead—
she has been disgraced;
she groans and turns away.
9 Her sins had made her filthy,
but she wasn't worried
about what could happen.
And when Jerusalem fell,
it was so tragic.
No one gave her comfort
when she cried out,
“Help! I'm in trouble, Lord!
The enemy has won.”
10 Zion's treasures were stolen.
Jerusalem saw foreigners
enter her place of worship,
though the Lord
had forbidden them
to belong to his people.
11 Everyone in the city groans
while searching for food;
they trade their valuables
for barely enough scraps
to stay alive.
Jerusalem Speaks:
Jerusalem shouts to the Lord,
“Please look and see
how miserable I am!”
12 No passerby even cares.
Why doesn't someone notice
my terrible sufferings?
You were fiercely angry, Lord,
and you punished me
worst of all.
13 From heaven you sent a fire
that burned in my bones;
you set a trap for my feet
and made me turn back.
All day long you leave me
in shock from constant pain.
14 You have tied my sins
around my neck,
and they weigh so heavily
that my strength is gone.
You have put me in the power
of enemies too strong for me.
15 You, Lord, have turned back
my warriors and crushed
my young heroes.
Judah was a woman untouched,
but you let her be trampled
like grapes in a wine pit.
16 Because of this, I mourn,
and tears flood my eyes.
No one is here to comfort
or to encourage me;
we have lost the war—
my people are suffering.
The Prophet Speaks:
17 Zion reaches out her hands,
but no one offers comfort.
The Lord has turned
the neighboring nations
against Jacob's descendants.
Jerusalem is merely a filthy rag
to her neighbors.
Jerusalem Speaks:
18 The Lord was right,
but I refused to obey him.
Now I ask all of you to look
at my sufferings—
even my young people
have been dragged away.
19 I called out to my lovers,
but they betrayed me.
My priests and my leaders died
while searching the city
for scraps of food.
20 Won't you look and see
how upset I am, our Lord?
My stomach is in knots,
and my heart is broken
because I betrayed you.
In the streets and at home,
my people are slaughtered.
21 Everyone heard my groaning,
but no one offered comfort.
My enemies know of the trouble
that you have brought on me,
and it makes them glad.
Hurry and punish them,
as you have promised.
22 Don't let their evil deeds
escape your sight.
Punish them as much
as you have punished me
because of my sins.
I never stop groaning—
I've lost all hope!
