¹How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

¹Haiwa, ndarama yasviba sei! Ndarama yakaisvo-naka yashanduka sei! Mabwe enzvimbo tsvene arashirwa pamharadzano dzenzira dzomuguta.

²The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

²Vanakomana vanodikamwa veZiyoni vakafanana nendarama yakaisvo-naka, haiwa vakanzi vakaita sezvirongo zvevhu sei, iro basa romuumbi wehari!

³Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

³Kunyange namakava anobudisa mazamu, achiyamwisa vana vawo; mukunda wavanhu vangu wava nehasha semhou murenje.

⁴The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.

⁴Rurimi rwomwana unomwa runonamatira mumukamwa womuromo wake nenyota; vanana vanokumbira chingwa, asi hakuna munhu anovamedurira.

⁵They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

⁵Avo vaisidya zvinozipa,varaswa munzira dzomuguta; vairerwa vakafuka micheka mitsvuku, zvino votsivama pamaturunhuru.

⁶For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

⁶nekuti zvakaipa zvomukunda wavanhu vangu zvinopfuura zvivi zveSodhoma, iro rakaparadzwa kamwe-kamwe kusina maoko akaribata.

⁷Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:

⁷Machinda aro akanga akapfuura chando nokunaka, akanga akachena kupfuura mukaka, akanga akatsvuka pamuviri kupfuura makorari, pakuonekwa akanga akaita sesafaya.

⁸Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

⁸Zviso zvavo zvasviba kupfuura mazimbe, havazikamwi munzira dzomuguta; ganda ravo rinonamatira mafupa avo, raoma, rafanana nedanda.

⁹They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

⁹Vakaurawa nomunondo vakaita nani kuna vakaurawa nenzara; nekuti ava vaonda, vabayiwa nokushayiwa zvibereko zveminda.

¹⁰The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

¹⁰Maoko avakadzi vaiva nomoyo munyoro akabika vana vavo, zvikava zvokudya zvavo pakuparadzwa komukunda wavanhu vangu.

¹¹The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

¹¹Jehovha akaita zvaakanga achida nokutsamwa kwake, akadurura hasha dzake huru; akabatidza moto paZiyoni, akapedza nheyo dzaro.

¹²The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

¹²Madzimambo enyika vangadai vasina kutenda, kunyange navose vagere panyika yose, kuti mudzivisi nomuvengi vachapinda pamasuwo eJerusaremu.

¹³For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

¹³Zvakaitwa nokuda kwezvivi zvavaporofita varo, nezvakaipa zvavapristi varo, vakateura ropa ravakarurama mukati maro.

¹⁴They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

¹⁴Vanodzungaira samapofu munzira dzomuguta, vakasvibiswa neropa, naizvozvo vanhu havagoni kubata nguvo dzavo.

¹⁵They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there.

¹⁵Vakadanidzira kwavari vachiti, Ibvai, makanora! Ibvai, ibvai, regai kutibata! Panguva yokutiza nokudzungaira kwavo, vanhu vakati pakati pamarudzi; Havangazogarizve pano vari vatorwa.

¹⁶The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

¹⁶Kutsamwa kwaJehovha kwakavaparadzira; haachavi nehanya navo; havana kurangarira vapristi, havana kukudza vakuru.

¹⁷As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us.

¹⁷Meso edu anongopera nazvino achitarira rubatsiro rwedu pasina; pakutarira kwedu takatarira rudzi rusingagoni kutiponesa.

¹⁸They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

¹⁸Vanoronda makwara edu, naizvozvo hatigoni kufamba munzira dzomuguta redu; kuguma kwedu kwava pedo, mazuva edu asvika, nekuti kuguma kwedu kwasvika.

¹⁹Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.

¹⁹Avo vakadzingana nesu, vakamhanyisa kupfuura makondo okudenga; vakadzingana nesu pamakomo, vakatigarira murenje.

²⁰The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.

²⁰Mweya wemhino dzedu, iye muzodzwa waJehovha, wakabatwa muhunza dzavo; iye watakati, Pamumvuri wake ndipo patichararama pakati pamarudzi.

²¹Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.

²¹Farisisa, uve nomufaro, iwe mukunda weEdhomu, ugere panyika yeUzi; mukombe uchasvika kwauriwo; uchabatwa newaini ukazvifukura.

²²The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

²²Kurohwa kwezvakaipa zvako kwapera, iwe mukunda weZiyoni; haachazokutapisizve; iye achakurova pamusoro pezvakaipa zvako, iwe mukunda weEdhomu; iye achafukura zvivi zvako.