¹Inzwai shoko iri randinokuchemai naro, imwi imba yalsiraeri.

¹Hear this word that I am bearing to you, A lamentation, O house of Israel:

²Mhandara yalsiraeri yawira pasi; haangazomukizve; wawiswa pasi panyika yake, hakuna angamumutsazve.

²`Fallen, not again to rise, hath the virgin of Israel, Left on her land — she hath no raiser up.`

³nekuti zvanzi naIshe Jehovha, Paimba yaIsiraeri guta, rakabuda kundorwa navane chiuru chamazana, richasara nezana roga, uye rakabuda nezana richasara negumi.

³For thus said the Lord Jehovah: The city that is going out a thousand, Doth leave an hundred, And that which is going out an hundred, Doth leave ten to the house of Israel.

⁴nekuti zvanzi naIshe Jehovha kuimba yaIsiraeri, Nditsvakei, murarame;

⁴For thus said Jehovah to the house of Israel: Seek ye Me, and live,

⁵asi regai kutsvaka Bhetieri, kana kupinda Girigari, kana kupfuurira Bheerishebha; nekuti Girigari richatapwa zvirokwazvo, Bhetieri richarova.

⁵And seek not Beth-El, and Gilgal enter not, And Beer-Sheba pass not through, For Gilgal doth utterly remove, And Beth-El doth become vanity.

⁶Tsvakai Jehovha, murarame; kuti arege kupfuta paimba yaJosefa somoto unopedza zvose, kukasava nomunhu anoudzima paBhetieri.

⁶Seek ye Jehovah, and live, Lest He prosper as fire [against] the house of Joseph, And it hath consumed, And there is no quencher for Beth-El.

⁷Imi, munoshandura kururamisira muchikuita segavakava, muchiwisira kururama pasi,

⁷Ye who are turning to wormwood judgment, And righteousness to the earth have put down,

⁸tsvakai iye, akaita nyeredzi dzeChimutanhatu nedzeOrioni, anoshandura mumvuri worufu achiuita mangwanani, anodzima masikati achiaita usiku, anodana mvura yegungwa, ndokuidururira panyika (Jehovha ndiro zita rake);

⁸The maker of Kimah and Kesil, And the turner to morning of death-shade, And day [as] night He hath made dark, Who is calling to the waters of the sea, And poureth them on the face of the earth, Jehovah [is] His name;

⁹anouyisira vane simba kuparadza kunokurumidza, kuparadza ndokuwira nhare.

⁹Who is brightening up the spoiled against the strong, And the spoiled against a fortress cometh.

¹⁰Vanovenga anovaraira pasuwo, vanosema anotaura zvakarurama.

¹⁰They have hated a reprover in the gate, And a plain speaker they abominate.

¹¹Zvino zvamunotsika murombo pasi, muchitora dzimba dzamabwe akavezwa, asi hamungagarimo, makasima minda yemizambiringa inofadza, asi hamungamwi waini yayo.

¹¹Therefore, because of your trampling on the poor, And the tribute of corn ye take from him, Houses of hewn work ye have built, And ye do not dwell in them, Desirable vineyards ye have planted, And ye do not drink their wine.

¹²nekuti ndinoziva kuti kudarika kwenyu kuzhinji, uye kuti zvivi zvenyu zvikuru, kwazvo, iyemi, munomanikidza vakarurama, munogamuchira fufuro, muchiramba anoshaiwa pasuwo.

¹²For I have known — many [are] your transgressions, And mighty your sins, Adversaries of the righteous, taking ransoms, And the needy in the gate ye turned aside.

¹³Saka akangwara achanyarara nenguva yakadai, nekuti inguva yakaipa.

¹³Therefore is the wise at that time silent, For an evil time it [is].

¹⁴Tsvakai zvakanaka, murege kutsvaka zvakaipa, kuti murarame, ipapo Jehovha, Mwari wehondo achava nemi, sezvamunoreva.

¹⁴Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live, And it is so; Jehovah, God of Hosts, [is] with you, as ye said.

¹⁵Vengai zvakaipa, mude zvakanaka, mururamisire vanhu musuwo; zvimwe Jehovha, iye Mwari wehondo, achanzwira nyasha vakasara vaJosefa.

¹⁵Hate evil, and love good, And set up judgment in the gate, It may be Jehovah, God of Hosts, doth pity the remnant of Joseph.

¹⁶Naizvozvo zvanzi naJehovha, iye Mwari wehondo, iye Ishe, Kuchema kuchavapo panzira dzose huru, panzira dzose dzomumusha vachati, Maiwe! Maiwe! Vachadana varimi kuzochema, navanoziva nziyo dzemariro kuzoungudza.

¹⁶Therefore, thus said Jehovah, God of Hosts, the Lord, In all broad places [is] lamentation, And in all out-places they say, `Alas, alas,` And called the husbandman to mourning, And to lamentation the skilful of wailing.

¹⁷Kuungudza kuchavapo paminda yose yemizambiringa; nekuti ndichapfuura napakati penyu, ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.

¹⁷And in all vineyards [is] lamentation, For I pass into thy midst, said Jehovah.

¹⁸Vurombo kwamuri imwi munoshuva zuva raJehovha! Zuva raJehovha munorida neiko? Richava rima, hachingavi chiedza.

¹⁸Ho, ye who are desiring the day of Jehovah, Why [is] this to you — the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light,

¹⁹Zvichaita somunhu anotiza shumba, ndokusangana nebere; kana seanopinda mumba, akabata pamadziro noruoko rwake, ndokurumwa nenyoka.

¹⁹As [when] one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him.

²⁰Ko zuva raJehovha haringavi rima, rikarega kuva chiedza here? Haringati, Zi! Kwazvo, risina kupenya here?

²⁰Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?

²¹Ndinovenga nokuzvidza mitambo yenyu, handingatongofadzwi neungano dzenyu dzakatarwa.

²¹I have hated — I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints.

²²Zvirokwazvo, kunyange mukandivigira zvipiriso zvenyu zvinopiswa nezvipiriso zvoupfu, handingazvigamuchiri; handingavi nehanya nezvipiriso zvenyu zvokuvonga zvezvipfuwo zvenyu zvakakodzwa.

²²For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your presents to ascend to Me, I am not pleased, And the peace-offering of your fatlings I behold not.

²³Bvisai pamberi pangu ruzha rwenziyo dzenyu, nekuti handidi kunzwa kurira kwembira dzenyu.

²³Turn aside from Me the noise of thy songs, Yea, the praise of thy psaltery I hear not.

²⁴Asi kururamisa ngakuyerere semvura, uye kururama sorwizi runongoramba ruchidira.

²⁴And roll on as waters doth judgment, And righteousness as a perennial stream.

²⁵Nhai imba yaIsiraeri, makandivigira zvibayiro nezvipo murenje makore ana makumi mana here?

²⁵Sacrifices and offering did ye bring nigh to Me, In a wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

²⁶Zvirokwazvo, makatakura Sikuti mambo wenyu, neKijuni zvifananidzo zvenyu, iyo nyeredzi yamwari wenyu, wamakazviitira.

²⁶And ye bare Succoth your king, and Chiun your images, The star of your god, that ye made for yourselves.

²⁷Naizvozvo ndichakutapisai mberi kweDhamasiko, ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha, anezita rinonzi Mwari wehondo.

²⁷And I removed you beyond Damascus, Said Jehovah, God of Hosts [is] His name.