¹Haiwa, guta, rakanga rizere navanhu, rinogara sei riri roga! Iro, rakanga riri guru pakati pamarudzi, rava sechirikadzi! Iro, rakanga riri vamoyo pakati penyika, rovigira mutero.

¹How the city sits solitary, that was full of people! She has become as a widow, who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become tributary!

²Rinochema zvikuru usiku, misodzi yaro iri pamatama aro; pakati pavadikamwi varo vose rinoshaiwa muvaraidzi, shamwari dzaro dzose dzarinyengera, dzashanduka vavengi varo.

²She weeps bitterly in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her: All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they are become her enemies.

³Judha aenda kuutapwa nokuda kokutambudzika, nokuda kokubatiswa zvikuru; vanogara pakati pamarudzi, asi haavane zororo, vose vaidzingana navo vakamubata pakamanikana.

³Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwells among the nations, she finds no rest: all her persecutors overtook her within the straits.

⁴Nzira dzeZiyoni dzinochema, nekuti hakuna anouya kumutambo, masuwo aro ose akaparadzwa, vapristi varo vanogomera, mhandara dzaro dzinotambudzika, iro romene rinovavirwa.

⁴The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn assembly; all her gates are desolate, her priests do sigh: her virgins are afflicted, and she herself is in bitterness.

⁵Vadzivisi varo ndivo vava vakuru, vavengi varo vanofara; nekuti Jehovha akaritambudza nemhaka yokudarika kwaro kuzhinji; vana varo vaduku vakaenda kuutapwa pamberi pomudzivisi.

⁵Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; for Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.

⁶Kunaka kwake kose kwakabva pamukunda weZiyoni; machinda ake aita senondo dzinoshaiwa mafuro, akatiza asine simba pamberi poanodzingana nawo.

⁶From the daughter of Zion all her majesty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

⁷Namazuva okutambudzika nokudzungaira kwaro, Jerusaremu rinorangarira zvose zvairifadza kubva pamazuva akare; panguva yakawira vanhu varo pamaoko omudzivisi, kusina wakaribatsira, vadzivisi vakariona, vakaseka kuparadzwa kwaro.

⁷Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that were from the days of old: when her people fell into the hand of the adversary, and no one helped her, The adversaries saw her, they mocked at her desolations.

⁸Jerusaremu rakatadza zvikuru kwazvo, naizvozvo raitwa sechinhu chisakanaka; vose vairikudza, vorishora, nekuti vakaona kushama kwaro, zvirokwazvo, rakagomera, rikadzokera shure.

⁸Jerusalem has grievously sinned; therefore she has become as an unclean thing; all who honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yes, she sighs, and turns backward.

⁹Tsvina yaro yakanga iri panguvo yaro, harina kurangarira kuguma kwaro; naizvozvo rakanyura zvinoshamisa, harina munyaradzi; tarirai, Jehovha, kutambudzika kwangu, nekuti muvengi wazvikudza.

⁹Her filthiness was in her skirts; she didn’t remember her latter end; therefore is she come down wonderfully; she has no comforter: see, Yahweh, my affliction; for the enemy has magnified himself.

¹⁰Mudzivisi atambanudzira ruoko rwake kune zvose zvaro zvinofadza; nekuti rakaona marudzi achipinda panzvimbo yaro tsvene, vamakanga marayira pamusoro pavo kuti varege kupinda paungano yenyu.

¹⁰The adversary has spread out his hand on all her pleasant things: for she has seen that the nations are entered into her sanctuary, concerning whom you commanded that they should not enter into your assembly.

¹¹Vanhu varo vose vanogomera, vanotsvaka zvokudya; vakapa zvinhu zvavo zvinofadza kuti zvive zvokudya zvokusimbisa mweya yavo; tarirai, Jehovha, muone; nekuti ndaitwa wakazvidzwa.

¹¹All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for food to refresh the soul: look, Yahweh, and see; for I am become abject.

¹²Nhai, imwi mose munopfuura, hamuna hanya nazvo here? Tarirai muone kana kuchema kuripo kwakafanana nokuchema kwangu, kwakauyiswa pamusoro pangu, kwandakatambudzwa nako naJehovha nezuva rokutsamwa kwake kukuru.

¹²Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me, With which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

¹³Akatuma moto mumafupa angu, zvichibva kumusoro, akavakunda; akadzikira tsoka dzangu mumbure, akandidzosera shure; akandiparadza nokundishaisa simba zuva rose.

¹³From on high has he sent fire into my bones, and it prevails against them; He has spread a net for my feet, he has turned me back: He has made me desolate and faint all the day.

¹⁴Joko rokudarika kwangu kuzhinji rakasungwa noruoko rwake; zvakarukwa, zvaiswa pamutsipa wangu, zvandishaisa simba rangu; Ishe akandiisa mumaoko avasingagoni kudzivisa.

¹⁴The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand; They are knit together, they have come up on my neck; he has made my strength to fail: The Lord The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.” has delivered me into their hands, against whom I am not able to stand.

¹⁵Ishe akashaisa simba mhare dzangu dzose dzakandipoteredza, akakokera ungano yakatarwa kuzondipwanyira majaya angu; Ishe akatsika mukunda mhandara yaJudha sapachisviniro.

¹⁵The Lord has set at nothing all my mighty men in the midst of me; He has called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men: The Lord has trodden as in a winepress the virgin daughter of Judah.

¹⁶Ndinochema nokuda kwezvinhu izvi, maziso angu anoyerera misodzi, nekuti munyaradzi, aifanira kusimbisa mweya wangu, uri kure neni; vana vangu vava nhoronhondo, nekuti muvengi akunda.

¹⁶For these things I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water; Because the comforter who should refresh my soul is far from me: My children are desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.

¹⁷Ziyoni rinotambanudza maoko aro, hakuna angarinyaradza; Jehovha akarayira pamusoro paJakove, kuti vakamupoteredza vave vadzivisi vake; Jerusaremu riri pakati pavo sechinhu chakanaka.

¹⁷Zion spreads forth her hands; there is none to comfort her; Yahweh has commanded concerning Jacob, that those who are around him should be his adversaries: Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing.

¹⁸Jehovha akarurama, nekuti ndakamukira murayiro wake; doteererai imwi vanhu vose, muone kuchema kwangu; mhandara dzangu namajaya angu aenda kuutapwa.

¹⁸Yahweh is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: Please hear all you peoples, and see my sorrow: My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

¹⁹Ndakadana vaindida, asi vakandinyengera; vapristi vangu navakuru vangu vakaparara muguta, panguva yavakanga vachizvitsvakira zvokudya kusimbisa mweya yavo.

¹⁹I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: My priests and my elders gave up the spirit in the city, While they sought them food to refresh their souls.

²⁰Tarirai, Jehovha, nekuti ndiri panjodzi, moyo wangu unotambudzika; moyo wangu washanduka mukati mangu, nekuti ndakakumukirai kwazvo; kunze munondo unonditorera vana, mumba makaita somuno rufu.

²⁰See, Yahweh; for I am in distress; my heart is troubled; My heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: Abroad the sword bereaves, at home there is as death.

²¹Vakandinzwa ndichigomera, hakuna anondinyaradza; vavengi vangu vose vakanzwa nhamo dzangu, vanofara kuti makazviita; muchauyisa zuva ramakatara ipapo vachafanana neni.

²¹They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me; All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that you have done it: You will bring the day that you have proclaimed, and they shall be like me.

²²Zvakaipa zvavo zvose ngazviuye pamberi penyu; muvaitire ivo sezvamakandiitira ini nokuda kokudarika kwangu kose; nekuti kugomera kwangu kuzhinji, moyo wangu washaiwa simba.

²²Let all their wickedness come before you; Do to them, as you have done to me for all my transgressions: For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.