< Nahumu 3 >

1 Tsoka kwa mzinda wopha anthu, mzinda wodzaza ndi mabodza, mzinda wodzaza ndi anthu olanda zinthu anzawo, mu mzinda mʼmene simusowa anthu osautsidwa nthawi zonse!
Terrible things will happen to [Nineveh], that city [that is full of people who] murder [MTY] and lie. [The city is] full of things that were seized [from other countries by their soldiers]; [their armies] continually [LIT] have acted brutally towards people whom they conquered.
2 Kulira kwa zikwapu, mkokomo wa mikombero, kufuwula kwa akavalo ndiponso phokoso la magaleta!
But [now listen to the enemy soldiers coming to attack Nineveh]; [listen to them] cracking their whips, and [listen to the] rattle of [their chariot] wheels! [Listen to] their galloping horses and their chariots as they bounce along!
3 Kuthamanga kwa anthu okwera pa akavalo, kungʼanima kwa malupanga ndi kunyezimira kwa mikondo! Anthu ambiri ophedwa, milumilu ya anthu akufa, mitembo yosawerengeka, anthu akupunthwa pa mitemboyo.
[Look at their] flashing swords and glittering spears as the horsemen race forward! Many [people of Nineveh will be] killed; [there will be] piles of corpses, [with the result that] people will stumble over them.
4 Zonsezi ndi chifukwa cha zilakolako za mkazi wachiwerewere, wokopa anthu uja, mkazi wochita zamatsenga, amene anakopa mitundu ya anthu ndi zachiwerewere zake, ndiponso anthu a mitundu ina ndi zaufiti zake.
All [that will happen] because [Nineveh is like] [MET] a beautiful prostitute [who lures men to where they will be ruined]; [Nineveh is a beautiful city] which has attracted/enticed [people of] other nations [to come there]. [The people of Nineveh] taught those people [of other nations rituals of] magic, and caused them to become their slaves.
5 Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, “Ine ndikutsutsana nawe. Ndidzakuvula chovala chako. Anthu a mitundu ina ndidzawaonetsa umaliseche wako ndipo udzachita manyazi pamaso pa maufumu onse.
[So] the Commander of the armies of angels says to [the people of Nineveh]: “I am your enemy, and I will [cause the people in other] nations to see you [completely] humiliated like [MET] [women who have committed adultery are humiliated by] having their skirts lifted high, [with the result that] people can see their naked [bodies].
6 Ndidzakuthira zonyansa, ndidzakuchititsa manyazi ndiponso kukusandutsa chinthu choseketsa.
I will cause rubbish/garbage to be thrown at you; I will show [others] that I despise you very much, and I will cause you to be publicly ridiculed.
7 Onse amene adzakuona adzakuthawa ndipo adzati, ‘Ninive wasanduka bwinja, adzamulira ndani?’ Kodi ndingamupeze kuti munthu woti nʼkukutonthoza?”
All those who see you will turn their backs to you and say, ‘Nineveh is ruined, but absolutely no one [RHQ] will mourn for it.’ No one will regret Nineveh being destroyed!”
8 Kodi ndiwe wopambana Tebesi, mzinda wokhala mʼmbali mwa Nailo, wozunguliridwa ndi madzi? Mtsinjewo unali chitetezo chake, madziwo anali linga lake.
Your city is certainly [RHQ] no safer than Thebes [city] was. [Thebes was an important city] beside the Nile [River]; the river was [like] [SIM] a wall that protected the city [DOU].
9 Mphamvu zake zinali Kusi ndi Igupto, Puti ndi Libiya anali ena mwa abwenzi ake.
[The rulers of] Ethiopia and Egypt helped Thebes; there was no limit to their power. [The governments of the nearby countries of] Put and Libya were also allies of Thebes.
10 Komabe anthu a ku Tebesi anagwidwa ndipo anapita ku ukapolo. Ana ake anawaphwanyitsa pansi mʼmisewu yonse ya mu mzindamo. Anachita maere ogawana anthu ake otchuka, ndipo anthu ake onse amphamvu anamangidwa ndi maunyolo.
But Thebes was captured, and [its people were] (exiled/forced to go to other countries). Their babies were dashed to pieces in the streets [of the city]. [Enemy soldiers] (cast lots/threw small marked stones) to decide who would get each official in Thebes [to become his slave]. All the leaders of Thebes were fastened/tied by chains.
11 Iwenso Ninive udzaledzera; udzabisala ndipo udzafunafuna malo othawirako kuopa mdani.
You [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
12 Malo ako onse otetezedwa ali ngati mitengo ya mkuyu yokhala ndi zipatso zoyambirira kucha; pamene agwedeza mitengoyo, nkhuyuzo zimagwera mʼkamwa mwa wofuna kuzidya.
[Your enemies will cause] the walls around your city to fall down like [SIM] the first figs that fall from fig trees [each year]. [Your city will be captured easily, like] [MET] [figs that fall] into the mouths [HYP] of those who shake the fig trees.
13 Tayangʼana ankhondo ako, onse ali ngati akazi! Zipata za dziko lako zatsekukira adani ako; moto wapsereza mipiringidzo yake.
Look at your soldiers! They will be [as weak/helpless as] [MET] women! The gates of your city will be opened wide [to allow] your enemies [to enter them], [and then] the bars of those gates will be burned.
14 Tungani madzi woti mudzamwe nthawi ya kuzunguliridwa kwanu, limbitsani chitetezo chanu! Pondani dothi, ikani mʼchikombole, konzani khoma la njerwa!
Store up water [now to use when] your enemies surround the city! Repair the forts! Dig up clay and trample it [to make it soft], and put it into molds to make bricks [to repair the walls]!
15 Kumeneko moto udzakupserezani; lupanga lidzakukanthani ndipo lidzakuwonongani ngati likuwononga ziwala. Chulukanani ngati ziwala, chulukanani ngati dzombe!
[Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
16 Mwachulukitsa chiwerengero cha anthu a malonda anu mpaka kupambana nyenyezi za mlengalenga, koma iwo ngati dzombe akuwononga dziko ndipo kenaka akuwuluka nʼkuchoka.
In your [city] there are now very many merchants; [it seems that] there are more of them than there are stars. But [when your city is being destroyed, those merchants will take the valuable things and disappear] [like] [SIM] locusts that strip the leaves from plants and [then] fly away.
17 Akalonga ako ali ngati dzombe, akuluakulu ako ali ngati gulu la dzombe limene lamatirira pa khoma nthawi yozizira, koma pamene dzuwa latuluka limawuluka, ndipo palibe amene amadziwa komwe lapita.
Your leaders are [also] like a swarm of [SIM] locusts [DOU] that crowd together on the stone fences/walls on a cold day, and [then] fly away when the sun comes up, and no one knows where they have gone.
18 Iwe mfumu ya ku Asiriya, abusa ako agona tulo; anthu ako olemekezeka amwalira. Anthu ako amwazikira ku mapiri popanda ndi mmodzi yemwe wowasonkhanitsa.
O King of Assyria, your officials will [all] be dead [EUP]; your important people will lie down and rest [forever]. Your people will be scattered over the mountains, and there will no one to gather them [together].
19 Palibe chimene chingachize bala lako; chilonda chako sichingapole. Aliyense amene amamva za iwe amawomba mʼmanja chifukwa cha kugwa kwako, kodi alipo amene sanazilawepo nkhanza zako zosatha?
You [are like someone who] has a wound that cannot be healed; [it will be] a wound that causes him to die. And all those who hear about what has happened to you will clap their hands [joyfully]. [They will say, ] “Everyone has [RHQ] suffered because he continually was [very] cruel to us.”

< Nahumu 3 >