Nahum 3
1 Tami thi palawngnae kho dawk, thoebonae ka tâcawtkhai e laithoe hoi thamanae akawi. A man e naw hai tha awh hoeh.
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 Bongpai hoi hem e lawk, rangleng khok kamlei lawk, marang coukdouk lawk, rangleng a yawng e lawk hah ka thai.
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 Marangransa ni laklakkaang e tahloi, keitat tahroe hah a dâw teh, kadout e tami ro teh a kâmawk. Hote ronaw hah boeba touk thai hoeh. Ronaw hah a kamthui awh teh ro van a tâlaw awh.
[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 Hetnaw pueng teh ka kâyawt e napui kecu doeh a tho. A meihawinae, ânnae, a kâyonae lahoi khocaramca pueng koung a dum toe.
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 Hatdawkvah, Cathut ni a dei e teh, nange avanglah kai ka o. Na angki hah na minhmai dawk ka ling vaiteh caici lah na onae hoi na kayanae hah uknaeram tangkuem ka patue han.
[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 Ei hoi na dei vaiteh, na khin sak vaiteh, ayâ ni panuet e lah na ta han.
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 Na kahmawt e tami pueng ni, Nineveh kho a rawk toe, apinimouh a khui han vai ati awh teh, na yawng takhai awh han. Nang lungpahawi hanelah, nâmouh ka tawng vaiteh ka pâphawng han vai.
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 Nang teh tuipui rahak kaawm e Noamon kho hlak na talue maw. Hote khopui teh tui ni a kalup teh, tuipui teh ahnie rapan lah ao.
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 Ethiopia hoi Izip ram teh ahnie senehmaica lah ao teh a thaonae teh baw thai hoeh. Put hoi Lubim ni a kabawp.
[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 Hatei, hote kho teh tarannaw ni a tuk awh teh a man awh toe. Khocanaw teh lamtakinnaw koe a phep awh. Bari lah kaawm e khocanaw teh, cungpam lah a khoe awh teh, thakasai e khocanaw abuemlah sumrui hoi a pâkhi awh toe.
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 Nang haiyah puen laihoi na kâhro han. Taran kut dawk hoi hlout nahanelah kacakpounge hmuen na tawng han.
You [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
12 Nange rapanimnaw teh a paw hmaloe kahmin e thaibunglungnaw hoi a kâvan han. Kahuet navah ka cat ngai e kâko thung hloum a bo pouh awh han.
[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 Na taminaw teh na hmalah napui patetlah ao vaiteh, kho longkhanaw teh tarannaw hanelah kakaw lah a kamawng vaiteh tho rawngkannae teh hmai a kak han.
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 Taran ni na kaven yunglam, na hno hane tui sut do awh. Rapanimnaw hah caksak awh. Amhru talai hah katin awh. Amhru hmai raawng awh.
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 Hote hmuen koe raw vah hmai na kak awh vaiteh, tahloi hoi pat na raboung awh han. Samtong patetlah pap awh yawkaw, awsi patetlah pap a yawkaw.
[Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
16 Kalvan âsinaw hlak hno kayawtnaw kapap nakunghai, samtongnaw patetlah parang a kamleng awh han.
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 Nangmae khobawinaw teh samtangnaw patetlah ransabawinaw teh tapangkhongdengnaw patetlah ao awh teh, a pâding toteh tahmout dawk a tabo awh. Kanî a tâco toteh nâmouh phang a kamleng tie panuek hoeh.
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 Assiria siangpahrang nange tukhoumnaw teh muet a i awh teh, Saring kakhenkungnaw teh a yan awh. Ransanaw teh monsom vah koung kâkapek awh teh apinihai pâkhueng awh hoeh.
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 Na khang e a hmâ a nung poung dawkvah dam thai mahoeh. Nange kamthang ka thai e pueng ni kut na tabawng sin awh han. Bangkongtetpawiteh, nang ni na rektap hoeh e tami apihai awm hoeh.
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.”
