Nahum 3
1 A curse is on the town of blood; it is full of deceit and violent acts; and there is no end to the taking of life.
Maye kumuzi wezingazi, wonke ugcwele amanga lempango! Okuphangiweyo kakusuki.
2 The noise of the whip, and the noise of thundering wheels; horses rushing and war-carriages jumping,
Umsindo wesiswepu, lomsindo wokugedlezela kwamavili, lowamabhiza amathayo, lowezinqola ezeqayo.
3 Horsemen driving forward, and the shining sword and the bright spear: and a great number of wounded, and masses of dead bodies; they are falling over the bodies of the dead:
Umgadi webhiza uphakamisa kokubili inkemba ephazimayo lomkhonto ocwazimulayo, njalo kulexuku lababuleweyo, lenani elikhulu lezidumbu; yebo kakulasiphelo sezidumbu; bayakhubeka phezu kwezidumbu zabo.
4 Because of all the false ways of the loose woman, expert in attraction and wise in secret arts, who takes nations in the net of her false ways, and families through her secret arts.
Ngenxa yobunengi bokufeba kwesiphingi, inkosazana ekhangayo yobuthakathi, esithengisa izizwe ngokuphinga kwaso, lemideni ngobuthakathi baso.
5 See, I am against you, says the Lord of armies, and I will have your skirts pulled over your face, and let the nations see you unclothed, and the kingdoms your shame.
Khangela, ngimelene lawe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla; ngizakwembulela amalogwe akho phezu kobuso bakho, ngitshengise izizwe ubunqunu bakho, lemibuso ihlazo lakho.
6 I will make you completely disgusting and full of shame, and will put you up to be looked at by all.
Ngiphosele amanyala phezu kwakho, ngikwenze udeleleke, ngikumise njengento yokubukelwa.
7 And it will come about that all who see you will go in flight from you and say, Nineveh is made waste: who will be weeping for her? where am I to get comforters for her?
Kuzakuthi-ke wonke okubonayo akubalekele, athi: INineve ichithekile. Ngubani ozayililela? Ngizakudingela ngaphi abaduduzi?
8 Are you better than No-amon, seated on the Nile streams, with waters all round her; whose wall was the sea and her earthwork the waters?
Ungcono yini kuleNo-Amoni eyayihlezi phakathi kwemifula, elamanzi inhlangothi zonke, omthangala wawo wawululwandle, umduli wawo wawusukela elwandle?
9 Ethiopia was her strength and Egyptians without number; Put and Lubim were her helpers.
IEthiyophiya leGibhithe kwakungamandla ayo angelakuphela; iPuti leLubhimi babengabasizi bakho.
10 But even she has been taken away, she has gone away as a prisoner: even her young children are smashed to bits at the top of all the streets: the fate of her honoured men is put to the decision of chance, and all her great men are put in chains.
Kanti yona yathuthwa yaya ekuthunjweni; lezingane zayo zachotshozwa esihlokweni sazo zonke izitalada; njalo benza inkatho yokuphosa ngabahloniphekayo bayo, labo bonke abakhulu bayo babotshwa ngamaketane.
11 And you will be overcome with wine, you will become feeble; you will be looking for a safe place from those who are fighting against you.
Lawe-ke uzadakwa, uzacatsha; futhi wena uzadinga isiphephelo ngenxa yesitha.
12 All your walled places will be like fig-trees and your people like the first figs, falling at a shake into the mouth which is open for them.
Inqaba zakho zonke zizakuba njengezihlahla zemikhiwa ezilezithelo zokuqala; uba zinyikinywa, ziwela emlonyeni wodlayo.
13 See, the people who are in you are women; the doorways of your land are wide open to your attackers: the locks of your doors have been burned away in the fire.
Khangela, abantu bakho bangabesifazana phakathi kwakho; amasango elizwe lakho azavulekela kakhulu izitha zakho; umlilo uzaqeda imigoqo yakho.
14 Get water for the time when you are shut in, make strong your towns: go into the potter's earth, stamping it down with your feet, make strong the brickworks.
Zikhelele amanzi okuvinjezelwa, uqinise izinqaba zakho; ngena odakeni, uxove ibumba, uqinise ihondo yezitina.
15 There the fire will make you waste; you will be cut off by the sword: make yourself as great in number as the worms, as great in number as the locusts.
Lapho umlilo uzakuqeda, inkemba ikuqume, ikudle njengesikhonyane, uzandise njengesikhonyane, uzandise njengezintethe.
16 Let your traders be increased more than the stars of heaven:
Wandise abathengisi bakho ngaphezu kwenkanyezi zamazulu; iqhwagi liyona, liphaphe lihambe.
17 Your crowned ones are like the locusts, and your scribes like the clouds of insects which take cover in the walls on a cold day, but when the sun comes up they go in flight, and are seen no longer in their place.
Abetheswe umqhele bakho banjengezintethe, labalawulimabutho bakho banjengentethe ezinengi, ezimisa inkamba ezintangweni ngosuku lomqando; ilanga seliphumile, ziyasuka zibaleke, ingabe isaziwa indawo yazo ukuthi zingaphi.
18 Sorrow! how are the keepers of your flock sleeping, O king of Assyria! your strong men are at rest; your people are wandering on the mountains, and there is no one to get them together.
Abelusi bakho bayawozela, wena nkosi yeAsiriya; abakhulu bakho bazahlala; abantu bakho bazahlakazeka ezintabeni, njalo kungekho obabuthayo.
19 Your pain may not be made better; you are wounded to death: all those hearing the news about you will be waving their hands in joy over you: for who has not undergone the weight of your evil-doing again and again?
Kakukho ukupholiswa kokwephuka kwakho, inxeba lakho libuhlungu; bonke abezwa umbiko ngawe baqakeza izandla ngawe; ngoba kukubani obungadlulanga kuye ububi bakho njalonjalo?
