< Nahum 3 >

1 Woe to thee, O city of blood, all full of lies and violence: rapine shall not depart from thee.
Væ civitas sanguinum, universa mendacii dilaceratione plena! non recedet a te rapina.
2 The noise of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the neighing horse, and of the running chariot, and of the horsemen coming up,
Vox flagelli, et vox impetus rotæ, et equi frementis, et quadrigæ ferventis, et equitis ascendentis,
3 And of the shining sword, and of the glittering spear, and of a multitude slain, and of a grievous destruction: and there is no end of carcasses, and they shall fall down on their dead bodies.
et micantis gladii, et fulgurantis hastæ, et multitudinis interfectæ, et gravis ruinæ; nec est finis cadaverum, et corruent in corporibus suis.
4 Because of the multitude of the fornications of the harlot that was beautiful and agreeable, and that made use of witchcraft, that sold nations through her fornications, and families through her witchcrafts.
Propter multitudinem fornicationum meretricis speciosæ, et gratæ, et habentis maleficia, quæ vendidit gentes in fornicationibus suis, et familias in maleficiis suis.
5 Behold I come against thee, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will discover thy shame to thy face, and will shew thy nakedness to the nations, and thy shame to kingdoms.
Ecce ego ad te, dicit Dominus exercituum, et revelabo pudenda tua in facie tua; et ostendam gentibus nuditatem tuam, et regnis ignominiam tuam.
6 And I will cast abominations upon thee, and will disgrace thee, and will make an example of thee.
Et projiciam super te abominationes, et contumeliis te afficiam, et ponam te in exemplum.
7 And it shall come to pass that every one that shall see thee, shall flee from thee, and shall say: Ninive is laid waste: who shall bemoan thee? whence shall I seek a comforter for thee?
Et erit: omnis qui viderit te resiliet a te, et dicet: Vastata est Ninive. Quis commovebit super te caput? unde quæram consolatorem tibi?
8 Art thou better than the populous Alexandria, that dwelleth among the rivers? waters are round about it: the sea is its riches, the waters are its walls.
Numquid melior es Alexandria populorum, quæ habitat in fluminibus? aquæ in circuitu ejus; cujus divitiæ, mare; aquæ, muri ejus.
9 Ethiopia and Egypt were the strength thereof, and there is no end: Africa and the Libyans were thy helpers.
Æthiopia fortitudo ejus, et Ægyptus, et non est finis; Africa et Libyes fuerunt in auxilio tuo.
10 Yet she also was removed and carried into captivity: her young children were dashed in pieces at the top of every street, and they cast lots upon her nobles, and all her great men were bound in fetters.
Sed et ipsa in transmigrationem ducta est in captivitatem: parvuli ejus elisi sunt in capite omnium viarum, et super inclytos ejus miserunt sortem, et omnes optimates ejus confixi sunt in compedibus.
11 Therefore thou also shalt be made drunk, and shalt be despised: and thou shalt seek help from the enemy.
Et tu ergo inebriaberis, et eris despecta: et tu quæres auxilium ab inimico.
12 All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with their green figs: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.
Omnes munitiones tuæ sicut ficus cum grossis suis: si concussæ fuerint, cadent in os comedentis.
13 Behold thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thy enemies, the fire shall devour thy bars.
Ecce populus tuus mulieres in medio tui: inimicis tuis adapertione pandentur portæ terræ tuæ, devorabit ignis vectes tuos.
14 Draw thee water for the siege, build up thy bulwarks: go into the clay, and tread, work it and make brick.
Aquam propter obsidionem hauri tibi: exstrue munitiones tuas, intra in lutum, et calca, subigens tene laterem.
15 There shall the fire devour thee: thou shalt perish by the sword, it shall devour thee like the bruchus: assemble together like the bruchus, make thyself many like the locust.
Ibi comedet te ignis, peribis gladio, devorabit te ut bruchus: congregare ut bruchus, multiplicare ut locusta.
16 Thou hast multiplied thy merchandises above the stars of heaven: the bruchus hath spread himself and flown away.
Plures fecisti negotiationes tuas quam stellæ sint cæli; bruchus expansus est, et avolavit.
17 Thy guards are like the locusts: and thy little ones like the locusts of locusts which swarm on the hedges in the day of cold: the sun arose, and they flew away, and their place was not known where they were.
Custodes tui quasi locustæ, et parvuli tui quasi locustæ locustarum, quæ considunt in sepibus in die frigoris: sol ortus est, et avolaverunt, et non est cognitus locus earum ubi fuerint.
18 Thy shepherds have slumbered, O king of Assyria, thy princes shall be buried: thy people are hid in the mountains, and there is none to gather them together.
Dormitaverunt pastores tui, rex Assur, sepelientur principes tui: latitavit populus tuus in montibus, et non est qui congreget.
19 Thy destruction is not hidden, thy wound is grievous: all that have heard the fame of thee, have clapped their hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
Non est obscura contritio tua; pessima est plaga tua. Omnes qui audierunt auditionem tuam compresserunt manum super te: quia super quem non transiit malitia tua semper?

< Nahum 3 >