< Nahum 3 >

1 What a disaster is coming upon this murderous city with all its treachery! It is full of wealth it has robbed, and always has plenty of victims.
Kaĩ itũũra inene rĩa Nineve rĩrĩa rĩitaga thakame rĩrĩ na haaro-ĩ! Itũũra rĩu rĩiyũrĩtwo nĩ maheeni na indo cia ũtunyani, na rĩtiagaga andũ moragĩtwo.
2 Listen to the noise: whips crack, wheels clatter, horses gallop, chariots rattle!
Rĩ na mwanũko wa mĩcaarica, na mũrurumo wa magũrũ ma ngaari, na mbarathi itengʼerete, na ngaari cia ita ikũrũgarũga!
3 Horsemen charge, swords flash, spears glitter! Many dead, piles of corpses, countless bodies—so many that people stumble over them.
Thigari cia mbarathi irahithũka, ikahenũkia hiũ cia njora na matimũ marahenia! Andũ aingĩ nĩmooragĩtwo, gũkagĩa na hĩba cia arĩa makuĩte, na ciimba itangĩtarĩka, nao andũ makahĩngwo nĩ ciimba icio:
4 All this happens because the repeated prostitution of Nineveh the prostitute, the beautiful mistress with her deadly charms who seduces nations into slavery by her prostitution and her witchcraft.
maũndũ maya mothe marekĩka nĩ ũndũ wa ũingĩ wa merirĩria ma mũmaraya, ũrĩa ũguucĩrĩirie mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio mũrogi, ũrĩa watuire ndũrĩrĩ ngombo na ũmaraya wake, na agĩtua kĩrĩndĩ ngombo na ũragũri wake.
5 Watch out! For I am against you, declares the Lord Almighty. I will lift your skirts over your face and let the nations see your nakedness, and kingdoms see your shame.
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩngũgũũkĩrĩra. Ngũkũheta nguo ikũhumbĩre ũthiũ. Nguonia ndũrĩrĩ njaga yaku, na ngũconorithie mbere ya mothamaki.
6 I will throw filth at you. I will treat you with contempt, and make a spectacle of you.
Ngũgũikĩria gĩko kĩrĩ magigi, ngũnyarare ũtuĩke kĩndũ gĩa kũmakania gĩkĩonwo nĩ andũ.
7 Then everyone who sees you will shun you saying, “Nineveh is ruined! But who is going to mourn your loss?” Where should I look to find anyone to comfort you?
Arĩa othe magaakuona nĩmakoora makiugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Hĩ, Nineve nĩrĩanange, nũũ ũkaarĩcakaĩra?’ Mũndũ wa gũkũhooreria-rĩ, ingĩmũruta kũ?”
8 Are you any better than the city of Thebes on the River Nile, surrounded by water? Water was its defense, water was its wall.
Wee-rĩ, ũkĩrĩ mwega gũkĩra Thebesi, itũũra rĩrĩa rĩakĩtwo Rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Nili, o rĩo rĩrigiicĩirio nĩ maaĩ? Rũũĩ rũu nĩruo rũrĩgitagĩra, naruo rũthingo rwarĩo nĩ maaĩ macio.
9 The city ruled Egypt and Ethiopia. Put and Libya were its allies.
Kushi na Misiri nĩcio ciarĩ hinya warĩo ũtangĩathirire; Putu na Lubimu maarĩ amwe a thiritũ narĩo.
10 Yet its people were also taken away into exile, into captivity. Their babies were dashed to pieces in every street. Their nobles were bound in chains and taken away as servants, chosen by lot.
No rĩrĩ, nĩrĩatahirwo, na andũ aarĩo magĩthaamio. Tũkenge twarĩo twatungumanirio, tũgĩtuĩka icunjĩ magomano-inĩ mothe ma njĩra. Mĩtĩ nĩyacuukĩirwo andũ aarĩo arĩa maarĩ igweta, anene othe aarĩo makĩohwo na mĩnyororo.
11 You too will behave like a drunk. You will hide in fear, trying to find a place safe from the enemy.
Wee nawe nĩũkarĩĩo, na nĩũkoora, wĩhithe, wethe kĩĩhitho ũũrĩre thũ ciaku.
12 All your fortresses are like fig trees ripe with fruit—they fall when they are shaken into the mouth of the one eating.
Ciĩhitho ciaku nũmu ciothe ihaana ta mĩtĩ ya mĩkũyũ, ĩrĩ na ngũyũ iria ciambĩte kwĩrua, yainainio-rĩ, ngũyũ ikagũa kanua-inĩ ka mũrĩi.
13 Look! Your soldiers are women among you. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; the bars of the gates will be set on fire.
Tarora, mbũtũ ciaku cia ita, hĩ, ciothe ihaana ta andũ-a-nja! Ihingo cia bũrũri waku nĩ hingũrĩre thũ ciaku biũ, mĩgĩĩko yacio ĩgacinwo na mwaki.
14 Store water to prepare for a siege! Strengthen your fortresses! Go to the clay pits to tread it well, mix the cement, get your brick molds ready!
Taha maaĩ ũige, ũgaakorwo namo hĩndĩ ya kũrigiicĩrio, ciĩgitĩro ciaku cia hinya ũcirũmie wega! Haarĩria rĩũmba, kia ndoro, ũthondeke maturubarĩ.
15 But even so, there the fire will consume you, you will be cut down by the sword. You will be destroyed as if you were devoured by a swarm of locusts. So multiply yourselves like locusts, like a swarm of locusts.
Kũu nĩkuo mwaki ũgaakũniinĩra, na rũhiũ rwa njora rũgũtemenge ũthire biũ, rũkũrĩe o ta ũrĩa ũngĩrĩĩo nĩ itono. Ciaranai ta itono, mũciarane, mũingĩhe ta ngigĩ!
16 You increased your merchants so that there are more of them than the stars of heaven. But like locusts they strip everything and then fly away.
Onjoria aku ũmaingĩhĩtie, makaingĩha gũkĩra njata cia igũrũ, no mahaana ta ngigĩ iria cianangaga bũrũri, igacooka ikeyũmbũkĩra.
17 Your leaders are like locusts, your officials like a swarm of locusts. They rest on walls on a cold day, but when the sun rises they fly away, and no one knows where they've gone.
Arangĩri aku matariĩ ta ngigĩ, anene aku nao nĩ ta mĩrumbĩ ya ngigĩ, ĩrĩa yũmbaga thingo-inĩ ciaku mũthenya wa heho, no riũa rĩara, ĩkombũka ĩgathiĩ, na gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩmenya kũrĩa yathiĩ.
18 King of Assyria, your shepherds are asleep, your princes are slumbering. Your people are scattered across the mountains and no one can gather them.
Atĩrĩrĩ, wee mũthamaki wa Ashuri, arĩithi aku nĩmakomete; andũ aku arĩa marĩ igweta nĩmahuurũkĩte. Andũ aku othe mahurunjũkĩire irĩma-inĩ, na gũtirĩ wa kũmacookanĩrĩria.
19 There is no way to heal your injuries, you are too badly wounded. Everyone who hears this news will applaud what has happened to you, for was there anyone who escaped your continuous cruelty?
Kĩronda gĩaku gĩtingĩhona; nguraro yaku nĩ ya gũkũũraga. Mũndũ o wothe ũiguĩte ũhoro waku arahũũra hĩ tondũ nĩũgwĩte, nũũ ũtarĩ wahutio nĩ kĩnyariirano gĩaku gĩtarĩ mũthia?

< Nahum 3 >