Nahum 3
1 Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and rapine; the prey departeth not.
Maye kulo idolobho legazi, ligcwele amanga, ligcwele ukuphanga, kasweleki ohlutshwayo lanini!
2 Hark! the whip, and hark! the rattling of the wheels; and prancing horses, and bounding chariots;
Ukukhala kwezaswebhu, ukugodlozela kwamavili, ukumatha kwamabhiza lokugedlezela kwezinqola zempi!
3 The horseman charging, and the flashing sword, and the glittering spear; and a multitude of slain, and a heap of carcases; and there is no end of the corpses, and they stumble upon their corpses;
Ukuhlasela kwabagadi bamabhiza ukuphazima kwezinkemba lokubenyezela kwemikhonto. Zinengi izinkubela, izinqwaba zabafileyo, izidumbu ezingabalwayo, abantu abakhubeka ezidunjini,
4 Because of the multitude of the harlotries of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her harlotries, and families through her witchcrafts.
konke ngenxa yenkanuko embi yesifebe, siyakhanga, siyinkosikazi ephethe ubuthakathi, esifaka izizwe ebugqilini ngobufebe baso labantu ngobuthakathi baso.
5 Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
“Ngimelana lawe,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. “Ngizakwembulela izidwaba zakho ebusweni bakho. Ngizatshengisa izizwe ubunqunu bakho, lemibuso ihlazo lakho.
6 And I will cast detestable things upon thee, and make thee vile, and will make thee as dung.
Ngizakujikijela ngamanyala, ngizakweyisa, njalo ngikwenze ube ngumbukiso.
7 And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say: 'Nineveh is laid waste; who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?'
Bonke abakubonayo bazakubalekela bathi, ‘iNiniva isichithekile, ngubani ozayililela na?’ Ngingamthola ngaphi ongakududuza na?”
8 Art thou better than No-amon, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about her; whose rampart was the sea, and of the sea her wall?
Wena ungcono na kuleThebesi engaseNayili, ehonqolozelwe ngamanzi? Umfula wawuyisivikelo sayo, amanzi engumduli wayo.
9 Ethiopia and Egypt were thy strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
IKhushi leGibhithe kwakungamandla ayo angapheliyo. IPhuthi leLibhiya kwakungabanye abancedisi bayo.
10 Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
Kodwa yathunjwa yaya ebugqilini. Izingane zayo zapaklazwa zaba yizicucu ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke. Kwenziwa inkatho ngezikhulu zayo, wonke amadoda aphakemeyo abotshwa ngamaketane.
11 Thou also shalt be drunken, thou shalt swoon; thou also shalt seek a refuge because of the enemy.
Lawe futhi uzadakwa; uzakuyacatsha udinge ukuphephela esitheni sakho.
12 All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Zonke izinqola zakho zinjengezihlahla zemikhiwa ezilezithelo zazo zakuqala ezivuthiweyo; lapho zinyikinywa, imikhiwa iwela emlonyeni womudli.
13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women; the gates of thy land are set wide open unto thine enemies; the fire hath devoured thy bars.
Khangela amabutho akho wonke, ngawesifazane! Amasango elizwe lakho avulekele izitha zakho aba banzi; umlilo uyiqedile imigoqo yawo.
14 Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, lay hold of the brickmould.
Donsa amanzi ulungele ukuvimbezela, qinisa inqaba zakho. Voxa udaka, nyathela ibumba, lungisa okwakhiwe ngezitina.
15 There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall devour thee like the canker-worm; make thyself many as the canker-worm, make thyself many as the locusts.
Khonapho umlilo uzakuqeda; inkemba izakucakazela phansi, ikudle njengesikhongwane. Zandise njengesikhongwane, uzandise njengentethe.
16 Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven; the canker-worm spreadeth itself, and flieth away.
Usulandisile inani labathengisi bakho. Baze bedlula izinkanyezi zasemkhathini, kodwa njengentethe baphundla ilizwe basuke bahambe.
17 Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which camp in the walls in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
Abalindi bakho banjengentethe, izikhulu zakho zinjengemitshitshi yentethe ezihlala emidulini mhla kuqanda kodwa ilanga lingaphuma ziyaphapha zihambe, njalo kakho okwaziyo ukuthi ngaphi.
18 Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria, thy worthies are at rest; thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.
Wena nkosi yase-Asiriya, abelusi bakho bayawozela, izikhulu zakho zilala phansi ziphumule. Abantu bakho bahlakazekile ezintabeni kungekho obaqoqayo.
19 There is no assuaging of thy hurt, thy wound is grievous; all that hear the report of thee clap the hands over thee; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
Akukho okungapholisa amanxeba akho; ukulimala kwakho ngokokufa. Bonke abezwa izindaba ngawe batshaya izandla ngokuwa kwakho, ngoba ngubani ongafuthelwanga yisihluku sakho esingapheliyo na?
