< Nahum 3 >

1 Alas for the city of bloodshed! All of it, deceit, of violence full, none releaseth prey!
Nnome nka mogya kuropɔn a atorɔ ne korɔno ahyɛ no ma na amanehunufoɔ mmpa mu da!
2 The sound of the whip, and the sound of the rushing wheel, —and horse galloping, and dancing chariot rattling along.
Apɔnkɔkafoɔ abaa regyegye, nteaseɛnam nhankra reyɛ kirididi Apɔnkɔ rehurihuri ne nteaseɛnam redenkye denkye.
3 Horsemen uplifting both the flashing sword, and the lightning spear, Aye, a mass of slain, and a weight of dead bridles, —and no end of corpses, so that they stumble upon their corpses.
Apɔnkɔ ne wɔn sotefoɔ ko kɔ wɔn anim akofena twa nyinam nyinam na mpea nso pa yerɛ yerɛ. Atɔfoɔ bebree, awufoɔ a ebi deda ebi soɔ, afunu a wɔntumi nkan wɔn dodoɔ a nnipa tiatia soɔ.
4 Because of the multitude of the unchaste doings of the unchaste one, fair in grace, mistress of secret arts, —who hath been selling nations by her unchaste doings, families by her secret arts,
Yei nyinaa firi odwamanfoɔ bi akɔnnɔ, ntafowayifoɔ no nnaadaa dodoɔ no. Ɔno na ɔde nʼadwamammɔ tɔn amanaman na ɔde nʼabayisɛm tɔn nnipa.
5 Behold me! against thee, Declareth Yahweh of hosts, Therefore will I remove thy shirts over thy face, —and let, nations, see thy nakedness, and, kingdoms, thy shame;
“Me ne wo nnka,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ ni, “Mɛpagya wʼatadeɛ akɔ soro. Mɛma amanaman ahunu wʼadagya na ahennie ahodoɔ nso ahunu wʼanimguaseɛ.
6 And I will cast upon thee abominable filth, and treat thee as foolish, —and set thee as a gazing-stock.
Mede efi bɛfɔre wo ho, mɛbu wo animtia na mama nnipa ahwɛ wo.
7 And it shall come to pass that, all who see thee, shall flee from thee, and shall say, Destroyed is Nineveh! Who will bemoan her?—Whence shall I seek any to comfort thee?
Obiara a ɔbɛhunu wo bɛdwane afiri wo ho aka sɛ, ‘Ninewe abɔ, na hwan na ɔbɛsu no?’ Ɛhe na menya obi akyekyere wo werɛ?”
8 Art thou better than No-amon, who sat among the Nile-streams, waters round about her, —whose fortress was the sea, from the sea, her wall.
Woyɛ sene Tebes a ɛda Asubɔnten Nil ho a nsuo atwa he ho ahyia anaa? Asubɔnten bɔ ne ho ban na nsuo yɛ ne fasuo.
9 Ethiopia, was her strength, and Egypt—Yea, without end, —Put and Lubim, were among thy helpers.
Kus ne Misraim yɛ ne dɔm a wɔntumi nkan wɔn. Put ne Libia ka nʼadomfoɔ ho.
10 Yet, she, was given up to exile, she went into captivity, even her babes, were dashed to the ground, at the head of all the streets, —and, for her honourable men, cast they lots, and, all her great men, were bound together in chains.
Nanso wɔfaa no dommum twaa no asuo. Wɔtoo ne mmadoma hwehwee fam ma wɔtetee wɔ mmɔntene so. Wɔbɔɔ nʼaberempɔn so ntonto, na nʼatitire nso wɔde nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn guguu wɔn.
11 Thou too, shalt be drunken, thou shalt hide thyself, —thou too, shalt seek shelter from the foe:
Wo nso wʼani so bɛyɛ wo hagyahagya sɛ ɔsabofoɔ Na wo bɛhinta wo ho de akɔpɛ dwanekɔbea wɔ atamfoɔ nkyɛn.
12 All thy fortresses, shall be fig-trees with first-ripe figs: if thy be shaken, then shall [the fruit] fall on the mouth of the eater.
Wʼaban nyinaa te sɛ borɔdɔma nnua a aso aba foforɔ: sɛ wɔwoso a aba no tete gu ma deɛ ɔrepɛ bi adi.
13 Lo! thy people, are women, in thy midst, to thy foes, have been set wide open the gates of thy and, —a fire, hath devoured, thy bars.
Hwɛ wʼakofoɔ wɔn nyinaa yɛ mmaa! Wʼasase so apono ano deda hɔ ma wʼatamfoɔ; ogya ahye wʼapono no akyiri adaban.
14 Siege-water, draw for thyself, strengthen thy fortresses, —go into the clay, and tread thou the mortar, make strong the brick.
Sesa nsuo sie ma otua no. Yere wo banbɔ mu! Wɔ dɔteɛ no na siesie ntayaa a wato no!
15 There, shall a fire devour thee, the sword, shall cut thee off, it shall devour thee like the grass locust, make thyself numerous like the grass locust, make thyself numerous as the swarming locust:
Ɛhɔ na ogya bɛhye woɔ; akofena bɛtwa wo ahwe fam, na ayɛ wo sɛdeɛ mmɛbɛ adi wo nam. Mo nnɔre sɛ mmɛbɛ anaa ntutummɛ!
16 Though thou have multiplied thy foot-soldiers beyond the stars of the heavens, the grass locust, hath stript itself and flown away!
Wama wʼadwadifoɔ adɔɔso, wɔn dodoɔ asene ɔsoro nsoromma, nanso wɔte sɛ ntutummɛ a wɔbɔ asase no kwaterekwa na afei wɔtu kɔ.
17 Thy mercenary crowds, are like the swarming locust, and, thy mixed multitudes, like locusts—swarms of locusts, —which settle in the hedges on a cold day, the sun, hath broken forth, and they are in flight, and unknown is the place where they are!
Wʼawɛmfoɔ te sɛ ntutummɛ. Wʼadwumayɛfoɔ te sɛ ntutummɛ akuo a wɔsensam ban ho awɔ da. Adekyeɛ mu owia pue a wɔtu kɔ, na obi nnim faako a wɔkɔ.
18 Asleep are thy shepherds, O king of Assyria, thy nobles, must needs rest. Scattered are thy people upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.
Ao, Asiriahene wo nnwanhwɛfoɔ retɔ nko. Wʼanimuonyamfoɔ deda hɔ rehome. Wo nkurɔfoɔ abɔ apete wɔ mmepɔ no so a wɔnni anoboaboafoɔ.
19 No lessening of thine injury, grievous is thy wound, —all who have heard the report of thee, have clapped their hands over thee, for, upon whom, hath not thy cruelty passed without ceasing?
Aduro biara ntumi nkum wʼapirakuro no; wo pira no mu yɛ den. Obiara a ɔte wo nka no bɔ ne nsam wɔ wʼasehweɛ ho, Na hwan koraa na wommɔɔ no atirimuɔden da?

< Nahum 3 >