Nahum 2
1 [You people of] [APO] Nineveh, your enemies are coming to attack you. [So] place guards on the tops of the walls around the city! Guard the roads [into the city]! Get ready to fight! Gather your troops/soldiers [MTY] together!
Umhlakazi ukhuphukile phambi kobuso bakho; gcina inqaba, linda indlela, qinisa ukhalo, yenza amandla akho aqine kakhulu.
2 Even though enemy soldiers have destroyed the descendants of [MTY] Jacob, Yahweh will cause them to be honored again. Israel is like a grapevine that has been ruined, but Israel will prosper again.
Ngoba iNkosi ibuyisile ubukhosi bukaJakobe, njengobukhosi bukaIsrayeli. Ngoba abathululayo babathululile, bona izingatsha zevini zabo.
3 The shields of the enemy soldiers [who are coming to attack you] will shine red [as the sun shines on them], and they will wear bright red uniforms. The metal of their chariot [wheels] will flash when they line up [before the battle], and their soldiers will lift up their cypress/pine spears and wave them.
Isihlangu samaqhawe akhe senziwe saba bomvu, amadoda alesibindi agqoke okubomvu; izinqola ziphakathi lomlilo wensimbi ngosuku lokuzilungiselela kwakhe; lezihlahla zamafiri zizazanyazanyiswa.
4 Their chariots will dash through the streets [of Nineveh] and rush furiously through the plazas. Going as quick as lightning, they will resemble flaming torches.
Izinqola ziyahlanya ezitaladeni, zihaluzela ziye le lale emidangeni; ukubonakala kwazo kunjengezibane, zigijime njengemibane.
5 [Meanwhile], your king will summon his officers who will stumble as they [try to] come [quickly]. They will dash to the [city] wall, holding their shields to protect themselves.
Uzakhumbula izikhulu zakhe; zizakhubeka ekuhambeni kwazo; ziphangise emthangaleni wakhe, sesimisiwe isivikelo.
6 But, the gates [of the dams] on the rivers will be thrown open [by enemy soldiers], and [the flood will cause] the palace to collapse.
Amasango emifula azavulwa, lesigodlo sincibilike.
7 The queen will have her clothes stripped off her [by enemy soldiers], and her slave girls will moan like doves and beat their breasts [to show that they are very sad].
Njalo uHuzabhi uzakhokhelwa engothunjiweyo, uzakhutshulwa, lezincekukazi zakhe zimkhokhele kwangathi ngelizwi lamajuba, zitshaya ezifubeni zazo.
8 [The people will rush from] Nineveh like [SIM] water rushes from a broken dam. [The officials] will shout, “Stop! Stop!” but the people will not even look back [as they run away].
Loba iNineve injengechibi lamanzi kusukela kwasendulo, kanti bazabaleka. Bathi: Manini! manini! kodwa kakho ozaphenduka.
9 [The enemy attackers say to each other, ] “Seize the silver! Grab the gold! There is a huge amount of very valuable things in this city, more valuable things than anyone can count!”
Phangani isiliva, phangani igolide; ngoba kakulakuphela kokubuthelelweyo, lenkanzimulo kuzo zonke izitsha eziloyisekayo.
10 [Soon everything valuable in the city] will be seized or ruined. People will be trembling, with the result that they will not be able to fight. Their faces will all become pale.
Iyize, kayiselalutho, ichithekile; inhliziyo iyancibilika, lamadolo ayatshayana, lobuhlungu obukhulu busezinkalweni zonke, lobuso babo bonke bunyukumele.
11 [After that happens, people will say, ] “What happened to [RHQ] that [great city of Nineveh]? [It was like] [MET] a den [full] of young lions, where the male and female lions lived and fed the young ones.
Ingaphi indawo yokuhlala yezilwane, lendawo yokudlela yamabhongo esilwane, lapho esasihamba khona isilwane, isilwane esidala, lomdlwane wesilwane, njalo kungekho okuzethusayo?
12 [The soldiers in Nineveh were like] [MET] lions that killed or strangled [other animals] [and brought the meat] to their dens.”
Isilwane sadabudabula okwenele imidlwane yaso, sakhamela izilwanekazi zaso, sagcwalisa imilindi yaso ngempango, lezindawo zaso zokuhlala ngokudatshuliweyo.
13 The Commander of the armies of angels says [to the people of Nineveh], “I am opposed to you; I will cause your chariots to [be burned in fires and] go up in smoke. Your young men will be killed with swords. [Your soldiers] will never again conquer [other nations] and seize their valuable possessions. Your messengers will never again take messages [to other nations, demanding that their armies surrender to them].”
Khangela, ngimelene lawe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, ngizazitshisa inqola zakhe entuthwini, lenkemba izaqeda amabhongo ezilwane akho; njalo ngizaquma impango yakho kusuke emhlabeni, lelizwi lezithunywa zakho kalisayikuzwakala.
