< Nahum 3 >

1 Terrible things will happen to [Nineveh], that city [that is full of people who] murder [MTY] and lie. [The city is] full of things that were seized [from other countries by their soldiers]; [their armies] continually [LIT] have acted brutally towards people whom they conquered.
Tami thi palawngnae kho dawk, thoebonae ka tâcawtkhai e laithoe hoi thamanae akawi. A man e naw hai tha awh hoeh.
2 But [now listen to the enemy soldiers coming to attack Nineveh]; [listen to them] cracking their whips, and [listen to the] rattle of [their chariot] wheels! [Listen to] their galloping horses and their chariots as they bounce along!
Bongpai hoi hem e lawk, rangleng khok kamlei lawk, marang coukdouk lawk, rangleng a yawng e lawk hah ka thai.
3 [Look at their] flashing swords and glittering spears as the horsemen race forward! Many [people of Nineveh will be] killed; [there will be] piles of corpses, [with the result that] people will stumble over them.
Marangransa ni laklakkaang e tahloi, keitat tahroe hah a dâw teh, kadout e tami ro teh a kâmawk. Hote ronaw hah boeba touk thai hoeh. Ronaw hah a kamthui awh teh ro van a tâlaw awh.
4 All [that will happen] because [Nineveh is like] [MET] a beautiful prostitute [who lures men to where they will be ruined]; [Nineveh is a beautiful city] which has attracted/enticed [people of] other nations [to come there]. [The people of Nineveh] taught those people [of other nations rituals of] magic, and caused them to become their slaves.
Hetnaw pueng teh ka kâyawt e napui kecu doeh a tho. A meihawinae, ânnae, a kâyonae lahoi khocaramca pueng koung a dum toe.
5 [So] the Commander of the armies of angels says to [the people of Nineveh]: “I am your enemy, and I will [cause the people in other] nations to see you [completely] humiliated like [MET] [women who have committed adultery are humiliated by] having their skirts lifted high, [with the result that] people can see their naked [bodies].
Hatdawkvah, Cathut ni a dei e teh, nange avanglah kai ka o. Na angki hah na minhmai dawk ka ling vaiteh caici lah na onae hoi na kayanae hah uknaeram tangkuem ka patue han.
6 I will cause rubbish/garbage to be thrown at you; I will show [others] that I despise you very much, and I will cause you to be publicly ridiculed.
Ei hoi na dei vaiteh, na khin sak vaiteh, ayâ ni panuet e lah na ta han.
7 All those who see you will turn their backs to you and say, ‘Nineveh is ruined, but absolutely no one [RHQ] will mourn for it.’ No one will regret Nineveh being destroyed!”
Na kahmawt e tami pueng ni, Nineveh kho a rawk toe, apinimouh a khui han vai ati awh teh, na yawng takhai awh han. Nang lungpahawi hanelah, nâmouh ka tawng vaiteh ka pâphawng han vai.
8 Your city is certainly [RHQ] no safer than Thebes [city] was. [Thebes was an important city] beside the Nile [River]; the river was [like] [SIM] a wall that protected the city [DOU].
Nang teh tuipui rahak kaawm e Noamon kho hlak na talue maw. Hote khopui teh tui ni a kalup teh, tuipui teh ahnie rapan lah ao.
9 [The rulers of] Ethiopia and Egypt helped Thebes; there was no limit to their power. [The governments of the nearby countries of] Put and Libya were also allies of Thebes.
Ethiopia hoi Izip ram teh ahnie senehmaica lah ao teh a thaonae teh baw thai hoeh. Put hoi Lubim ni a kabawp.
10 But Thebes was captured, and [its people were] (exiled/forced to go to other countries). Their babies were dashed to pieces in the streets [of the city]. [Enemy soldiers] (cast lots/threw small marked stones) to decide who would get each official in Thebes [to become his slave]. All the leaders of Thebes were fastened/tied by chains.
Hatei, hote kho teh tarannaw ni a tuk awh teh a man awh toe. Khocanaw teh lamtakinnaw koe a phep awh. Bari lah kaawm e khocanaw teh, cungpam lah a khoe awh teh, thakasai e khocanaw abuemlah sumrui hoi a pâkhi awh toe.
11 You [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
Nang haiyah puen laihoi na kâhro han. Taran kut dawk hoi hlout nahanelah kacakpounge hmuen na tawng han.
12 [Your enemies will cause] the walls around your city to fall down like [SIM] the first figs that fall from fig trees [each year]. [Your city will be captured easily, like] [MET] [figs that fall] into the mouths [HYP] of those who shake the fig trees.
Nange rapanimnaw teh a paw hmaloe kahmin e thaibunglungnaw hoi a kâvan han. Kahuet navah ka cat ngai e kâko thung hloum a bo pouh awh han.
13 Look at your soldiers! They will be [as weak/helpless as] [MET] women! The gates of your city will be opened wide [to allow] your enemies [to enter them], [and then] the bars of those gates will be burned.
Na taminaw teh na hmalah napui patetlah ao vaiteh, kho longkhanaw teh tarannaw hanelah kakaw lah a kamawng vaiteh tho rawngkannae teh hmai a kak han.
14 Store up water [now to use when] your enemies surround the city! Repair the forts! Dig up clay and trample it [to make it soft], and put it into molds to make bricks [to repair the walls]!
Taran ni na kaven yunglam, na hno hane tui sut do awh. Rapanimnaw hah caksak awh. Amhru talai hah katin awh. Amhru hmai raawng awh.
15 [Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
Hote hmuen koe raw vah hmai na kak awh vaiteh, tahloi hoi pat na raboung awh han. Samtong patetlah pap awh yawkaw, awsi patetlah pap a yawkaw.
16 In your [city] there are now very many merchants; [it seems that] there are more of them than there are stars. But [when your city is being destroyed, those merchants will take the valuable things and disappear] [like] [SIM] locusts that strip the leaves from plants and [then] fly away.
Kalvan âsinaw hlak hno kayawtnaw kapap nakunghai, samtongnaw patetlah parang a kamleng awh han.
17 Your leaders are [also] like a swarm of [SIM] locusts [DOU] that crowd together on the stone fences/walls on a cold day, and [then] fly away when the sun comes up, and no one knows where they have gone.
Nangmae khobawinaw teh samtangnaw patetlah ransabawinaw teh tapangkhongdengnaw patetlah ao awh teh, a pâding toteh tahmout dawk a tabo awh. Kanî a tâco toteh nâmouh phang a kamleng tie panuek hoeh.
18 O King of Assyria, your officials will [all] be dead [EUP]; your important people will lie down and rest [forever]. Your people will be scattered over the mountains, and there will no one to gather them [together].
Assiria siangpahrang nange tukhoumnaw teh muet a i awh teh, Saring kakhenkungnaw teh a yan awh. Ransanaw teh monsom vah koung kâkapek awh teh apinihai pâkhueng awh hoeh.
19 You [are like someone who] has a wound that cannot be healed; [it will be] a wound that causes him to die. And all those who hear about what has happened to you will clap their hands [joyfully]. [They will say, ] “Everyone has [RHQ] suffered because he continually was [very] cruel to us.”
Na khang e a hmâ a nung poung dawkvah dam thai mahoeh. Nange kamthang ka thai e pueng ni kut na tabawng sin awh han. Bangkongtetpawiteh, nang ni na rektap hoeh e tami apihai awm hoeh.

< Nahum 3 >