< 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.
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 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!
Rĩ na mwanũko wa mĩcaarica, na mũrurumo wa magũrũ ma ngaari, na mbarathi itengʼerete, na ngaari cia ita ikũrũgarũga!
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.
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 [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.
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 [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].
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩngũgũũkĩrĩra. Ngũkũheta nguo ikũhumbĩre ũthiũ. Nguonia ndũrĩrĩ njaga yaku, na ngũconorithie mbere ya mothamaki.
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.
Ngũgũikĩria gĩko kĩrĩ magigi, ngũnyarare ũtuĩke kĩndũ gĩa kũmakania gĩkĩonwo nĩ andũ.
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!”
Arĩa othe magaakuona nĩmakoora makiugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Hĩ, Nineve nĩrĩanange, nũũ ũkaarĩcakaĩra?’ Mũndũ wa gũkũhooreria-rĩ, ingĩmũruta kũ?”
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].
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 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.
Kushi na Misiri nĩcio ciarĩ hinya warĩo ũtangĩathirire; Putu na Lubimu maarĩ amwe a thiritũ narĩo.
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.
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 [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
Wee nawe nĩũkarĩĩo, na nĩũkoora, wĩhithe, wethe kĩĩhitho ũũrĩre thũ ciaku.
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.
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 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.
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 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]!
Taha maaĩ ũige, ũgaakorwo namo hĩndĩ ya kũrigiicĩrio, ciĩgitĩro ciaku cia hinya ũcirũmie wega! Haarĩria rĩũmba, kia ndoro, ũthondeke maturubarĩ.
15 [Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
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 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.
Onjoria aku ũmaingĩhĩtie, makaingĩha gũkĩra njata cia igũrũ, no mahaana ta ngigĩ iria cianangaga bũrũri, igacooka ikeyũmbũkĩra.
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.
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 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].
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 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.”
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 >