< 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.
Malè a vil sanglan an! Li plen nèt ak manti ak piyaj. Viktim li yo san fen.
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!
Bri a fwèt la, bri a wou k ap sone sou wòch yo, cheval k ap galope yo ak cha k ap vòltije yo!
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.
Chevalye k ap kouri desann yo; nepe k ap klere yo, lans k ap briye tankou solèy yo. Anpil mò, yon gwo ma kadav, ak kò mouri san kontwòl— yo manke tonbe sou kadav mò yo!
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.
Tout sa akoz anpil aktivite a pwostitiye yo, sila ki vrèman byen pòtan yo, mètrès a gwo maji yo, ki vann nasyon yo nan pwostitisyon li yo, ak fanmi yo nan gwo wanga li konn fè yo.
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].
“Gade byen, Mwen vin kont ou”, deklare SENYÈ dèzame yo. Mwen va Leve jip ou jis rive nan figi ou pou montre a nasyon yo toutouni ou, pou wayòm yo wè wont ou.
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.
Mwen va jete bagay ki sal nèt sou ou, fè ou vin avili e fè ou vin espektak.
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!”
Konsa, li va vin rive ke tout moun ki wè ou, yo va fè bak, e yo va di: “Men Ninive fin devaste nèt! Se kilès k ap fè dèy pou li? Se kibò pou m ta jwenn moun ki pou rekonfòte ou?”
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].
Èske ou pi bon pase Nò Amon ki te pozisyone pami rivyè yo, ki te antoure ak dlo, ki te gen lanmè kon pwotèj li, e se lanmè ki te sèvi kon miray li?
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.
Se Éthiopie ki te pwisans li, ansanm ak Égypte ki te san limit. Puth ak Libie te pami soutyen ou yo.
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.
Men li te pote ale; li te antre an kaptivite. Tout ti pitit li yo te vin kraze an mòso nan tèt tout ri yo. Yo te fè tiraj osò pou onorab li yo, e mesye pwisan li yo te mare nan chèn.
11 You [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
Ou menm tou va vin sou nèt. Ou va kache. Ou menm tou va chache yon kote pou ou kache akoz de ènmi an.
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.
Tout gwo fò nou yo va tankou pye fig etranje ak fwi ki mi— lè yo sekwe yo, yo tonbe nan bouch a sila k ap manje yo a.
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.
Gade byen, pèp ou a se fanm yo ye pami nou! Pòtay peyi ou yo vin ouvri byen laj bay lènmi ou yo. Dife fin devore baryè pòtay ou yo.
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]!
Rale dlo ou pou kont ou pou fè syèj la! Ranfòse fò ou yo! Antre nan ajil la, e foule mòtye a anba pye ou. Byen bati kay fou k ap fè brik yo fò!
15 [Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
La, dife sa menm va vin devore ou nèt. Nepe va koupe retire ou nèt. Li va devore ou tankou krikèt volan. Li va fè ou vin anpil tankou yon krikèt volan. Li va fè ou vin anpil tankou krikèt.
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.
Ou fin ogmante machann ou yo plis pase zetwal syèl yo— krikèt volan ravaje, epi, konsa, li vole ale.
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.
Gad nou yo tankou krikèt. Jandam nou yo tankou gwo lame krikèt volan k ap poze sou wòch nan jou fredi. Lè solèy la leve yo sove ale. Kote yo rive a, pèsòn pa konnen.
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].
Bèje ou yo ap dòmi, O wa Assyrie. Prens ou yo kouche nèt. Pèp ou an vin gaye sou mòn yo, e nanpwen moun ki pou rasanble yo.
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.”
Nanpwen ti pansman pou sa k ap fè ou mal la. Blesi ou a p ap ka geri. Tout moun ki tande koze ou va bat men yo sou ou, paske kilès moun san rete, ki pa t resevwa nan mechanste ou?

< Nahum 3 >