< 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.
Nnome nka mogya kuropɔn a atoro ne korɔn ahyɛ no ma na amanehunufo mpa mu da!
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!
Apɔnkɔkafo abaa regyigye, nteaseɛnam nhankare reyɛ kirididi Apɔnkɔ rehuruhuruw ne nteaseɛnam redankyidankyi.
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.
Apɔnkɔ ne wɔn sotefo ko kɔ wɔn anim; afoa twa yerɛw yerɛw, na mpeaw nso pa yerɛw yerɛw. Atɔfo bebree, awufo a bi deda bi so, afunu a wontumi nkan wɔn dodow a nnipa tiatia so.
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.
Eyi nyinaa fi oguamanfo bi akɔnnɔ, ntafowayifo no nnaadaa dodow no. Ɔno na ɔde nʼaguamammɔ tɔn amanaman na ɔde ne ntafowayi tɔn nnipa.
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].
“Me ne wo nka,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni, “Mɛpagyaw wʼatade akɔ soro. Mɛma amanaman ahu wʼadagyaw na ahenni ahorow nso ahu wʼanimguase.
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.
Mede fi bɛsra wo ho, mebu wo animtiaa na mama nnipa ahwɛ wo.
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!”
Obiara a obehu wo beguan afi wo ho aka se, ‘Ninewe adwiriw, na hena na obesu no?’ Ɛhe na menya obi akyekye wo werɛ?”
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].
Wuye sen Tebes a ɛda Asubɔnten Nil ho a nsu atwa ne ho ahyia ana? Asubɔnten bɔ ne ho ban na nsu yɛ ne fasu.
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.
Kus ne Misraim yɛ ne dɔm a wontumi nkan wɔn. Put ne Libia ka nʼadomfo ho.
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.
Nanso wɔfaa no nnommum twaa no asu. Wɔtow ne nkokoaa hwehwee fam ma wɔtetee wɔ mmɔnten so. Wɔbɔɔ nʼadehye so ntonto, na nʼatitiriw nso wɔde nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn guguu wɔn.
11 You [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
Wo nso wobɛbow Na wubehintaw wo ho de akɔpɛ guankɔbea wɔ atamfo nkyɛn.
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.
Wʼaban nyinaa te sɛ borɔdɔma nnua a asow aba foforo: sɛ wɔwosow a aba no tetew gu ma nea ɔrehwehwɛ bi adi.
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.
Hwɛ wʼakofo wɔn nyinaa yɛ mmea! Wʼasase so apon ano deda hɔ ma wʼatamfo; ogya ahyew wʼapon no akyi adaban.
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]!
Sesaw nsu sie ma bere a wɔatua mo ano no. Yere wo bammɔ mu! Wɔw dɔte no na siesie ntayaa a wɔato no!
15 [Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
Ɛhɔ na ogya bɛhyew wo; afoa betwa wo ahwe fam, wobedi wo nam sɛ mmoadabikuw. Monnɔ sɛ tɛwtɛw, mo ase mfɛe sɛ mmoadabi!
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.
Woama wʼaguadifo adɔɔso, wɔn dodow asen ɔsoro nsoromma, nanso wɔte sɛ mmoadabi a wɔbɔ asase no kwaterekwa na afei wotu kɔ.
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.
Wʼawɛmfo te sɛ mmoadabi. Wʼadwumayɛfo te sɛ mmoadabi akuw a wɔsensam ban ho awɔw da. Nanso sɛ owia pue a wotu kɔ, na obi nnim faako a wɔkɔ.
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].
Asiriahene wo nguanhwɛfo retɔ nko. Wʼanuonyamfo deda hɔ rehome. Wo nkurɔfo abɔ apete wɔ mmepɔw no so a wonni anoboaboafo.
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.”
Aduru biara rentumi nkum wʼapirakuru no; wo kuru no bekum wo. Obiara a ɔte wo nka no bɔ ne nsam wɔ wʼasehwe ho, Na hena koraa na wʼatirimɔdensɛm no bi nkaa no da?

< Nahum 3 >