< Nahum 1 >

1 [I am] Nahum, from Elkosh [village]. [This is] a message about Nineveh [city, the capital of Assyria that was given] to me in a vision [by Yahweh].
Esiae nye nyagblɔɖi si Mawu ɖe fia Nyagblɔɖila Nahum, Elkositɔ, le ŋutega me tso nu si ava dzɔ ɖe Ninive dzi la ŋu, eye wòŋlɔe ɖe agbalẽ sia me.
2 Yahweh our God (is jealous/does not want people to worship any other god). He is very angry [with those who worship other gods], and he gets revenge [DOU] [on all] those who oppose him [DOU].
Yehowa nye Mawu ʋãŋu kple hlɔ̃biala. Ebiaa hlɔ̃, eye wòyɔ fũu kple dɔmedzoe. Yehowa biaa hlɔ̃ eƒe ketɔwo, eye wòléa dziku ɖi na eƒe futɔwo.
3 Yahweh does not quickly become angry; but he is very powerful, and he will certainly punish [LIT] those who have done evil things [MTY]. He shows his power by sending whirlwinds and storms, and clouds are [like] [MET] the dust [stirred up by] his feet.
Yehowa medoa dziku kaɖikaɖi o, ŋusẽ triakɔ le esi, eye magbe tohehe na agɔdzela o. Eƒe mɔwo to ahom kple ya sẽsewo me, eye lilikpowoe nye eƒe afɔ ƒe ʋuʋudedi.
4 When he commands oceans and rivers to become dry, they dry up. [He causes the grass in the fields in] the Bashan [region] and [on the slopes of] Carmel [Mountain] to wither, [and causes] the flowers in Lebanon to fade.
Eblu ɖe atsiaƒu ta wòmie, eye wòna tɔsisiwo me ƒu kplakplakpla. Basan kple Karmel ƒe lãnyiƒe damawo zu gbegbe, eye Lebanon ƒe ave damawo zu dzogbe.
5 When he appears, [it is as though] the mountains shake and the hills melt; the earth quakes and [the people on] the earth tremble.
Towo ʋuʋu kpekpekpe, eye togbɛwo lolõ gbanaa le eŋkume, anyigba kple edzinɔlawo katã ʋuʋu le eŋkume.
6 There is no one [RHQ] who can resist him when he becomes extremely angry; there is no one [RHQ] who can survive when his anger is very hot. When he is very angry, [it is as though] his anger is like [SIM] a blazing fire, and [it is as though] mountains are shattered into pieces.
Ame ka ate ŋu anɔ te ɖe eƒe dziku nu? Ame ka ate ŋu anɔ te ɖe eƒe dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ la nu? Ekɔ eƒe dɔmedzoe ɖe anyi abe dzo ene, eye agakpewo kaka le eŋkume.
7 But he is good; he protects [us his people] when we experience troubles. He takes care of those who trust in him.
Yehowa nyo, elabena enye sitsoƒe le xaxa me! Eléa be na ame si xɔa edzi sena.
8 But he will get rid of his enemies; he will be to them [like] [MET] a flood that destroys everything. He will chase his enemies into the darkness [of the place where the dead are].
Ke atsrɔ̃ Ninive kple tɔɖɔɖɔ, eye wòanya eƒe futɔwo aɖo ɖe viviti me.
9 [So], it is useless [RHQ] for you [people of Nineveh] to plot against Yahweh. He will not [need to] strike you two times to destroy you; he will destroy you [by striking you only once].
Nugbe ɖe sia ɖe si woɖo ɖe Yehowa ŋu la, mana wòadze edzi o, ke boŋ gbegblẽ mava na wo zi evelia o.
10 [It will be as though his enemies] are tangled in thorns, and they will stagger like people who have drunk a lot of wine. They will be burned up like [SIM] a fire completely burns up stubble/straw.
Woabla wo ɖe ŋuve me, woano woawo ŋutɔ ƒe wain amu, eye woabi abe gbe ƒuƒu ene.
11 In Nineveh [city] there was a man who advised people to do very wicked things to Yahweh.
O Ninive, mewòe ame si ɖo nugbe ɖe Yehowa ŋu, eye wòɖo aɖaŋu vlo na amewo la do tso.
12 But this is what Yahweh says [about you Israeli people]: “Although the people of Assyria have very many people and their army is very powerful, they will be destroyed and will disappear. [I say to my people in Judah, ] ‘have [already] punished you, but I will not punish you again.
Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “Togbɔ be wosɔ gbɔ, eye kpeɖeŋutɔwo le wo si hã la, wo katã woatsrɔ̃, eye wo nu ava ayi. O Yuda, togbɔ be mede abi ŋuwò hã la, nyemagade abi ŋuwò azɔ o.
13 Now I will cause the [people of Assyria] to no longer control/oppress you [MET]; [it will be as though] I will tear off the shackles/chains on your [hands and feet].”
Azɔ la, maŋe kɔkuti le wò kɔ, eye matu ka wò tso bablawo me.”
14 [And this is what] Yahweh also declares about you people of Nineveh: “You will not have any descendants who will continue to have your family names. And I will destroy all the statues of your gods that were carved or formed in molds. I will cause you [to be killed and] sent to your graves, because you are vile/despicable!”
Yehowa de se tso wò Ninive ŋuti be: “Womayɔ wò ŋkɔ ɖe dzidzime aɖeke ŋuti o. Mafli miaƒe aklamakpakpɛwo, eye magbã legba siwo mieli ɖe miaƒe mawuwo ƒe gbedoxɔ me. Maɖe yɔdo na mi, elabena mieganyo na naneke o.”
15 [You people of Judah, ] look! A messenger will be coming across the mountains, and he [SYN] will be bringing good news [to you]. He will be declaring [that you will now have] peace [because Assyria will have been conquered]. [So, ] celebrate your festivals, and do what you solemnly promised to do [when your enemies were threatening to attack you], because your wicked [enemies] will not invade your country again, [because] they will be completely destroyed.
Kpɔ ɖa, dɔlawo tso towo dzi gbɔna kple nya nyui, eye wole gbeƒã ɖem ŋutifafa! O Yuda, ɖu wò ŋkekenyuiwo, eye nàxe wò adzɔgbeɖefewo. Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo magava aha wò azɔ o, elabena woatsrɔ̃ wo keŋkeŋ.

< Nahum 1 >