Nahum 3
1 Woe to the city full of blood! It is all full of lies and stolen property; victims are always in her.
Maye kulo idolobho legazi, ligcwele amanga, ligcwele ukuphanga, kasweleki ohlutshwayo lanini!
2 But now there is the noise of whips and the sound of rattling wheels, prancing horses, and bounding chariots.
Ukukhala kwezaswebhu, ukugodlozela kwamavili, ukumatha kwamabhiza lokugedlezela kwezinqola zempi!
3 There are attacking horsemen, flashing swords, glittering spears, heaps of corpses, great piles of bodies. There is no end to the bodies; their attackers stumble over them.
Ukuhlasela kwabagadi bamabhiza ukuphazima kwezinkemba lokubenyezela kwemikhonto. Zinengi izinkubela, izinqwaba zabafileyo, izidumbu ezingabalwayo, abantu abakhubeka ezidunjini,
4 This is happening because of the lustful actions of the beautiful prostitute, the expert in witchcraft, who sells nations through her prostitution, and peoples through her acts of witchcraft.
konke ngenxa yenkanuko embi yesifebe, siyakhanga, siyinkosikazi ephethe ubuthakathi, esifaka izizwe ebugqilini ngobufebe baso labantu ngobuthakathi baso.
5 “See, I am against you—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—I will raise up your skirt over your face and show your private parts to the nations, your shame to the kingdoms.
“Ngimelana lawe,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. “Ngizakwembulela izidwaba zakho ebusweni bakho. Ngizatshengisa izizwe ubunqunu bakho, lemibuso ihlazo lakho.
6 I will throw disgusting filth on you and make you vile; I will make you someone that everyone will look at.
Ngizakujikijela ngamanyala, ngizakweyisa, njalo ngikwenze ube ngumbukiso.
7 It will come about that everyone who looks at you will flee from you and say, 'Nineveh is destroyed; who will weep for her?' Where can I find anyone to comfort you?”
Bonke abakubonayo bazakubalekela bathi, ‘iNiniva isichithekile, ngubani ozayililela na?’ Ngingamthola ngaphi ongakududuza na?”
8 Nineveh, are you better than Thebes, that was built on the Nile River, that had water around her, whose defense was the ocean, whose wall was the sea itself?
Wena ungcono na kuleThebesi engaseNayili, ehonqolozelwe ngamanzi? Umfula wawuyisivikelo sayo, amanzi engumduli wayo.
9 Cush and Egypt were her strength, and there was no end to it; Put and Libya were allies to her.
IKhushi leGibhithe kwakungamandla ayo angapheliyo. IPhuthi leLibhiya kwakungabanye abancedisi bayo.
10 Yet Thebes was carried away; she went into captivity; her young children were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; her enemies threw lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
Kodwa yathunjwa yaya ebugqilini. Izingane zayo zapaklazwa zaba yizicucu ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke. Kwenziwa inkatho ngezikhulu zayo, wonke amadoda aphakemeyo abotshwa ngamaketane.
11 You also will become drunk; you will try to hide, and you will also look for a refuge from your enemy.
Lawe futhi uzadakwa; uzakuyacatsha udinge ukuphephela esitheni sakho.
12 All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the earliest ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
Zonke izinqola zakho zinjengezihlahla zemikhiwa ezilezithelo zazo zakuqala ezivuthiweyo; lapho zinyikinywa, imikhiwa iwela emlonyeni womudli.
13 See, the people among you are women; the gates of your land have been opened wide to your enemies; fire has devoured their bars.
Khangela amabutho akho wonke, ngawesifazane! Amasango elizwe lakho avulekele izitha zakho aba banzi; umlilo uyiqedile imigoqo yawo.
14 Go draw water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses; go into the clay and tread the mortar; pick up the molds for the bricks.
Donsa amanzi ulungele ukuvimbezela, qinisa inqaba zakho. Voxa udaka, nyathela ibumba, lungisa okwakhiwe ngezitina.
15 Fire will devour you there, and the sword will destroy you. It will devour you as young locusts devour everything. Make yourselves as many as the young locusts, as many as the full-grown locusts.
Khonapho umlilo uzakuqeda; inkemba izakucakazela phansi, ikudle njengesikhongwane. Zandise njengesikhongwane, uzandise njengentethe.
16 You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars in the heavens; but they are like young locusts: they plunder the land and then fly away.
Usulandisile inani labathengisi bakho. Baze bedlula izinkanyezi zasemkhathini, kodwa njengentethe baphundla ilizwe basuke bahambe.
17 Your princes are as many as the full-grown locusts, and your generals are like swarms of them that camp in the walls on a cold day. But when the sun rises they fly away to no one knows where.
Abalindi bakho banjengentethe, izikhulu zakho zinjengemitshitshi yentethe ezihlala emidulini mhla kuqanda kodwa ilanga lingaphuma ziyaphapha zihambe, njalo kakho okwaziyo ukuthi ngaphi.
18 King of Assyria, your shepherds are asleep; your rulers are lying down resting. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.
Wena nkosi yase-Asiriya, abelusi bakho bayawozela, izikhulu zakho zilala phansi ziphumule. Abantu bakho bahlakazekile ezintabeni kungekho obaqoqayo.
19 No healing is possible for your wounds. Your wounds are severe. Everyone who hears the news about you will clap their hands in joy over you. Who has escaped your constant wickedness?
Akukho okungapholisa amanxeba akho; ukulimala kwakho ngokokufa. Bonke abezwa izindaba ngawe batshaya izandla ngokuwa kwakho, ngoba ngubani ongafuthelwanga yisihluku sakho esingapheliyo na?
