< Nahum 3 >
1 Woe to the city full of blood! It is all full of lies and stolen property; victims are always in her.
Ole wa mji umwagao damu, uliojaa uongo, umejaa nyara, usiokosa kuwa na vitu vya kuteka nyara.
2 But now there is the noise of whips and the sound of rattling wheels, prancing horses, and bounding chariots.
Kelele za mijeledi, vishindo vya magurudumu, farasi waendao mbio na mshtuo wa magari ya vita!
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.
Wapanda farasi wanaenda mbio, panga zinameremeta, na mikuki inangʼaa! Majeruhi wengi, malundo ya maiti, idadi kubwa ya miili isiyohesabika, watu wanajikwaa juu ya mizoga:
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.
yote haya kwa sababu ya wingi wa tamaa za kahaba, anayeshawishi, bibi wa mambo ya uchawi, anayewatia utumwani mataifa kwa ukahaba wake na pia jamaa za watu kwa ulozi wake.
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.
Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote anasema, “Mimi ni kinyume na ninyi. Nitafunika uso wako kwa gauni lako. Nitaonyesha mataifa uchi wako na falme aibu yako.
6 I will throw disgusting filth on you and make you vile; I will make you someone that everyone will look at.
Nitakutupia uchafu, nitakufanyia dharau na kukufanya kioja.
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?”
Wote wanaokuona watakukimbia na kusema, ‘Ninawi ipo katika kuangamia: ni nani atakayeomboleza kwa ajili yake?’ Nitampata wapi yeyote wa kukufariji?”
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?
Je, wewe ni bora kuliko No-Amoni, uliopo katika Mto Naili, uliozungukwa na maji? Mto ulikuwa kinga yake, nayo maji yalikuwa ukuta wake.
9 Cush and Egypt were her strength, and there was no end to it; Put and Libya were allies to her.
Kushi na Misri walikuwa nguvu zake zisizo na mpaka; Putu na Libia walikuwa miongoni mwa wale walioungana naye.
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.
Hata hivyo alichukuliwa mateka na kwenda uhamishoni. Watoto wake wachanga walivunjwa vunjwa vipande kwenye mwanzo wa kila barabara. Kura zilipigwa kwa watu wake wenye heshima, na watu wake wote wakuu walifungwa kwa minyororo.
11 You also will become drunk; you will try to hide, and you will also look for a refuge from your enemy.
Wewe pia utalewa; utakwenda mafichoni na kutafuta kimbilio kutoka kwa adui.
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.
Ngome zako zote ni kama mitini yenye matunda yake ya kwanza yaliyoiva; wakati inapotikiswa, tini huanguka kwenye kinywa chake alaye.
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.
Tazama vikosi vyako: wote ni wanawake! Malango ya nchi yako yamekuwa wazi kwa adui zako; moto umeteketeza mapingo yake.
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.
Teka maji kwa ajili ya kuzingirwa kwako, imarisha ulinzi wako, Ufanyie udongo wa mfinyanzi kazi, yakanyage matope, karabati tanuru la kuchomea matofali!
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.
Huko moto utakuteketeza, huko upanga utakuangusha chini na kama vile panzi, watakumaliza. Ongezeka kama panzi, ongezeka kama nzige!
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.
Umeongeza idadi ya wafanyabiashara wako mpaka wamekuwa wengi kuliko nyota za angani, lakini kama nzige wanaacha nchi tupu kisha huruka na kwenda zake.
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.
Walinzi wako ni kama nzige, maafisa wako ni kama makundi ya nzige watuao kwenye kuta wakati wa siku ya baridi: lakini wakati jua linapotokea wanaruka kwenda zao, na hakuna ajuaye waendako.
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.
Ee mfalme wa Ashuru, wachungaji wako wanasinzia; wakuu wako wanalala chini mavumbini kupumzika. Watu wako wametawanyika juu ya milima bila kuwa na mtu yeyote wa kuwakusanya.
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?
Hakuna kitu kinachoweza kuponya jeraha lako; jeraha lako ni la kukuua. Kila anayesikia habari zako, hupiga makofi kwa kuanguka kwako, kwa kuwa ni nani ambaye hajaguswa na ukatili wako usio na mwisho?