< Nahum 2 >

1 Ninive, futɔwo ƒe asrafowo ƒo ɖe dziwò vɔ. Kpɔ wò mɔ sẽsewo ta. Wò ŋkuwo nenɔ mɔ la ŋu. Mibla ali dzi sesĩe eye miƒo aʋawɔlawo nu ƒu.
Come up hath a scatterer to thy face, Keep the bulwark, watch the way, Strengthen the loins, strengthen power mightily.
2 Yehowa agbugbɔ Yakob ƒe atsyɔ̃ nɛ, eye wòanɔ abe Israel tɔ ene. Togbɔ be futɔwo gblẽ wò, Yakob ƒe anyigba, eye woha wò waingblewo hã.
For turned back hath Jehovah to the excellency of Jacob, As [to] the excellency of Israel, For emptied them out have emptiers, And their branches they have marred.
3 Futɔwo ƒe asrafowo ƒe akpoxɔnu biã dzẽe, eye wodo awu dzĩ. Tasiaɖamŋugawo le dzo dam gbe si gbe wobla akpa na aʋawɔwɔ, eye kalẽtɔwo le woƒe akplɔwo nyem le yame.
The shield of his mighty ones is become red, Men of might [are in] scarlet, With fiery torches [is] the chariot in a day of his preparation, And the firs have been caused to tremble.
4 Tasiaɖamwo le zi nyem le mɔtatawo dzi, eye wole du ƒum le ablɔwo me le yiyim le gbɔgbɔm. Woƒe dzedzeme le abe akakatiwo ene, eye wole dzo kem abe dzikedzo ene.
In out-places shine do the chariots, They go to and fro in broad places, Their appearances [are] like torches, As lightnings they run.
5 Fia la ado ɣli ayɔ eƒe aʋafiawo; woanɔ du dzi anɔ anyi dzem, anɔ fɔfɔm be yewoayi aɖaɖo gli sesẽwo, ale be futɔwo mate ŋu akpɔ mɔ ava o.
He doth remember his honourable ones, They stumble in their goings, They hasten [to] its wall, and prepared is the covering.
6 Agbo si le tɔsisi la nu la aʋu siaa, eye fiasã la ƒe gliwo anye kpo, amu adze anyi.
Gates of the rivers have been opened, And the palace is dissolved.
7 Woɖe gbe be woaɖe aboyo dua me tɔwo. Eƒe kosiviwo anɔ xɔxlɔ̃m abe ahɔnɛ ene, eye woanɔ akɔta ƒom.
And it is established — she hath removed, She hath been brought up, And her handmaids are leading as the voice of doves, Tabering on their hearts.
8 Ninive le abe ta si ƒe tsi le sisim ene. Ne woado ɣli be: “Mitɔ, mitɔ,” la, ame aɖeke manye kɔ akpɔ megbe o.
And Nineveh [is] as a pool of waters, From of old it [is] — and they are fleeing! 'Stand ye, stand;' and none is turning!
9 Miha klosalowo! Mìha sika! Kesinɔnuwo sɔ gbɔ fũu, xexlẽme meli na nu xɔasi siawo o.
Seize ye silver, seize ye gold, And there is no end to the prepared things, [To] the abundance of all desirable vessels.
10 Woɖi gbɔlo dua keŋkeŋ, wohae eye woɖe amae. Amewo ƒe dzi gbã, klowo le ƒoƒom kpakpakpa, ameti blibo la le dzodzom nyanyanya, eye ŋkume sia ŋkume afu tititi.
She is empty, yea, emptiness and waste, And the heart hath melted, And the knees have smitten together, And great pain [is] in all loins, And the faces of all of them have gathered paleness.
11 Afi ka dzatawo ƒe do la le azɔ? Afi si wonyia dzataviwo le, afi si dzatatsu kple dzatanɔ kple dzatavi ɖia tsa le vɔvɔ̃manɔmee ɖe?
Where [is] the habitation of lionesses? And a feeding-place it [is] for young lions Where walked hath a lion, an old lion, A lion's whelp, and there is none troubling.
12 Dzatatsu léa nu si ade viawo kple dzatanɔ nu; etsɔa nuléleawo yɔa eƒe mlɔƒe kple eƒe dowo me fũu.
The lion is tearing parts [for] his whelps, And is strangling for his lionesses, And he doth fill [with] prey his holes, And his habitations [with] rapine.
13 Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔ be: “Metso ɖe ŋuwò; matɔ dzo wò tasiaɖamwo, eye wò dzataviwo atsi yi nu. Nyemagblẽ ame aɖeke ɖe anyigba dzi nàgada adzoe o, eye womagase wò ame dɔdɔwo ƒe gbe le teƒe aɖeke azɔ o.”
Lo, I [am] against thee, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I have burned in smoke its chariot, And thy young lions consume doth a sword, And I have cut off from the land thy prey, And not heard any more is the voice of thy messengers!

< Nahum 2 >