< Nahum 3 >

1 Baba na du si yɔ fũu kple ʋukɔkɔɖi, alakpadada kple nuhaha, eye wògbe asiɖeɖe le nu siwo wòha la ŋu.
Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and rapine. The prey departs not.
2 Ƒu to anyi nàse ale si sɔƒokawo le gbe dom, eye tasiaɖamwo ƒe afɔtiwo, kple sɔwo ƒe afɔkpawo le hoo wɔm esime tasiaɖamwo le du sim glaŋglaŋglaŋ le mɔtatawo dzi!
The noise of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of wheels, and prancing horses, and bounding chariots,
3 Sɔdolawo dze agbo, yiwo le dzo dam, eye akplɔwo le dzo sim le woƒe asi me! Ame tsiaʋawo teƒe mekɔ o, ame kukuwo sɔ gbɔ taŋtaŋtaŋ, eye ɖewo tsi wo nɔewo dzi. Amewo le wo dzi zɔm le anyi dzem, le fɔfɔm; gale anyi dzem.
the horseman mounting, and the flashing sword, and the glittering spear, and a multitude of slain, and a great heap of corpses, and there is no end of the bodies. They stumble upon their bodies,
4 Esiawo katã va eme ɖe gbolo ɖeka ƒe gbolowɔwɔ vivivo ta. Ame si ble afakalawo ƒe amegã nu, eye wòdo kluvi dukɔwo kple eƒe gbolowɔwɔ hebla amewo kple eƒe adzewɔwɔ.
because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, who sells nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
5 Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔ be: “Le esia ta, metsi tsitre ɖe ŋuwò, azɔ maɖe motsyɔvɔ le mo na wò, mana dukɔwo nakpɔ wò amame, eye fiaɖuƒewo nakpɔ wò ŋukpe.
Behold, I am against thee, says Jehovah of hosts, and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
6 Malɔ gbeɖuɖɔ akɔ ɖe dziwò, ado ŋunyɔ wò, eye nàzu nukpɔkpɔ na dukɔwo.
And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazing-stock.
7 Ame siwo katã akpɔ wò la, dzidzi aƒo wo, eye woagbugbɔ ɖe megbe agblɔ be, ‘Ninive gbã gudugudu, ame ka afa nɛ?’ Afi ka makpɔ ame aɖe le wòafa akɔ na wò?”
And it shall come to pass, that all those who look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste. Who will bemoan her? From where shall I seek comforters for thee?
8 Wòe nyo wu Tebes, si le Nil tɔsisi to, eye tɔ la ƒo xlãe godoa?
Are thou better than No-amon, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters round about her, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?
9 Kus kple Egipte nye eƒe ŋusẽ triakɔ la. Nenema ke Putitɔwo kple Libiatɔwo nye eƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo le aʋa me,
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite. Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
10 gake Tebes dze anyi, woɖe aboyo emenɔlawo, eye wotsɔ wo viwo ƒe ta xlã ɖe kpe le mɔtatawo dzi. Wodzidze nu ɖe eƒe bubumewo dzi, eye wode kɔsɔkɔsɔ eƒe amegãwo katã.
Yet she was carried away. She went into captivity. Her young sons also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets. And they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
11 Wò hã àmu aha, asi abe, eye àdi sitsoƒe le futɔwo ta.
Thou also shall be drunken. Thou shall be hid. Thou also shall seek a stronghold because of the enemy.
12 Wò mɔ sesẽwo katã anɔ abe gboti si dzi kutsetse ɖiɖiwo le la ene. Ne woʋuʋu atia la, kutsetsewo gena ɖe eɖula ƒe nu me.
All thy fortresses shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs. If they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Kpɔ wò asrafowo ɖa, wo katã wole abe nyɔnuwo ene. Wò anyigba ƒe agbo anɔ ʋuʋu ɖi siaa na wò futɔwo, eye dzo afia wò gametiwo.
Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women. The gates of thy land are set wide open to thine enemies. The fire has devoured thy bars.
14 Du tsi kɔ ɖi na ɖokuiwò ɖe aʋadzegbe ŋu. Dzra wò mɔ sesẽwo ƒe gliwo ɖo. Ge ɖe anyiʋewo me, eye nànya anyi atsɔ tre gli gbagbãwoe.
Draw thee water for the siege. Strengthen thy fortresses. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar. Make strong the brick kiln.
15 Esi nèle nu siawo wɔm la dzo ava fia wò; yi alã wò aƒu anyi, eye woaɖu wò abe ale si ʋetsuvi ɖua nui ene. Midzi ɖe edzi abe ʋetsuviwo ene, misɔ gbɔ ɖe edzi abe ʋetsuviwo ene.
There the fire shall devour thee. The sword shall cut thee off. It shall devour thee like the canker-worm. Make thyself many as the canker-worm. Make thyself many as the locust.
16 Èdzi wò asitsalawo ɖe edzi va se ɖe esime wosɔ gbɔ wu ɣletiviwo, gake ʋetsuviwo aɖu wo, aɖi gbɔlo anyigba la, eye woadzo adzo.
Thou have multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven. The canker-worm ravages, and flees away.
17 Ŋuwòdzɔlawo asɔ gbɔ abe ʋetsuviwo ƒe ha gã aɖe ene, eye wò amegãwo asɔ gbɔ abe ʋetra siwo dze ɖe gli ŋu le ŋdi me, ke ne ɣe dze ko la, woadzo adzo, eye teƒe si wonɔ la magadze o ene.
Thy rulers are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which encamp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun arises they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
18 O Asiria fia, wò kplɔlawo le akɔlɔ̃e dɔm; wò bubumewo mlɔ anyi le dzudzɔm. Woakaka wò amewo ɖe towo dzi, eye ame aɖeke maƒo wo nu ƒu o.
Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria. Thy nobles are at rest. Thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.
19 Naneke mate ŋu awu abi si nèxɔ la o, elabena edzi ŋɔ ŋutɔ. Ame sia ame si ase wò anyidzedze la, aƒo asikpe ɖe tawò, elabena ame kae mekpɔ gome le wò ŋutasesẽ gbogboawo me o?
There is no assuaging of thy hurt. Thy wound is grievous. All who hear the report of thee clap their hands over thee, for upon whom has not thy wickedness passed continually?

< Nahum 3 >