< Nahum 3 >

1 Baba na du si yɔ fũu kple ʋukɔkɔɖi, alakpadada kple nuhaha, eye wògbe asiɖeɖe le nu siwo wòha la ŋu.
What a disaster is coming upon this murderous city with all its treachery! It is full of wealth it has robbed, and always has plenty of victims.
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!
Listen to the noise: whips crack, wheels clatter, horses gallop, chariots rattle!
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.
Horsemen charge, swords flash, spears glitter! Many dead, piles of corpses, countless bodies—so many that people stumble over them.
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.
All this happens because the repeated prostitution of Nineveh the prostitute, the beautiful mistress with her deadly charms who seduces nations into slavery by her prostitution and her witchcraft.
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.
Watch out! For I am against you, declares the Lord Almighty. I will lift your skirts over your face and let the nations see your nakedness, and kingdoms see your shame.
6 Malɔ gbeɖuɖɔ akɔ ɖe dziwò, ado ŋunyɔ wò, eye nàzu nukpɔkpɔ na dukɔwo.
I will throw filth at you. I will treat you with contempt, and make a spectacle of you.
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?”
Then everyone who sees you will shun you saying, “Nineveh is ruined! But who is going to mourn your loss?” Where should I look to find anyone to comfort you?
8 Wòe nyo wu Tebes, si le Nil tɔsisi to, eye tɔ la ƒo xlãe godoa?
Are you any better than the city of Thebes on the River Nile, surrounded by water? Water was its defense, water was its wall.
9 Kus kple Egipte nye eƒe ŋusẽ triakɔ la. Nenema ke Putitɔwo kple Libiatɔwo nye eƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo le aʋa me,
The city ruled Egypt and Ethiopia. Put and Libya were its allies.
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 its people were also taken away into exile, into captivity. Their babies were dashed to pieces in every street. Their nobles were bound in chains and taken away as servants, chosen by lot.
11 Wò hã àmu aha, asi abe, eye àdi sitsoƒe le futɔwo ta.
You too will behave like a drunk. You will hide in fear, trying to find a place safe from 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 your fortresses are like fig trees ripe with fruit—they fall when they are shaken into the mouth of the one eating.
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.
Look! Your soldiers are women among you. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; the bars of the gates will be set on fire.
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.
Store water to prepare for a siege! Strengthen your fortresses! Go to the clay pits to tread it well, mix the cement, get your brick molds ready!
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.
But even so, there the fire will consume you, you will be cut down by the sword. You will be destroyed as if you were devoured by a swarm of locusts. So multiply yourselves like locusts, like a swarm of locusts.
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.
You increased your merchants so that there are more of them than the stars of heaven. But like locusts they strip everything and then fly 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.
Your leaders are like locusts, your officials like a swarm of locusts. They rest on walls on a cold day, but when the sun rises they fly away, and no one knows where they've gone.
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.
King of Assyria, your shepherds are asleep, your princes are slumbering. Your people are scattered across the mountains and no one can 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 way to heal your injuries, you are too badly wounded. Everyone who hears this news will applaud what has happened to you, for was there anyone who escaped your continuous cruelty?

< Nahum 3 >