< 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 city of blood! She is all full of deceit and robbery; She ceaseth not from plunder.
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!
[[Hark!]] The noise of the whip! The noise of the rattling of the wheels, And of the prancing horses, And of the 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 lifteth up the flame of the sword, And the lightning of the spear; There is a multitude of the slain; heaps of dead bodies; There is no end to the carcasses; they stumble over the carcasses.
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.
It is because of the many whoredoms of the harlot, The graceful beauty, the mistress of enchantments, That sold nations by her whoredoms, And kingdoms by her enchantments.
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, saith Jehovah of host, And I will lift up thy trail over 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 I will dishonor thee, and make thee 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 all that see thee shall flee from thee, And shall say, “Nineveh is laid waste; Who will bemoan her? Whence shall I seek comforters for thee?”
8 Wòe nyo wu Tebes, si le Nil tɔsisi to, eye tɔ la ƒo xlãe godoa?
Art thou better than No-Ammon, That dwelt by the rivers, That had the waters round about her, Whose fortress was the sea, And whose wall was from the waters?
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, a countless multitude; Phut and Lybia 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 was she carried away; she went into captivity; Her children were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; For her honorable men they cast lots, And all her great men were bound in chains.
11 Wò hã àmu aha, asi abe, eye àdi sitsoƒe le futɔwo ta.
Thou also shalt drink to the full; Thou, too, shalt be hidden; Thou shalt seek a refuge 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 thy strong-holds 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 shall be women in the midst of thee; The gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thine enemies; The fire shall devour 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, Fortify thy strongholds. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar; Repair 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.
Then shall the fire devour thee; The sword shall cut thee off, It shall devour thee like the locust; Though thou art increased like the locusts, Though thou art increased like the thick 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.
Thy merchants have been more numerous than the stars of heaven; The locusts spread themselves and 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.
Thy princes are like locusts, And thy captains like swarms of locusts, Which encamp in the hedges in the time of cold; But when the sun ariseth, they flee away, And the 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 take their rest, Thy people are scattered on the mountains, and none gathereth 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?
Thy bruise is incurable; Thy wound is mortal. All that hear of thee shall clap their hands over thee; For upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

< Nahum 3 >