Nahum 2
1 Voyez! sur les montagnes les pieds du messager qui annonce la paix! Juda, célèbre tes fêtes, accomplis tes vœux! Car le destructeur ne t'envahira plus, il est totalement détruit.
[You people of] [APO] Nineveh, your enemies are coming to attack you. [So] place guards on the tops of the walls around the city! Guard the roads [into the city]! Get ready to fight! Gather your troops/soldiers [MTY] together!
2 Le ravageur marche sur toi, [Ninive!] Garde la place, aie l'œil sur le chemin, ceins tes reins, fais les plus grands efforts!
Even though enemy soldiers have destroyed the descendants of [MTY] Jacob, Yahweh will cause them to be honored again. Israel is like a grapevine that has been ruined, but Israel will prosper again.
3 Car l'Éternel relève la grandeur de Jacob, aussi bien que la grandeur d'Israël, parce que les dévastateurs les ont dévastés, et ont détruit leurs plants.
The shields of the enemy soldiers [who are coming to attack you] will shine red [as the sun shines on them], and they will wear bright red uniforms. The metal of their chariot [wheels] will flash when they line up [before the battle], and their soldiers will lift up their cypress/pine spears and wave them.
4 Les boucliers de ses héros sont rouges, les guerriers sont vêtus d'écarlate; les faux étincellent sur les chars au jour de son armement, et les lances sont brandies.
Their chariots will dash through the streets [of Nineveh] and rush furiously through the plazas. Going as quick as lightning, they will resemble flaming torches.
5 Dans les rues avec furie les chars sont lancés, ils se croisent dans les places; leur aspect est celui des torches, ils courent comme des éclairs.
[Meanwhile], your king will summon his officers who will stumble as they [try to] come [quickly]. They will dash to the [city] wall, holding their shields to protect themselves.
6 Il se souvient de ses braves; ils trébuchent dans leur marche: on se précipite contre ses murs et la tortue est dressée.
But, the gates [of the dams] on the rivers will be thrown open [by enemy soldiers], and [the flood will cause] the palace to collapse.
7 Les portes des fleuves sont ouvertes, et le palais s'écroule.
The queen will have her clothes stripped off her [by enemy soldiers], and her slave girls will moan like doves and beat their breasts [to show that they are very sad].
8 C'est arrêté: elle est mise à nu, emmenée, et ses suivantes gémissent comme des colombes, en se frappant la poitrine.
[The people will rush from] Nineveh like [SIM] water rushes from a broken dam. [The officials] will shout, “Stop! Stop!” but the people will not even look back [as they run away].
9 Ninive était comme un réservoir plein d'eau, depuis qu'elle était; mais ils fuient! « Arrêtez! Arrêtez! » mais personne ne se retourné.
[The enemy attackers say to each other, ] “Seize the silver! Grab the gold! There is a huge amount of very valuable things in this city, more valuable things than anyone can count!”
10 Pillez l'argent! pillez. l'or! ce sont des trésors sans fin, des richesses, toutes sortes de meubles de prix.
[Soon everything valuable in the city] will be seized or ruined. People will be trembling, with the result that they will not be able to fight. Their faces will all become pale.
11 Désastre et dévastation! et abandonnement! les cœurs se fondent, les genoux chancellent, tous les reins souffrent, tous les visages pâlissent.
[After that happens, people will say, ] “What happened to [RHQ] that [great city of Nineveh]? [It was like] [MET] a den [full] of young lions, where the male and female lions lived and fed the young ones.
12 Qu'est devenu le repaire des lions, où les lionceaux trouvaient leur pâture, où se promenaient le lion, la lionne, le petit du lion, sans être troublés?
[The soldiers in Nineveh were like] [MET] lions that killed or strangled [other animals] [and brought the meat] to their dens.”
13 Le lion dépeçait pour ses petits, et déchirait pour ses lionnes; il remplissait de proie ses antres, et ses repaires de dépouilles.
The Commander of the armies of angels says [to the people of Nineveh], “I am opposed to you; I will cause your chariots to [be burned in fires and] go up in smoke. Your young men will be killed with swords. [Your soldiers] will never again conquer [other nations] and seize their valuable possessions. Your messengers will never again take messages [to other nations, demanding that their armies surrender to them].”
