< Nahumu 2 >

1 Atĩrĩrĩ, wee Nineve, mũgũtharĩkĩri nĩokĩte gũgũtharĩkĩra. Rangĩra kĩĩgitĩro kĩa hinya, na ũgitĩre njĩra; wĩhotore, na wĩĩkĩre hinya mũno!
A crusher has come up before your face: keep a good look-out, let the way be watched, make yourself strong, let your power be greatly increased.
2 Jehova nĩagacookeria Jakubu riiri wake, ũhaane ta riiri wa Isiraeli, o na aakorwo aanangi nĩmamonũhĩte, na makaananga mĩthabibũ yao.
For the Lord will make good the vine of Jacob, as well as the vine of Israel: for the wasters have made them waste and sent destruction on the branches of their vine.
3 Ngo cia thigari ciake nĩ cia rangi mũtune, njamba cia ita ciĩhumbĩte nguo ndune ta gakarakũ. Igera cia ngaari cia ita irahenia mũthenya ũrĩa ciahaarĩrio; matimũ mahangĩrĩtwo mĩtĩ ya mĩkarakaba namo makahenũka maahiũrio.
The body-covers of his fighting men have been made red, the men of war are clothed in bright red: the war-carriages are like flames of fire in the day when he gets ready, the horses are shaking.
4 Ngaari cia ita iraguthũka ituĩkanĩirie njĩra cia itũũra, irahanyũka na mbere, ningĩ na thuutha, ituĩkanĩirie ihaaro-inĩ cia itũũra. Ihaana ta imũrĩ irakana; irahiũka ta rũheni.
The war-carriages are rushing through the streets, pushing against one another in the wide ways, looking like burning lights, running like thunder-flames.
5 Acookanĩrĩirie mbũtũ cia thigari iria njamba, no ciũkaga ikĩhĩngagwo. Iguthũkaga nginya rũthingo-inĩ rwa itũũra inene; ituĩkaga ta ngo ya kũrĩgitĩra.
He takes the record of his great men: they go falling on their way; they go quickly to the wall, the cover is made ready.
6 Hingĩrĩrio cia rũũĩ nĩ hingũre, naguo mũciĩ wa ũthamaki ũkamomoka.
The river doorways are forced open, and the king's house is flowing away.
7 Nĩ gwathanĩtwo itũũra rĩu inene rĩtahwo na rĩthaamio. Ngombo ciarĩo cia airĩtu iragirĩka na mĩgambo ta ya ndutura, na ikehũũra ithũri.
And the queen is uncovered, she is taken away and her servant-girls are weeping like the sound of doves, hammering on their breasts.
8 Nineve kũhaana ta ndia, na maaĩ makuo nĩkũhwa marahwa. Kũraanĩrĩrwo, gũkeerwo atĩrĩ, “Ta rũgamai! Ta rũgamai!” No gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩĩhũgũra.
But Nineveh is like a pool of water whose waters are flowing away; Keep your place, they say; but no one is turning back.
9 Tahai betha! Tahai thahabu! Ũtonga ũrĩa ũrĩ igĩĩna-inĩ ciao ciothe ndũngĩthira!
Take silver, take gold; for there is no end to the store; take for yourselves a weight of things to be desired.
10 Nineve nĩgũtahe, na indo igatunyanwo gũgatigwo ũtheri! Ngoro nĩikuĩte, na maru makaregera, na mĩĩrĩ ĩkainaina, o na andũ othe magathita ithiithi.
Everything has been taken from her, all is gone, she has nothing more: the heart is turned to water, the knees are shaking, all are twisted in pain, and colour has gone from all faces.
11 Atĩrĩrĩ, imamo cia mĩrũũthi irĩ ha, kũndũ kũrĩa yarereire ciana ciayo, kũrĩa mĩrũũthi ya njamba na ya nga yathiiaga na ciana ciayo ĩtegwĩtigĩra?
Where is the lions' hole, the place where the young lions got their food, where the lion and the she-lion were walking with their young, without cause for fear?
12 Mũrũũthi wa njamba nĩwatambuurĩire ciana ciaguo nyama cia gũciigana, na ũgĩitĩra mũgoma waguo gĩa kũrĩa, ũkĩiyũria imamo ciaguo na kĩrĩa woragĩte, na ũkĩiyũria ngurunga ciaguo na kĩrĩa waguĩmĩte.
Food enough for his young and for his she-lions was pulled down by the lion; his hole was full of flesh and his resting-place stored with meat.
13 Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩngũũkĩrĩire. Nĩngacina ngaari ciaku cia ita na mwaki, naruo rũhiũ rwa njora nĩrũkaniina mĩrũũthi yaku ĩrĩa mĩĩthĩ. Ndigagũtigĩria kĩndũ gĩa kũguĩma gũkũ thĩ. Nayo mĩgambo ya andũ arĩa ũtũmaga ndĩgaacooka kũiguuo rĩngĩ.”
See, I am against you, says the Lord of armies, and I will have your war-carriages burned in the smoke, and your young lions will be food for the sword: you will no longer get your food by force on the earth, and the voice of your she-lions will be stopped for ever.

< Nahumu 2 >