< Nahumu 3 >

1 Kaĩ itũũra inene rĩa Nineve rĩrĩa rĩitaga thakame rĩrĩ na haaro-ĩ! Itũũra rĩu rĩiyũrĩtwo nĩ maheeni na indo cia ũtunyani, na rĩtiagaga andũ moragĩtwo.
Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without prey.
2 Rĩ na mwanũko wa mĩcaarica, na mũrurumo wa magũrũ ma ngaari, na mbarathi itengʼerete, na ngaari cia ita ikũrũgarũga!
The crack of the whip, the rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot!
3 Thigari cia mbarathi irahithũka, ikahenũkia hiũ cia njora na matimũ marahenia! Andũ aingĩ nĩmooragĩtwo, gũkagĩa na hĩba cia arĩa makuĩte, na ciimba itangĩtarĩka, nao andũ makahĩngwo nĩ ciimba icio:
Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over their dead—
4 maũndũ maya mothe marekĩka nĩ ũndũ wa ũingĩ wa merirĩria ma mũmaraya, ũrĩa ũguucĩrĩirie mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio mũrogi, ũrĩa watuire ndũrĩrĩ ngombo na ũmaraya wake, na agĩtua kĩrĩndĩ ngombo na ũragũri wake.
because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.
5 Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩngũgũũkĩrĩra. Ngũkũheta nguo ikũhumbĩre ũthiũ. Nguonia ndũrĩrĩ njaga yaku, na ngũconorithie mbere ya mothamaki.
“Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms.
6 Ngũgũikĩria gĩko kĩrĩ magigi, ngũnyarare ũtuĩke kĩndũ gĩa kũmakania gĩkĩonwo nĩ andũ.
I will pelt you with filth and treat you with contempt; I will make a spectacle of you.
7 Arĩa othe magaakuona nĩmakoora makiugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Hĩ, Nineve nĩrĩanange, nũũ ũkaarĩcakaĩra?’ Mũndũ wa gũkũhooreria-rĩ, ingĩmũruta kũ?”
Then all who see you will recoil from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated; who will grieve for her?’ Where can I find comforters for you?”
8 Wee-rĩ, ũkĩrĩ mwega gũkĩra Thebesi, itũũra rĩrĩa rĩakĩtwo Rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Nili, o rĩo rĩrigiicĩirio nĩ maaĩ? Rũũĩ rũu nĩruo rũrĩgitagĩra, naruo rũthingo rwarĩo nĩ maaĩ macio.
Are you better than Thebes, stationed by the Nile with water around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the water?
9 Kushi na Misiri nĩcio ciarĩ hinya warĩo ũtangĩathirire; Putu na Lubimu maarĩ amwe a thiritũ narĩo.
Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were her allies.
10 No rĩrĩ, nĩrĩatahirwo, na andũ aarĩo magĩthaamio. Tũkenge twarĩo twatungumanirio, tũgĩtuĩka icunjĩ magomano-inĩ mothe ma njĩra. Mĩtĩ nĩyacuukĩirwo andũ aarĩo arĩa maarĩ igweta, anene othe aarĩo makĩohwo na mĩnyororo.
Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.
11 Wee nawe nĩũkarĩĩo, na nĩũkoora, wĩhithe, wethe kĩĩhitho ũũrĩre thũ ciaku.
You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy.
12 Ciĩhitho ciaku nũmu ciothe ihaana ta mĩtĩ ya mĩkũyũ, ĩrĩ na ngũyũ iria ciambĩte kwĩrua, yainainio-rĩ, ngũyũ ikagũa kanua-inĩ ka mũrĩi.
All your fortresses are fig trees with the first ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater!
13 Tarora, mbũtũ ciaku cia ita, hĩ, ciothe ihaana ta andũ-a-nja! Ihingo cia bũrũri waku nĩ hingũrĩre thũ ciaku biũ, mĩgĩĩko yacio ĩgacinwo na mwaki.
Look at your troops— they are like your women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire consumes their bars.
14 Taha maaĩ ũige, ũgaakorwo namo hĩndĩ ya kũrigiicĩrio, ciĩgitĩro ciaku cia hinya ũcirũmie wega! Haarĩria rĩũmba, kia ndoro, ũthondeke maturubarĩ.
Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Work the clay and tread the mortar; repair the brick kiln!
15 Kũu nĩkuo mwaki ũgaakũniinĩra, na rũhiũ rwa njora rũgũtemenge ũthire biũ, rũkũrĩe o ta ũrĩa ũngĩrĩĩo nĩ itono. Ciaranai ta itono, mũciarane, mũingĩhe ta ngigĩ!
There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust!
16 Onjoria aku ũmaingĩhĩtie, makaingĩha gũkĩra njata cia igũrũ, no mahaana ta ngigĩ iria cianangaga bũrũri, igacooka ikeyũmbũkĩra.
You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.
17 Arangĩri aku matariĩ ta ngigĩ, anene aku nao nĩ ta mĩrumbĩ ya ngigĩ, ĩrĩa yũmbaga thingo-inĩ ciaku mũthenya wa heho, no riũa rĩara, ĩkombũka ĩgathiĩ, na gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩmenya kũrĩa yathiĩ.
Your guards are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where.
18 Atĩrĩrĩ, wee mũthamaki wa Ashuri, arĩithi aku nĩmakomete; andũ aku arĩa marĩ igweta nĩmahuurũkĩte. Andũ aku othe mahurunjũkĩire irĩma-inĩ, na gũtirĩ wa kũmacookanĩrĩria.
O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them.
19 Kĩronda gĩaku gĩtingĩhona; nguraro yaku nĩ ya gũkũũraga. Mũndũ o wothe ũiguĩte ũhoro waku arahũũra hĩ tondũ nĩũgwĩte, nũũ ũtarĩ wahutio nĩ kĩnyariirano gĩaku gĩtarĩ mũthia?
There is no healing for your injury; your wound is severe. All who hear the news of you applaud your downfall, for who has not experienced your constant cruelty?

< Nahumu 3 >