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 bloody city! Full of lies and plunder, without end is the spoil.
2 Rĩ na mwanũko wa mĩcaarica, na mũrurumo wa magũrũ ma ngaari, na mbarathi itengʼerete, na ngaari cia ita ikũrũgarũga!
Hear the crack of the whip, hear the rattle of wheels. Galloping horses, jolting chariots.
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:
Horsemen charging, swords flashing, spears glittering, a multitude of slain, a heap of bodies, no end to the corpses over which people stumble!
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 you acted like a whore, bewitching the nations, enticing the peoples,
5 Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩngũgũũkĩrĩra. Ngũkũheta nguo ikũhumbĩre ũthiũ. Nguonia ndũrĩrĩ njaga yaku, na ngũconorithie mbere ya mothamaki.
I am against you, Nineveh” the Lord of hosts declares. “I will strip your clothes and show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.
6 Ngũgũikĩria gĩko kĩrĩ magigi, ngũnyarare ũtuĩke kĩndũ gĩa kũmakania gĩkĩonwo nĩ andũ.
“I will fling loathsome filth at you, and make you an object of contempt, a spectacle,
7 Arĩa othe magaakuona nĩmakoora makiugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Hĩ, Nineve nĩrĩanange, nũũ ũkaarĩcakaĩra?’ Mũndũ wa gũkũhooreria-rĩ, ingĩmũruta kũ?”
so that everyone who sees you will flee from you and say: ‘Nineveh is laid waste, who will mourn for her?’
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 any better than Thebes, which stood on the banks of the Nile, with waters around as a rampart, whose wall was the sea of waters?
9 Kushi na Misiri nĩcio ciarĩ hinya warĩo ũtangĩathirire; Putu na Lubimu maarĩ amwe a thiritũ narĩo.
Her strength was Ethiopia and Egypt. The Libyans were her helpers, and Put with its countless people.
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 was exiled and made captive. On all corners of the streets her infants were dashed to pieces. Lots were cast for her nobles, all her great ones were bound in chains.
11 Wee nawe nĩũkarĩĩo, na nĩũkoora, wĩhithe, wethe kĩĩhitho ũũrĩre thũ ciaku.
“You too, Nineveh, will be drunk with fear; you too will seek a place of escape from the foe.
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; if 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.
Your troops are weak as women before your foes; the gates of your land are wide open; your defenses burned down.
14 Taha maaĩ ũige, ũgaakorwo namo hĩndĩ ya kũrigiicĩrio, ciĩgitĩro ciaku cia hinya ũcirũmie wega! Haarĩria rĩũmba, kia ndoro, ũthondeke maturubarĩ.
“Draw water for the siege, strengthen your forts. Go to the clay pits and tread the clay; take up the brick moulds.
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 consume you, the sword will cut you down. Multiply like the locust or a swarm of grasshoppers.
16 Onjoria aku ũmaingĩhĩtie, makaingĩha gũkĩra njata cia igũrũ, no mahaana ta ngigĩ iria cianangaga bũrũri, igacooka ikeyũmbũkĩra.
Increase the numbers of your merchants until they are more than the stars of heaven,
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.
until your watchmen are locusts, and your scribes like grasshoppers, which swarm in the hedges on a cold day; but when the sun rises they fly away, 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.
“King of Assyria: your princes slumber, your nobles 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 hurt, your wound is incurable. All who hear of your fate clap their hands in joy, for who has escaped your limitless cruelty?”
