UNahume 2
1 Umhlaseli uyasondela kuwe, Nineve. Vikela inqaba, linda umgwaqo, zilungiselele, qoqa wonke amandla akho!
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 UThixo uzabuyisela ubuhle bukaJakhobe njengobuhle buka-Israyeli, lanxa abachithi bebaqothule batshabalalisa lezivini zabo.
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 Amahawu amabutho akhe abomvu, amabutho agqoke okubomvu gebhu. Insimbi ezinqoleni zempi iyaphazima ngosuku ezilungiselwe ngalo; imikhonto yesihlahla sephayini iyazunguzwa.
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 Izinqola zempi zihlasela ngesiqubu emigwaqweni, zisiya emuva laphambili ezigcawini. Zinjengezibane ezikhanyisiweyo; ziyaphaziphazima njengombane.
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 Ubiza amabutho akhe akhethiweyo kodwa ayakhubeka endleleni yawo. Agijimela emdulini wedolobho; isivikelo silungiswe.
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 Amasango omfula ayavulwa, indlu yobukhosi ibhidlike.
The river doorways are forced open, and the king's house is flowing away.
7 Kumiswe ukuthi idolobho lizathunjwa, abantu balo basiwe ebugqilini. Izintombi zalo eziyizigqili zikhala njengamajuba zizitshaya amabele azo.
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 INiniva injengesiziba, njalo amanzi aso ageleza ehamba. Bayaklabalala besithi, “Mana! Mana!” Kodwa kakho onyemukulayo.
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 Phangani isiliva! Phangani igolide! Umthapho kawupheli, inotho evela eziphaleni zayo zonke!
Take silver, take gold; for there is no end to the store; take for yourselves a weight of things to be desired.
10 Ibhuqiwe, iphangiwe, iphundliwe! Inhliziyo ziphela amandla, amadolo ayaxega, imizimba iyaqhaqhazela, ubuso bonke bunyukubele.
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 Khathesi-ke ungaphi umhome wezilwane, lapho ezinikela khona abantwana bazo ukudla, lapho okwaya khona isilwane lesilwanekazi, kanye lemidlwane, kungekho lutho olwesatshwayo na?
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 Isilwane sibulalele imidlwane yaso okwaneleyo sabambela lesilwanekazi saso okwenyama yokudliwa, sagcwalisa isikhundla saso ngesikujimbileyo lomhome waso ngenyama.
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 “Ngimelane lawe,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. “Ngizazitshisa izinqola zakho zempi zibe yintuthu; lenkemba izakudla izilwane zakho ezisakhulayo. Kangiyikukutshiyela ongakubamba ukudle njengenyama emhlabeni. Amazwi ezithunywa zakho kawasayikuzwakala futhi.”
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.
