UNahume 3
1 Maye kulo idolobho legazi, ligcwele amanga, ligcwele ukuphanga, kasweleki ohlutshwayo lanini!
Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and rapine; the prey departeth not.
2 Ukukhala kwezaswebhu, ukugodlozela kwamavili, ukumatha kwamabhiza lokugedlezela kwezinqola zempi!
The noise of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of wheels, and prancing horses, and bounding chariots,
3 Ukuhlasela kwabagadi bamabhiza ukuphazima kwezinkemba lokubenyezela kwemikhonto. Zinengi izinkubela, izinqwaba zabafileyo, izidumbu ezingabalwayo, abantu abakhubeka ezidunjini,
the horseman mounting, and the flashing sword, and the glittering spear, and a multitude of slain, and a great heap of corpses, and there is no end of the bodies; they stumble upon their bodies; —
4 konke ngenxa yenkanuko embi yesifebe, siyakhanga, siyinkosikazi ephethe ubuthakathi, esifaka izizwe ebugqilini ngobufebe baso labantu ngobuthakathi baso.
because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
5 “Ngimelana lawe,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. “Ngizakwembulela izidwaba zakho ebusweni bakho. Ngizatshengisa izizwe ubunqunu bakho, lemibuso ihlazo lakho.
Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face; and I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
6 Ngizakujikijela ngamanyala, ngizakweyisa, njalo ngikwenze ube ngumbukiso.
And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazing-stock.
7 Bonke abakubonayo bazakubalekela bathi, ‘iNiniva isichithekile, ngubani ozayililela na?’ Ngingamthola ngaphi ongakududuza na?”
And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
8 Wena ungcono na kuleThebesi engaseNayili, ehonqolozelwe ngamanzi? Umfula wawuyisivikelo sayo, amanzi engumduli wayo.
Art thou better than No-amon, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about her; whose rampart was the sea, [and] her wall was of the sea?
9 IKhushi leGibhithe kwakungamandla ayo angapheliyo. IPhuthi leLibhiya kwakungabanye abancedisi bayo.
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
10 Kodwa yathunjwa yaya ebugqilini. Izingane zayo zapaklazwa zaba yizicucu ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke. Kwenziwa inkatho ngezikhulu zayo, wonke amadoda aphakemeyo abotshwa ngamaketane.
Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
11 Lawe futhi uzadakwa; uzakuyacatsha udinge ukuphephela esitheni sakho.
Thou also shalt be drunken; thou shalt be hid; thou also shalt seek a stronghold because of the enemy.
12 Zonke izinqola zakho zinjengezihlahla zemikhiwa ezilezithelo zazo zakuqala ezivuthiweyo; lapho zinyikinywa, imikhiwa iwela emlonyeni womudli.
All thy fortresses shall be [like] fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Khangela amabutho akho wonke, ngawesifazane! Amasango elizwe lakho avulekele izitha zakho aba banzi; umlilo uyiqedile imigoqo yawo.
Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women; the gates of thy land are set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire hath devoured thy bars.
14 Donsa amanzi ulungele ukuvimbezela, qinisa inqaba zakho. Voxa udaka, nyathela ibumba, lungisa okwakhiwe ngezitina.
Draw thee water for the siege; strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar; make strong the brickkiln.
15 Khonapho umlilo uzakuqeda; inkemba izakucakazela phansi, ikudle njengesikhongwane. Zandise njengesikhongwane, uzandise njengentethe.
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall devour thee like the canker-worm: make thyself many as the canker-worm; make thyself many as the locust.
16 Usulandisile inani labathengisi bakho. Baze bedlula izinkanyezi zasemkhathini, kodwa njengentethe baphundla ilizwe basuke bahambe.
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the canker-worm ravageth, and fleeth away.
17 Abalindi bakho banjengentethe, izikhulu zakho zinjengemitshitshi yentethe ezihlala emidulini mhla kuqanda kodwa ilanga lingaphuma ziyaphapha zihambe, njalo kakho okwaziyo ukuthi ngaphi.
Thy princes are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which encamp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
18 Wena nkosi yase-Asiriya, abelusi bakho bayawozela, izikhulu zakho zilala phansi ziphumule. Abantu bakho bahlakazekile ezintabeni kungekho obaqoqayo.
Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; thy nobles are at rest; thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.
19 Akukho okungapholisa amanxeba akho; ukulimala kwakho ngokokufa. Bonke abezwa izindaba ngawe batshaya izandla ngokuwa kwakho, ngoba ngubani ongafuthelwanga yisihluku sakho esingapheliyo na?
There is no assuaging of thy hurt; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the report of thee clap their hands over thee; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
