UNahume 3
1 Maye kulo idolobho legazi, ligcwele amanga, ligcwele ukuphanga, kasweleki ohlutshwayo lanini!
Woe [to] the city of blood, She is all with lies — burglary — full, Prey doth not depart.
2 Ukukhala kwezaswebhu, ukugodlozela kwamavili, ukumatha kwamabhiza lokugedlezela kwezinqola zempi!
The sound of a whip, And the sound of the rattling of a wheel, And of a prancing horse, and of a bounding chariot, Of a horseman mounting.
3 Ukuhlasela kwabagadi bamabhiza ukuphazima kwezinkemba lokubenyezela kwemikhonto. Zinengi izinkubela, izinqwaba zabafileyo, izidumbu ezingabalwayo, abantu abakhubeka ezidunjini,
And the flame of a sword, and the lightning of a spear, And the abundance of the wounded, And the weight of carcases, Yea, there is no end to the bodies, They stumble over their bodies.
4 konke ngenxa yenkanuko embi yesifebe, siyakhanga, siyinkosikazi ephethe ubuthakathi, esifaka izizwe ebugqilini ngobufebe baso labantu ngobuthakathi baso.
Because of the abundance of the fornications of an harlot, The goodness of the grace of the lady of witchcrafts, Who is selling nations by her fornications, And families by her witchcrafts.
5 “Ngimelana lawe,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. “Ngizakwembulela izidwaba zakho ebusweni bakho. Ngizatshengisa izizwe ubunqunu bakho, lemibuso ihlazo lakho.
Lo, I [am] against thee, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And have removed thy skirts before thy face, And have shewed nations thy nakedness, And kingdoms thy shame,
6 Ngizakujikijela ngamanyala, ngizakweyisa, njalo ngikwenze ube ngumbukiso.
And I have cast upon thee abominations, And dishonoured thee, and made thee as a sight.
7 Bonke abakubonayo bazakubalekela bathi, ‘iNiniva isichithekile, ngubani ozayililela na?’ Ngingamthola ngaphi ongakududuza na?”
And it hath come to pass, Each of thy beholders fleeth from thee, And hath said: 'Spoiled is Nineveh, Who doth bemoan for her?' Whence do I seek comforters for thee?
8 Wena ungcono na kuleThebesi engaseNayili, ehonqolozelwe ngamanzi? Umfula wawuyisivikelo sayo, amanzi engumduli wayo.
Art thou better than No-Ammon, That is dwelling among brooks? Waters she hath round about her, Whose bulwark [is] the sea, waters her wall.
9 IKhushi leGibhithe kwakungamandla ayo angapheliyo. IPhuthi leLibhiya kwakungabanye abancedisi bayo.
Cush her might, and Egypt, and there is no end. Put and Lubim have been for thy help.
10 Kodwa yathunjwa yaya ebugqilini. Izingane zayo zapaklazwa zaba yizicucu ekuqaliseni kwemigwaqo yonke. Kwenziwa inkatho ngezikhulu zayo, wonke amadoda aphakemeyo abotshwa ngamaketane.
Even she doth become an exile, She hath gone into captivity, Even her sucklings are dashed to pieces At the top of all out-places, And for her honoured ones they cast a lot, And all her great ones have been bound in fetters.
11 Lawe futhi uzadakwa; uzakuyacatsha udinge ukuphephela esitheni sakho.
Even thou art drunken, thou art hidden, Even thou dost seek a strong place, because of an enemy.
12 Zonke izinqola zakho zinjengezihlahla zemikhiwa ezilezithelo zazo zakuqala ezivuthiweyo; lapho zinyikinywa, imikhiwa iwela emlonyeni womudli.
All thy fortresses [are] fig-trees with first-fruits, If they are shaken, They have fallen into the mouth of the eater.
13 Khangela amabutho akho wonke, ngawesifazane! Amasango elizwe lakho avulekele izitha zakho aba banzi; umlilo uyiqedile imigoqo yawo.
Lo, thy people [are] women in thy midst, To thine enemies thoroughly opened Have been the gates of thy land, Consumed hath fire thy bars.
14 Donsa amanzi ulungele ukuvimbezela, qinisa inqaba zakho. Voxa udaka, nyathela ibumba, lungisa okwakhiwe ngezitina.
Waters of a siege draw for thyself, Strengthen thy fortresses, Enter into mire, and tread on clay, Make strong a brick-kiln.
15 Khonapho umlilo uzakuqeda; inkemba izakucakazela phansi, ikudle njengesikhongwane. Zandise njengesikhongwane, uzandise njengentethe.
There consume thee doth a fire, Cut thee off doth a sword, It doth consume thee as a cankerworm! Make thyself heavy as the cankerworm, Make thyself heavy as the locust.
16 Usulandisile inani labathengisi bakho. Baze bedlula izinkanyezi zasemkhathini, kodwa njengentethe baphundla ilizwe basuke bahambe.
Multiply thy merchants above the stars of the heavens, The cankerworm hath stripped off, and doth flee away.
17 Abalindi bakho banjengentethe, izikhulu zakho zinjengemitshitshi yentethe ezihlala emidulini mhla kuqanda kodwa ilanga lingaphuma ziyaphapha zihambe, njalo kakho okwaziyo ukuthi ngaphi.
Thy crowned ones [are] as a locust, And thy princes as great grasshoppers, That encamp in hedges in a day of cold, The sun hath risen, and it doth flee away, And not known is its place where they are.
18 Wena nkosi yase-Asiriya, abelusi bakho bayawozela, izikhulu zakho zilala phansi ziphumule. Abantu bakho bahlakazekile ezintabeni kungekho obaqoqayo.
Slumbered have thy friends, king of Asshur, Rest do thine honourable ones, Scattered have been thy people on the mountains, And there is none gathering.
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 weakening of thy destruction, Grievous [is] thy smiting, All hearing thy fame have clapped the hand at thee, For over whom did not thy wickedness pass continually?
