UNahume 3
1 Maye kumuzi wezingazi, wonke ugcwele amanga lempango! Okuphangiweyo kakusuki.
Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and rapine; the prey departeth not.
2 Umsindo wesiswepu, lomsindo wokugedlezela kwamavili, lowamabhiza amathayo, lowezinqola ezeqayo.
Hark! the whip, and hark! the rattling of the wheels; and prancing horses, and bounding chariots;
3 Umgadi webhiza uphakamisa kokubili inkemba ephazimayo lomkhonto ocwazimulayo, njalo kulexuku lababuleweyo, lenani elikhulu lezidumbu; yebo kakulasiphelo sezidumbu; bayakhubeka phezu kwezidumbu zabo.
The horseman charging, and the flashing sword, and the glittering spear; and a multitude of slain, and a heap of carcases; and there is no end of the corpses, and they stumble upon their corpses;
4 Ngenxa yobunengi bokufeba kwesiphingi, inkosazana ekhangayo yobuthakathi, esithengisa izizwe ngokuphinga kwaso, lemideni ngobuthakathi baso.
Because of the multitude of the harlotries of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her harlotries, and families through her witchcrafts.
5 Khangela, ngimelene lawe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla; ngizakwembulela amalogwe akho phezu kobuso bakho, ngitshengise izizwe ubunqunu bakho, lemibuso ihlazo lakho.
Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
6 Ngiphosele amanyala phezu kwakho, ngikwenze udeleleke, ngikumise njengento yokubukelwa.
And I will cast detestable things upon thee, and make thee vile, and will make thee as dung.
7 Kuzakuthi-ke wonke okubonayo akubalekele, athi: INineve ichithekile. Ngubani ozayililela? Ngizakudingela ngaphi abaduduzi?
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 Ungcono yini kuleNo-Amoni eyayihlezi phakathi kwemifula, elamanzi inhlangothi zonke, omthangala wawo wawululwandle, umduli wawo wawusukela elwandle?
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 of the sea her wall?
9 IEthiyophiya leGibhithe kwakungamandla ayo angelakuphela; iPuti leLubhimi babengabasizi bakho.
Ethiopia and Egypt were thy strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
10 Kanti yona yathuthwa yaya ekuthunjweni; lezingane zayo zachotshozwa esihlokweni sazo zonke izitalada; njalo benza inkatho yokuphosa ngabahloniphekayo bayo, labo bonke abakhulu bayo babotshwa 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 honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
11 Lawe-ke uzadakwa, uzacatsha; futhi wena uzadinga isiphephelo ngenxa yesitha.
Thou also shalt be drunken, thou shalt swoon; thou also shalt seek a refuge because of the enemy.
12 Inqaba zakho zonke zizakuba njengezihlahla zemikhiwa ezilezithelo zokuqala; uba zinyikinywa, ziwela emlonyeni wodlayo.
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, abantu bakho bangabesifazana phakathi kwakho; amasango elizwe lakho azavulekela kakhulu izitha zakho; umlilo uzaqeda imigoqo yakho.
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 Zikhelele amanzi okuvinjezelwa, uqinise izinqaba zakho; ngena odakeni, uxove ibumba, uqinise ihondo yezitina.
Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, lay hold of the brickmould.
15 Lapho umlilo uzakuqeda, inkemba ikuqume, ikudle njengesikhonyane, uzandise njengesikhonyane, uzandise njengezintethe.
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 locusts.
16 Wandise abathengisi bakho ngaphezu kwenkanyezi zamazulu; iqhwagi liyona, liphaphe lihambe.
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven; the canker-worm spreadeth itself, and flieth away.
17 Abetheswe umqhele bakho banjengezintethe, labalawulimabutho bakho banjengentethe ezinengi, ezimisa inkamba ezintangweni ngosuku lomqando; ilanga seliphumile, ziyasuka zibaleke, ingabe isaziwa indawo yazo ukuthi zingaphi.
Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which camp in the walls in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
18 Abelusi bakho bayawozela, wena nkosi yeAsiriya; abakhulu bakho bazahlala; abantu bakho bazahlakazeka ezintabeni, njalo kungekho obabuthayo.
Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria, thy worthies are at rest; thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.
19 Kakukho ukupholiswa kokwephuka kwakho, inxeba lakho libuhlungu; bonke abezwa umbiko ngawe baqakeza izandla ngawe; ngoba kukubani obungadlulanga kuye ububi bakho njalonjalo?
There is no assuaging of thy hurt, thy wound is grievous; all that hear the report of thee clap the hands over thee; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
