UNahume 3
1 Maye kumuzi wezingazi, wonke ugcwele amanga lempango! Okuphangiweyo kakusuki.
Woe to the city full of blood! It is all full of lies and stolen property; victims are always in her.
2 Umsindo wesiswepu, lomsindo wokugedlezela kwamavili, lowamabhiza amathayo, lowezinqola ezeqayo.
But now there is the noise of whips and the sound of rattling wheels, 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.
There are attacking horsemen, flashing swords, glittering spears, heaps of corpses, great piles of bodies. There is no end to the bodies; their attackers stumble over them.
4 Ngenxa yobunengi bokufeba kwesiphingi, inkosazana ekhangayo yobuthakathi, esithengisa izizwe ngokuphinga kwaso, lemideni ngobuthakathi baso.
This is happening because of the lustful actions of the beautiful prostitute, the expert in witchcraft, who sells nations through her prostitution, and peoples through her acts of witchcraft.
5 Khangela, ngimelene lawe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla; ngizakwembulela amalogwe akho phezu kobuso bakho, ngitshengise izizwe ubunqunu bakho, lemibuso ihlazo lakho.
“See, I am against you—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—I will raise up your skirt over your face and show your private parts to the nations, your shame to the kingdoms.
6 Ngiphosele amanyala phezu kwakho, ngikwenze udeleleke, ngikumise njengento yokubukelwa.
I will throw disgusting filth on you and make you vile; I will make you someone that everyone will look at.
7 Kuzakuthi-ke wonke okubonayo akubalekele, athi: INineve ichithekile. Ngubani ozayililela? Ngizakudingela ngaphi abaduduzi?
It will come about that everyone who looks at you will flee from you and say, 'Nineveh is destroyed; who will weep for her?' Where can I find anyone to comfort you?”
8 Ungcono yini kuleNo-Amoni eyayihlezi phakathi kwemifula, elamanzi inhlangothi zonke, omthangala wawo wawululwandle, umduli wawo wawusukela elwandle?
Nineveh, are you better than Thebes, that was built on the Nile River, that had water around her, whose defense was the ocean, whose wall was the sea itself?
9 IEthiyophiya leGibhithe kwakungamandla ayo angelakuphela; iPuti leLubhimi babengabasizi bakho.
Cush and Egypt were her strength, and there was no end to it; Put and Libya were allies to her.
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 Thebes was carried away; she went into captivity; her young children were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; her enemies threw lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
11 Lawe-ke uzadakwa, uzacatsha; futhi wena uzadinga isiphephelo ngenxa yesitha.
You also will become drunk; you will try to hide, and you will also look for a refuge from your enemy.
12 Inqaba zakho zonke zizakuba njengezihlahla zemikhiwa ezilezithelo zokuqala; uba zinyikinywa, ziwela emlonyeni wodlayo.
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the earliest ripe figs: if they are 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.
See, the people among you are women; the gates of your land have been opened wide to your enemies; fire has devoured their bars.
14 Zikhelele amanzi okuvinjezelwa, uqinise izinqaba zakho; ngena odakeni, uxove ibumba, uqinise ihondo yezitina.
Go draw water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses; go into the clay and tread the mortar; pick up the molds for the bricks.
15 Lapho umlilo uzakuqeda, inkemba ikuqume, ikudle njengesikhonyane, uzandise njengesikhonyane, uzandise njengezintethe.
Fire will devour you there, and the sword will destroy you. It will devour you as young locusts devour everything. Make yourselves as many as the young locusts, as many as the full-grown locusts.
16 Wandise abathengisi bakho ngaphezu kwenkanyezi zamazulu; iqhwagi liyona, liphaphe lihambe.
You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars in the heavens; but they are like young locusts: they plunder the land and then fly 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.
Your princes are as many as the full-grown locusts, and your generals are like swarms of them that camp in the walls on a cold day. But when the sun rises they fly away to no one knows where.
18 Abelusi bakho bayawozela, wena nkosi yeAsiriya; abakhulu bakho bazahlala; abantu bakho bazahlakazeka ezintabeni, njalo kungekho obabuthayo.
King of Assyria, your shepherds are asleep; your rulers are lying down resting. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one 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?
No healing is possible for your wounds. Your wounds are severe. Everyone who hears the news about you will clap their hands in joy over you. Who has escaped your constant wickedness?
