Naahoom 3
1 Magaalattii dhiigaatiif, kan sobaan guutamteef, kan saamichaan guutamteef, kan warri hammina hojjetan keessaa hin dhabamne sanaaf wayyoo!
Terrible things will happen to [Nineveh], that city [that is full of people who] murder [MTY] and lie. [The city is] full of things that were seized [from other countries by their soldiers]; [their armies] continually [LIT] have acted brutally towards people whom they conquered.
2 Iyyi qaccee, kakaksuun gommaa, gulufuun fardaa, didichuun gaarii lolaa ni dhagaʼama!
But [now listen to the enemy soldiers coming to attack Nineveh]; [listen to them] cracking their whips, and [listen to the] rattle of [their chariot] wheels! [Listen to] their galloping horses and their chariots as they bounce along!
3 Abbaan fardaa ni gulufa; goraadeen ni balaqqisa; eeboon ni calaqqisa! Balaan hedduun nama irra gaʼeera; namni baayʼeen duʼeera; reeffi lakkoobsa hin qabu; namoonnis reeffa isaaniitti gufatu;
[Look at their] flashing swords and glittering spears as the horsemen race forward! Many [people of Nineveh will be] killed; [there will be] piles of corpses, [with the result that] people will stumble over them.
4 kun hundi sababii baayʼina sagaagalummaa sagaagaltuu, giiftii falfaltootaa, kan sagaagaltummaa isheetiin saboota, tolcha isheetiin immoo uummata garboomsite sanaatiin taʼe.
All [that will happen] because [Nineveh is like] [MET] a beautiful prostitute [who lures men to where they will be ruined]; [Nineveh is a beautiful city] which has attracted/enticed [people of] other nations [to come there]. [The people of Nineveh] taught those people [of other nations rituals of] magic, and caused them to become their slaves.
5 Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu akkana jedha: “Ani sitti kaʼeen jira. Ani uffata kee fuula keetti ol soqola. Ani sabootatti qullaa kee, mootummootatti immoo qaanii kee nan mulʼisa.
[So] the Commander of the armies of angels says to [the people of Nineveh]: “I am your enemy, and I will [cause the people in other] nations to see you [completely] humiliated like [MET] [women who have committed adultery are humiliated by] having their skirts lifted high, [with the result that] people can see their naked [bodies].
6 Ani xuriidhaan sin faala; akka malee sin tuffadha; waan kolfaa illee sin godha.
I will cause rubbish/garbage to be thrown at you; I will show [others] that I despise you very much, and I will cause you to be publicly ridiculed.
7 Namni si argu hundi sirraa baqatee, ‘Nanawween baduutti jirti; eenyutu booʼaaf?’ siin jedha. Ani nama si jajjabeessu tokko illee eessaa argadha?”
All those who see you will turn their backs to you and say, ‘Nineveh is ruined, but absolutely no one [RHQ] will mourn for it.’ No one will regret Nineveh being destroyed!”
8 Ati, Nooʼi Amoon biyya laga Abbayyaa irraa kan bishaaniin marfamte sana caaltaa? Lagni daʼoo ishee ti; bishaanis dallaa ishee ti.
Your city is certainly [RHQ] no safer than Thebes [city] was. [Thebes was an important city] beside the Nile [River]; the river was [like] [SIM] a wall that protected the city [DOU].
9 Itoophiyaa fi Gibxi jabina ishee kan dhuma hin qabnee dha; Fuuxii fi Liibiyaan tumsitoota ishee ti.
[The rulers of] Ethiopia and Egypt helped Thebes; there was no limit to their power. [The governments of the nearby countries of] Put and Libya were also allies of Thebes.
10 Taʼus isheen boojiʼamtee biyya ormaatti geeffamte. Daaʼimman ishee mataa daandii hundaa irratti miciriqfamanii dhuman. Namoota ishee ulfaatootti ixaa buufatanii namoonni ishee gurguddoonni hundinuu foncaadhaan hidhaman.
But Thebes was captured, and [its people were] (exiled/forced to go to other countries). Their babies were dashed to pieces in the streets [of the city]. [Enemy soldiers] (cast lots/threw small marked stones) to decide who would get each official in Thebes [to become his slave]. All the leaders of Thebes were fastened/tied by chains.
11 Atis ni machoofta; ni dhokattas; diina jalaa baʼuufis daʼoo barbaaddatta.
You [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
12 Daʼoon kee hundi mukkeen harbuu kanneen ija jalqabatti bilchaate qaban fakkaata; yeroo mukkeen sun hurgufamanitti iji isaanii afaan nama waa nyaatuu keessa buʼa.
[Your enemies will cause] the walls around your city to fall down like [SIM] the first figs that fall from fig trees [each year]. [Your city will be captured easily, like] [MET] [figs that fall] into the mouths [HYP] of those who shake the fig trees.
13 Mee raayyaawwan kee ilaali; isaan hundinuu dubartoota! Karrawwan biyya keetii diinota keetiif balʼatanii banamanii jiru; ibiddis danqaraa isaanii gubee fixeera.
Look at your soldiers! They will be [as weak/helpless as] [MET] women! The gates of your city will be opened wide [to allow] your enemies [to enter them], [and then] the bars of those gates will be burned.
14 Utuu hin marfamin bishaan waraabbadhu; humna hittisaa kee jajjabeeffadhu! Suphee tolfadhu; dhoqqee suphee dhiittadhu; xuubii tolfadhu.
Store up water [now to use when] your enemies surround the city! Repair the forts! Dig up clay and trample it [to make it soft], and put it into molds to make bricks [to repair the walls]!
15 Achitti ibiddi si fixa; goraadeenis si cicciree akkuma korophisaas si barbadeessa. Akka korophisaa hori; akkuma hawwaannisaa baayʼadhu.
[Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
16 Ati hamma isaan urjii samii caalaa baayʼatanitti daldaltoota kee baayʼifatteerta; isaan garuu akkuma hawwaannisaa biyyatii qullaa hambisanii ergasii barrisanii deemu.
In your [city] there are now very many merchants; [it seems that] there are more of them than there are stars. But [when your city is being destroyed, those merchants will take the valuable things and disappear] [like] [SIM] locusts that strip the leaves from plants and [then] fly away.
17 Eegdonni kee akkuma hawwaannisaa ti; qondaaltonni kees akkuma tuuta hawwaannisaa kan guyyaa qabbanaa dallaa irra qubatuu ti; yeroo aduun baatu garuu barrisanii badu; namni tokko iyyuu gara isaan dhaqan hin beeku.
Your leaders are [also] like a swarm of [SIM] locusts [DOU] that crowd together on the stone fences/walls on a cold day, and [then] fly away when the sun comes up, and no one knows where they have gone.
18 Yaa mootii Asoor tiksoonni kee ni mugu; namoonni kee ulfaatoon boqochuuf gad ciciisaniiru. Namoonni kee nama walitti isaan qabu dhabanii tulluuwwan irratti bibittinnaaʼaniiru.
O King of Assyria, your officials will [all] be dead [EUP]; your important people will lie down and rest [forever]. Your people will be scattered over the mountains, and there will no one to gather them [together].
19 Wanni tokko iyyuu madaa kee fayyisuu hin dandaʼu; miidhamni kees kan duʼaan si gaʼuu dha. Namni oduu waaʼee keetii dhagaʼu hundinuu kufaatii keetti harka walitti rurrukuta; gara jabina kee kan dhuma hin qabne sanaan eenyutu hin miidhamin?
You [are like someone who] has a wound that cannot be healed; [it will be] a wound that causes him to die. And all those who hear about what has happened to you will clap their hands [joyfully]. [They will say, ] “Everyone has [RHQ] suffered because he continually was [very] cruel to us.”
