Nahumi 3
1 Rine nhamo guta reropa, rizere nenhema, rizere nezvakapambwa, harigari risina varinotambudza!
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 Kurira kwetyava, utsvikitsviki hwamavhiri, mutsindo wamabhiza nomubvumo wokutinhira kwengoro!
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 Kumhanya kwavatasvi vamabhiza, kupenya kweminondo namapfumo anovaima! Vazhinji vakaurayiwa, mirwi yevakafa, mitumbi isingaverengeki, vanhu vachigumburwa nezvitunha.
[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 Zvose izvi nokuda kwokuchiva kuzhinji kwechifeve, chinokwezvera, mukuru wouroyi, akatapa ndudzi noufeve hwake namarudzi avanhu nouroyi hwake.
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 “Ndine mhaka newe,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose. Ndichafukura nguo yako ifukidze chiso chako “Ndicharatidza ndudzi kushama kwako namadzimambo kunyadziswa kwako.
[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 Ndichakukandidzira tsvina, ndichakuita akazvidzika uye ndichakuita chiseko.
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 Vose vachakuona vachakutiza uye vachati, ‘Ninevhe raparara, ndiani acharichema?’ Ndingawana kupi munhu angakunyaradza?”
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 Uri nani kupfuura Tebhesi here, rakavakwa paNairi, rakakomberedzwa nemvura? Rwizi ndirwo rwairidzivirira, mvura iri rusvingo rwaro.
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 Etiopia neIjipiti ndizvo zvaiva simba rayo guru; Puti neRibhiya dzaiva pakati pavabatsiri vayo.
[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 Kunyange zvakadaro yakatapwa ikaendeswa kuutapwa. Vacheche varo vakaputsanyiwa kumavambo kwemigwagwa yose. Mijenya yakakandwa pamusoro pemachinda avo, uye vakuru vavo vakasungwa nengetani.
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 Newewo uchadhakwa; uchavanda ugotsvaka utiziro kubva kumuvengi wako.
You [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
12 Nhare dzako dzose dzafanana nemiti yemionde ine michero yokutanga yaibva; paanozunzwa, maonde anodonhera mumuromo momudyi.
[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 Tarira mauto ako, vose vakadzi! Masuo enyika yako akazarurirwa kuvavengi vako; moto waparadza mazariro awo.
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 Cherai mvura kuitira kukombwa, simbisai nhare dzenyu! Gadzirai ivhu, kanyai dhaka, mugadzire zvidhina zvenyu!
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 Moto uchakuparadzai imomo; munondo uchakuurayai, uye uchakuparadzai semhashu. Berekanai semhashu, muberekane sehwiza!
[Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
16 Makawedzera uwandu hwavatengesi venyu kusvikira vapfuura nyeredzi dzedenga kuwanda. Asi sehwiza, vanoparadza nyika vobhururuka vachienda.
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 Varindi venyu vakaita sehwiza, machinda enyu segundamusaira rehwiza dzinomhara pamadziro musi wakunotonhora, asi kana zuva rabuda dzinobhururuka dzichienda, uye hapana anoziva kuti kupi.
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 Iwe mambo weAsiria, vafudzi vako vanotsumwaira; machinda ako anorara pasi kuti azorore. Vanhu vako vakapararira pamusoro pamakomo pasina angavaunganidza.
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 Hapana chingarapa ronda rako; kukuvara kwako kuchakuuraya. Mumwe nomumwe anonzwa nezveguhu rako anorova maoko ake pakuwa kwako, nokuti ndianiko asina kunzwa utsinye hwako husina magumo?
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.”
