Nahumu 3
1 Ole wa mji umwagao damu, uliojaa uongo, umejaa nyara, usiokosa kuwa na vitu vya kuteka nyara.
Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies [and] violence; the prey departeth not.
2 Kelele za mijeledi, vishindo vya magurudumu, farasi waendao mbio na mshtuo wa magari ya vita!
The crack of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the bounding chariots!
3 Wapanda farasi wanaenda mbio, panga zinameremeta, na mikuki inangʼaa! Majeruhi wengi, malundo ya maiti, idadi kubwa ya miili isiyohesabika, watu wanajikwaa juu ya mizoga:
The horseman springing up, and the glitter of the sword, and the flash of the spear, and a multitude of slain, and a mass of carcases, and no end of corpses: they stumble over their corpses.
4 yote haya kwa sababu ya wingi wa tamaa za kahaba, anayeshawishi, bibi wa mambo ya uchawi, anayewatia utumwani mataifa kwa ukahaba wake na pia jamaa za watu kwa ulozi wake.
— Because of the multitude of the fornications of the well-favoured harlot, mistress of sorceries, that selleth nations through her fornications, and families through her sorceries,
5 Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote anasema, “Mimi ni kinyume na ninyi. Nitafunika uso wako kwa gauni lako. Nitaonyesha mataifa uchi wako na falme aibu yako.
behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah 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 Nitakutupia uchafu, nitakufanyia dharau na kukufanya kioja.
And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazing stock.
7 Wote wanaokuona watakukimbia na kusema, ‘Ninawi ipo katika kuangamia: ni nani atakayeomboleza kwa ajili yake?’ Nitampata wapi yeyote wa kukufariji?”
And it shall come to pass, [that] all they that see thee shall flee from thee, and shall say, Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
8 Je, wewe ni bora kuliko No-Amoni, uliopo katika Mto Naili, uliozungukwa na maji? Mto ulikuwa kinga yake, nayo maji yalikuwa ukuta wake.
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 was her wall?
9 Kushi na Misri walikuwa nguvu zake zisizo na mpaka; Putu na Libia walikuwa miongoni mwa wale walioungana naye.
Ethiopia was her strength, and Egypt, and it was infinite; Phut and the Libyans were her helpers.
10 Hata hivyo alichukuliwa mateka na kwenda uhamishoni. Watoto wake wachanga walivunjwa vunjwa vipande kwenye mwanzo wa kila barabara. Kura zilipigwa kwa watu wake wenye heshima, na watu wake wote wakuu walifungwa kwa minyororo.
She too was carried away, she went into captivity: her infants also were dashed in pieces, at the top of all the streets; and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound with chains.
11 Wewe pia utalewa; utakwenda mafichoni na kutafuta kimbilio kutoka kwa adui.
Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid; thou also shalt seek a refuge from the enemy.
12 Ngome zako zote ni kama mitini yenye matunda yake ya kwanza yaliyoiva; wakati inapotikiswa, tini huanguka kwenye kinywa chake alaye.
All thy strongholds are [like] fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they even fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Tazama vikosi vyako: wote ni wanawake! Malango ya nchi yako yamekuwa wazi kwa adui zako; moto umeteketeza mapingo yake.
Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are [as] women: the gates of thy land are set wide open unto thine enemies; the fire devoureth thy bars.
14 Teka maji kwa ajili ya kuzingirwa kwako, imarisha ulinzi wako, Ufanyie udongo wa mfinyanzi kazi, yakanyage matope, karabati tanuru la kuchomea matofali!
Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brick-kiln.
15 Huko moto utakuteketeza, huko upanga utakuangusha chini na kama vile panzi, watakumaliza. Ongezeka kama panzi, ongezeka kama nzige!
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall devour thee like the cankerworm. Make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locust.
16 Umeongeza idadi ya wafanyabiashara wako mpaka wamekuwa wengi kuliko nyota za angani, lakini kama nzige wanaacha nchi tupu kisha huruka na kwenda zake.
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants more than the stars of the heavens; the cankerworm spreadeth himself out and flieth away.
17 Walinzi wako ni kama nzige, maafisa wako ni kama makundi ya nzige watuao kwenye kuta wakati wa siku ya baridi: lakini wakati jua linapotokea wanaruka kwenda zao, na hakuna ajuaye waendako.
Thy chosen men are as the locusts, and thy captains as swarms of grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day: when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
18 Ee mfalme wa Ashuru, wachungaji wako wanasinzia; wakuu wako wanalala chini mavumbini kupumzika. Watu wako wametawanyika juu ya milima bila kuwa na mtu yeyote wa kuwakusanya.
Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; thy nobles lie still; thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.
19 Hakuna kitu kinachoweza kuponya jeraha lako; jeraha lako ni la kukuua. Kila anayesikia habari zako, hupiga makofi kwa kuanguka kwako, kwa kuwa ni nani ambaye hajaguswa na ukatili wako usio na mwisho?
There is no healing of thy breach; 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?
