< Nahumu 3 >
1 Ole kwa mji uliojaa damu! Wote umejaa uongo na mali za wizi; wahanga wapo kwake daima.
Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery—no end to the prey.
2 Lakini sasa kunasauti ya mijeledi na sauti za kugongesha matairi, farasi wakicheza, na magari ya vita yanaruka ruka.
The noise of the whip, the noise of the rattling of wheels, prancing horses, and bounding chariots,
3 Kuna wapanda farasi wanashambulia, Upanga unang'ara, mikuki inametameta, marundo ya maiti, mafungu makubwa ya miili; hakuna ukomo wa miili, washambuliaji wanajikwaa juu yake.
the horseman charging, and the flashing sword, the glittering spear, and a multitude of slain, and a great heap of corpses, and there is no end of the bodies. They stumble on their bodies
4 Hii inatokea kwa sababu ya matendo ya tamaa ya kahaba mzuri, mzoefu wa uchawi, mwenye kuuza taifa kwa umalaya wake, na watu kwa njia ya matendo yake ya kichawi.
because of the multitude of the prostitution of the alluring prostitute, the mistress of witchcraft, who sells nations through her prostitution, and families through her witchcraft.
5 “Tazama, mimi nipo kinyume na wewe- hili ni neno la Yehova wa majeshi- sketi yako nitaiinua juu ya uso wako na kuzionyesha sehemu zako za siri kwa mataifa, aibu yako kwa falme.
“Behold, I am against you,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.
6 Nitarusha uchafu wa kuchukiza na kukufanya uwe mbaya sana; nitakufanya uwe mtu wa kutazamwa na kila mmoja.
I will throw abominable filth on you and make you vile, and will make you a spectacle.
7 Itakuwa kwamba kila mmoja anayekutazama atakukimbia na kusema, “Ninawi ameharibika; ni nani ataomboleza kwa ajili yake?' Ni wapi nitampata mtu anayeweza kukufariji?”
It will happen that all those who look at you will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will mourn for her?’ Where will I seek comforters for you?”
8 Ninawi, je wewe ni bora kuliko Noamoni, uliojengwa juu ya Mto Naili, uliokuwa umezungukwa na maji, ambao ulinzi wake ilikuwa bahari, ambao ukuta wake ilikuwa bahari yenyewe?
Are you better than No-Amon, who was situated amongst the rivers, who had the waters around her, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?
9 Ethiopia na Misri zilikuwa nguvu zake, na mwisho wake haukuwepo; Putu na Libya walikuwa rafiki zake.
Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength. Put and Libya were her helpers.
10 Lakini Noamoni alichukuliwa; alikwenda kwenye mateka; watoto wake wadogo walivunjwa vipande vipande katika kila makao makuu ya mtaa; adui zake walipiga kura kwa watu wake wenye heshima na wakuu wake wote walifungwa minyororo.
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 Wewe pia utalewa; utajaribu kujificha, na utatafuta makimbilio kutoka kwa adui yako.
You also will be drunken. You will be hidden. You also will seek a stronghold because of the enemy.
12 Ngome zako zote zitakuwa kama mitini yenye tini zilizoiva mapema: kama zikitikiswa, zitaangukia kwenye kimywa cha mlaji.
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs. If they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Tazama, watu miongoni mwenu ni wanawake; malango ya nchi yako yamefunguliwa sana kwa ajili ya adui zako; moto umeharibu bawaba zake.
Behold, your troops amongst you are women. The gates of your land are set wide open to your enemies. The fire has devoured your bars.
14 Nenda ukachote maji kwenye boma iliyozingirwa; ziimarishe ngome zako; nenda kwenye udongo na kandamiza matope; finyanga kwa ajili ya matofali.
Draw water for the siege. Strengthen your fortresses. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar. Make the brick kiln strong.
15 Moto utakuteketeza pale, na upanga utakuangamiza. Utateketezwa kama nzige wachanga wanavyoteketeza kila kitu. Ninyi wenyewe mjitengeneze kuwa wengi kama nzige wachanga, na wengi kama nzinge waliopevuka.
There the fire will devour you. The sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the grasshopper. Multiply like grasshoppers. Multiply like the locust.
16 Umezidisha wafanyabiashara wako zaidi kuliko nyota mbinguni; lakini wapo kama tunutu: wanapora nchi na kisha kuruka kwenda mbali.
You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips and flees away.
17 Wafalme wenu wapo wengi kama zinge, na wakuu wenu wa majeshi ni kama kundi la wadudu wenye kuweka kambi katika ukuta wakati wa baridi. Lakini jua linapowaka wanaruka kwenda mbali ambako hakuna anayepajua.
Your guards are like the locusts, and your officials like the swarms of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day, but when the sun appears, they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
18 Mfalme wa Ashuru, wachungaji wako wamelala; watawala wako wamejilaza chini kupumzika. Watu wako wametawanyika juu ya milima, na hakuna hata mmoja wa kuwakusanya.
Your shepherds slumber, king of Assyria. Your nobles lie down. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.
19 Hakuna uponyaji unaowezekana kwa ajili ya vidonda vyako. Vidonda vyako ni vikubwa. Wanaosikia habari juu yako watapiga makofi kwa furaha juu yako. Ni nani aliyejiepusha kwa uovu wako wa daima?
There is no healing your wound, for your injury is fatal. All who hear the report of you clap their hands over you, for who hasn’t felt your endless cruelty?