< Nahumu 3 >
1 Ole kwa mji uliojaa damu! Wote umejaa uongo na mali za wizi; wahanga wapo kwake daima.
Woe [to] the city of blood, She is all with lies — burglary — full, Prey doth not depart.
2 Lakini sasa kunasauti ya mijeledi na sauti za kugongesha matairi, farasi wakicheza, na magari ya vita yanaruka ruka.
The sound of a whip, And the sound of the rattling of a wheel, And of a prancing horse, and of a bounding chariot, Of a horseman mounting.
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.
And the flame of a sword, and the lightning of a spear, And the abundance of the wounded, And the weight of carcases, Yea, there is no end to the bodies, They stumble over 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 abundance of the fornications of an harlot, The goodness of the grace of the lady of witchcrafts, Who is selling nations by her fornications, And families by her witchcrafts.
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.
Lo, I [am] against thee, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And have removed thy skirts before thy face, And have shewed nations thy nakedness, And kingdoms thy shame,
6 Nitarusha uchafu wa kuchukiza na kukufanya uwe mbaya sana; nitakufanya uwe mtu wa kutazamwa na kila mmoja.
And I have cast upon thee abominations, And dishonoured thee, and made thee as a sight.
7 Itakuwa kwamba kila mmoja anayekutazama atakukimbia na kusema, “Ninawi ameharibika; ni nani ataomboleza kwa ajili yake?' Ni wapi nitampata mtu anayeweza kukufariji?”
And it hath come to pass, Each of thy beholders fleeth from thee, And hath said: 'Spoiled is Nineveh, Who doth bemoan for her?' Whence do I seek comforters for thee?
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?
Art thou better than No-Ammon, That is dwelling among brooks? Waters she hath round about her, Whose bulwark [is] the sea, waters her wall.
9 Ethiopia na Misri zilikuwa nguvu zake, na mwisho wake haukuwepo; Putu na Libya walikuwa rafiki zake.
Cush her might, and Egypt, and there is no end. Put and Lubim have been for thy help.
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.
Even she doth become an exile, She hath gone into captivity, Even her sucklings are dashed to pieces At the top of all out-places, And for her honoured ones they cast a lot, And all her great ones have been bound in fetters.
11 Wewe pia utalewa; utajaribu kujificha, na utatafuta makimbilio kutoka kwa adui yako.
Even thou art drunken, thou art hidden, Even thou dost seek a strong place, because of an enemy.
12 Ngome zako zote zitakuwa kama mitini yenye tini zilizoiva mapema: kama zikitikiswa, zitaangukia kwenye kimywa cha mlaji.
All thy fortresses [are] fig-trees with first-fruits, If they are shaken, They have fallen 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.
Lo, thy people [are] women in thy midst, To thine enemies thoroughly opened Have been the gates of thy land, Consumed hath fire thy bars.
14 Nenda ukachote maji kwenye boma iliyozingirwa; ziimarishe ngome zako; nenda kwenye udongo na kandamiza matope; finyanga kwa ajili ya matofali.
Waters of a siege draw for thyself, Strengthen thy fortresses, Enter into mire, and tread on clay, Make strong a brick-kiln.
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 consume thee doth a fire, Cut thee off doth a sword, It doth consume thee as a cankerworm! Make thyself heavy as the cankerworm, Make thyself heavy as the locust.
16 Umezidisha wafanyabiashara wako zaidi kuliko nyota mbinguni; lakini wapo kama tunutu: wanapora nchi na kisha kuruka kwenda mbali.
Multiply thy merchants above the stars of the heavens, The cankerworm hath stripped off, and doth flee 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.
Thy crowned ones [are] as a locust, And thy princes as great grasshoppers, That encamp in hedges in a day of cold, The sun hath risen, and it doth flee away, And not known is its place 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.
Slumbered have thy friends, king of Asshur, Rest do thine honourable ones, Scattered have been thy people on the mountains, And there is none gathering.
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 weakening of thy destruction, Grievous [is] thy smiting, All hearing thy fame have clapped the hand at thee, For over whom did not thy wickedness pass continually?