Nahum 3
1 Nnome nka mogya kuropɔn a atorɔ ne korɔno ahyɛ no ma na amanehunufoɔ mmpa mu da!
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 Apɔnkɔkafoɔ abaa regyegye, nteaseɛnam nhankra reyɛ kirididi Apɔnkɔ rehurihuri ne nteaseɛnam redenkye denkye.
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 Apɔnkɔ ne wɔn sotefoɔ ko kɔ wɔn anim akofena twa nyinam nyinam na mpea nso pa yerɛ yerɛ. Atɔfoɔ bebree, awufoɔ a ebi deda ebi soɔ, afunu a wɔntumi nkan wɔn dodoɔ a nnipa tiatia soɔ.
[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 Yei nyinaa firi odwamanfoɔ bi akɔnnɔ, ntafowayifoɔ no nnaadaa dodoɔ no. Ɔno na ɔde nʼadwamammɔ tɔn amanaman na ɔde nʼabayisɛm tɔn nnipa.
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 “Me ne wo nnka,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ ni, “Mɛpagya wʼatadeɛ akɔ soro. Mɛma amanaman ahunu wʼadagya na ahennie ahodoɔ nso ahunu wʼanimguaseɛ.
[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 Mede efi bɛfɔre wo ho, mɛbu wo animtia na mama nnipa ahwɛ wo.
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 Obiara a ɔbɛhunu wo bɛdwane afiri wo ho aka sɛ, ‘Ninewe abɔ, na hwan na ɔbɛsu no?’ Ɛhe na menya obi akyekyere wo werɛ?”
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 Woyɛ sene Tebes a ɛda Asubɔnten Nil ho a nsuo atwa he ho ahyia anaa? Asubɔnten bɔ ne ho ban na nsuo yɛ ne fasuo.
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 Kus ne Misraim yɛ ne dɔm a wɔntumi nkan wɔn. Put ne Libia ka nʼadomfoɔ ho.
[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 Nanso wɔfaa no dommum twaa no asuo. Wɔtoo ne mmadoma hwehwee fam ma wɔtetee wɔ mmɔntene so. Wɔbɔɔ nʼaberempɔn so ntonto, na nʼatitire nso wɔde nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn guguu wɔn.
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 Wo nso wʼani so bɛyɛ wo hagyahagya sɛ ɔsabofoɔ Na wo bɛhinta wo ho de akɔpɛ dwanekɔbea wɔ atamfoɔ nkyɛn.
You [people of Nineveh] will similarly become dazed and drunk, and you will search for places to hide [to escape] from your enemies.
12 Wʼaban nyinaa te sɛ borɔdɔma nnua a aso aba foforɔ: sɛ wɔwoso a aba no tete gu ma deɛ ɔrepɛ bi adi.
[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 Hwɛ wʼakofoɔ wɔn nyinaa yɛ mmaa! Wʼasase so apono ano deda hɔ ma wʼatamfoɔ; ogya ahye wʼapono no akyiri adaban.
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 Sesa nsuo sie ma otua no. Yere wo banbɔ mu! Wɔ dɔteɛ no na siesie ntayaa a wato no!
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 Ɛhɔ na ogya bɛhye woɔ; akofena bɛtwa wo ahwe fam, na ayɛ wo sɛdeɛ mmɛbɛ adi wo nam. Mo nnɔre sɛ mmɛbɛ anaa ntutummɛ!
[Nevertheless, your enemies] will burn your [city]; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you like [SIM] locusts [destroy crops].
16 Wama wʼadwadifoɔ adɔɔso, wɔn dodoɔ asene ɔsoro nsoromma, nanso wɔte sɛ ntutummɛ a wɔbɔ asase no kwaterekwa na afei wɔtu kɔ.
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 Wʼawɛmfoɔ te sɛ ntutummɛ. Wʼadwumayɛfoɔ te sɛ ntutummɛ akuo a wɔsensam ban ho awɔ da. Adekyeɛ mu owia pue a wɔtu kɔ, na obi nnim faako a wɔkɔ.
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 Ao, Asiriahene wo nnwanhwɛfoɔ retɔ nko. Wʼanimuonyamfoɔ deda hɔ rehome. Wo nkurɔfoɔ abɔ apete wɔ mmepɔ no so a wɔnni anoboaboafoɔ.
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 Aduro biara ntumi nkum wʼapirakuro no; wo pira no mu yɛ den. Obiara a ɔte wo nka no bɔ ne nsam wɔ wʼasehweɛ ho, Na hwan koraa na wommɔɔ no atirimuɔden da?
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.”
