< Nahum 3 >

1 Ègbé ni fún ìlú ẹ̀jẹ̀ nì, gbogbo rẹ̀ kún fún èké, ó kún fún olè, ìjẹ kò kúrò!
Woe to the bloody city! Full of lies and plunder, without end is the spoil.
2 Ariwo pàṣán àti ariwo kíkùn kẹ̀kẹ́ ogun àti jíjó ẹṣin àti gbígbọn kẹ̀kẹ́ ogun jìgìjìgì!
Hear the crack of the whip, hear the rattle of wheels. Galloping horses, jolting chariots.
3 Ológun orí ẹṣin ń fi ìgbónára ju idà wọn mọ̀nàmọ́ná ọ̀kọ̀ rẹ̀ ti ń dán yanran sí òkè! Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ si ní àwọn ẹni tí a pa, àti ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ òkú; òkú kò sì ni òpin; àwọn ènìyàn sì ń kọsẹ̀ lára àwọn òkú.
Horsemen charging, swords flashing, spears glittering, a multitude of slain, a heap of bodies, no end to the corpses over which people stumble!
4 Nítorí ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ panṣágà àgbèrè tí ó rójú rere gbà, ìyá àjẹ́ tí ó ṣọ́ àwọn Orílẹ̀-èdè di ẹrú nípa àgbèrè rẹ̀ àti àwọn ìdílé nípa ìṣe àjẹ́ rẹ̀.
‘Because you acted like a whore, bewitching the nations, enticing the peoples,
5 “Èmi dojúkọ ọ́,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí. “Èmi ó si ká aṣọ àwọ̀tẹ́lẹ̀ rẹ ní ojú rẹ. Èmi yóò sì fi ìhòhò rẹ̀ han àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè àti ìtìjú rẹ̀ han àwọn ilẹ̀ ọba.
I am against you, Nineveh’ the Lord of hosts declares. ‘I will strip your clothes and show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.
6 Èmi yóò da ẹ̀gbin tí ó ni ìríra sí ọ ní ara, èmi yóò sì sọ ọ́ di aláìmọ́, èmi yóò sì sọ ọ́ di ẹlẹ́yà.
‘I will fling loathsome filth at you, and make you an object of contempt, a spectacle,
7 Gbogbo àwọn tí ó ba sì wò ọ́ yóò sì káàánú fún ọ, wọn yóò sì wí pé, ‘Ninefe ṣòfò, ta ni yóò kẹ́dùn rẹ?’ Níbo ni èmi o ti wá olùtùnú fún ọ?”
so that everyone who sees you will flee from you and say: “Nineveh is laid waste, who will mourn for her?”
8 Ǹjẹ́ ìwọ ha sàn ju Tebesi lọ, èyí tí ó wà ní ibi odò Naili, tí omi sì yí káàkiri? Odò náà sì jẹ́ ààbò rẹ̀, omi si jẹ́ odi rẹ̀.
‘Are you any better than Thebes, which stood on the banks of the Nile, with waters around as a rampart, whose wall was the sea of waters?
9 Etiopia àti Ejibiti ni agbára rẹ, kò sí ní òpin; Puti àti Libia ni àwọn olùgbèjà rẹ̀.
Her strength was Ethiopia and Egypt. The Libyans were her helpers, and Put with its countless people.
10 Síbẹ̀síbẹ̀ a kó o ní ìgbèkùn o sì lọ sí oko ẹrú. Àwọn ọmọ wẹ́wẹ́ rẹ̀ ni a ó fọ́ mọ́lẹ̀ ní orí ìta gbogbo ìgboro. Wọ́n sì di ìbò nítorí àwọn ọlọ́lá rẹ̀ ọkùnrin, gbogbo àwọn ọlọ́lá rẹ ni a sì fi ẹ̀wọ̀n dè.
Yet she was exiled and made captive. On all corners of the streets her infants were dashed to pieces. Lots were cast for her nobles, all her great ones were bound in chains.
11 Ìwọ pẹ̀lú yóò sì mu àmupara; a ó sì fi ọ́ pamọ́ ìwọ pẹ̀lú yóò máa ṣe àfẹ́rí ààbò nítorí ti ọ̀tá náà.
‘You too, Nineveh, will be drunk with fear; you too will seek a place of escape from the foe.
12 Gbogbo ilé ìṣọ́ agbára rẹ yóò dàbí igi ọ̀pọ̀tọ́ pẹ̀lú àkọ́pọ́n èso wọn; nígbà tí wọ́n bá ń gbọ̀n wọ́n, ọ̀pọ̀tọ́ yóò sì bọ́ sí ẹnu àwọn ọ̀jẹun.
All your fortresses are fig trees with the first ripe figs; if shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater!
13 Kíyèsi gbogbo àwọn jagunjagun! Obìnrin ni gbogbo wọn. Ojú ibodè rẹ ní a ó ṣí sílẹ̀ gbagada, fún àwọn ọ̀tá rẹ; iná yóò jó ọ̀pá ìdábùú ìlẹ̀kùn ibodè rẹ.
Your troops are weak as women before your foes; the gates of your land are wide open; your defenses burned down.
14 Pọn omi nítorí ìhámọ́, mú ilé ìṣọ́ rẹ lágbára sí i wọ inú amọ̀ kí o sì tẹ erùpẹ̀, kí ó sì tún ibi tí a ti ń sun bíríkì-amọ̀ ṣe kí ó le.
‘Draw water for the siege, strengthen your forts. Go to the clay pits and tread the clay; take up the brick moulds.
15 Níbẹ̀ ni iná yóò ti jó ọ́ run; idà yóò sì ké ọ kúrò, yóò sì jẹ ọ́ bí i kòkòrò, yóò sì sọ ara rẹ̀ di púpọ̀ bí i tata, àní, di púpọ̀ bí eṣú!
There the fire will consume you, the sword will cut you down. Multiply like the locust or a swarm of grasshoppers.
16 Ìwọ ti sọ àwọn oníṣòwò rẹ di púpọ̀ títí wọn yóò fi pọ̀ ju ìràwọ̀ ojú ọ̀run lọ, ṣùgbọ́n bi eṣú ni wọn yóò sọ ilẹ̀ náà di ahoro, wọn yóò sì fò lọ.
Increase the numbers of your merchants until they are more than the stars of heaven,
17 Àwọn aládé rẹ̀ dàbí eṣú, àwọn ọ̀gágun rẹ dàbí ẹlẹ́ǹgà ńlá, èyí tí ń dó sínú ọgbà ni ọjọ́ òtútù, ṣùgbọ́n nígbà tí oòrùn jáde, wọ́n sálọ, ẹnìkan kò sì mọ ibi tí wọ́n gbé wà.
until your watchmen are locusts, and your scribes like grasshoppers, which swarm in the hedges on a cold day; but when the sun rises they fly away, no one knows where.
18 Ìwọ ọba Asiria, àwọn olùṣọ́-àgùntàn rẹ̀ ń tòògbé; àwọn ọlọ́lá rẹ dùbúlẹ̀ láti sinmi. Àwọn ènìyàn rẹ fọ́nká lórí àwọn òkè ńlá, tí ẹnikẹ́ni kò sì kó wọn jọ.
‘King of Assyria: your princes slumber, your nobles sleep! Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them!
19 Kò sì sí ohun tí ó lè wo ọgbẹ́ ẹ̀ rẹ sàn; ọgbẹ́ rẹ kún fún ìrora, Gbogbo ẹni tí ó bá sì gbọ́ ìròyìn rẹ yóò pàtẹ́wọ́ lé ọ lórí, nítorí ta ni kò ní pín nínú ìwà búburú rẹ ti kò ti lópin.
There is no healing for your hurt, your wound is incurable. All who hear of your fate clap their hands in joy, for who has escaped your limitless cruelty?’

< Nahum 3 >