UNahume 3
1 Maye kumuzi wezingazi, wonke ugcwele amanga lempango! Okuphangiweyo kakusuki.
Woe to the bloody city! it [is] all full of lies [and] robbery; the prey departeth not;
2 Umsindo wesiswepu, lomsindo wokugedlezela kwamavili, lowamabhiza amathayo, lowezinqola ezeqayo.
The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
3 Umgadi webhiza uphakamisa kokubili inkemba ephazimayo lomkhonto ocwazimulayo, njalo kulexuku lababuleweyo, lenani elikhulu lezidumbu; yebo kakulasiphelo sezidumbu; bayakhubeka phezu kwezidumbu zabo.
The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and [there is] a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and [there is] none end of [their] corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:
4 Ngenxa yobunengi bokufeba kwesiphingi, inkosazana ekhangayo yobuthakathi, esithengisa izizwe ngokuphinga kwaso, lemideni ngobuthakathi baso.
Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
5 Khangela, ngimelene lawe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla; ngizakwembulela amalogwe akho phezu kobuso bakho, ngitshengise izizwe ubunqunu bakho, lemibuso ihlazo lakho.
Behold, I [am] against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
6 Ngiphosele amanyala phezu kwakho, ngikwenze udeleleke, ngikumise njengento yokubukelwa.
And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.
7 Kuzakuthi-ke wonke okubonayo akubalekele, athi: INineve ichithekile. Ngubani ozayililela? Ngizakudingela ngaphi abaduduzi?
And it shall come to pass, [that] all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
8 Ungcono yini kuleNo-Amoni eyayihlezi phakathi kwemifula, elamanzi inhlangothi zonke, omthangala wawo wawululwandle, umduli wawo wawusukela elwandle?
Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, [that had] the waters round about it, whose rampart [was] the sea, [and] her wall [was] from the sea?
9 IEthiyophiya leGibhithe kwakungamandla ayo angelakuphela; iPuti leLubhimi babengabasizi bakho.
Ethiopia and Egypt [were] her strength, and [it was] infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
10 Kanti yona yathuthwa yaya ekuthunjweni; lezingane zayo zachotshozwa esihlokweni sazo zonke izitalada; njalo benza inkatho yokuphosa ngabahloniphekayo bayo, labo bonke abakhulu bayo babotshwa ngamaketane.
Yet [was] she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children 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 in chains.
11 Lawe-ke uzadakwa, uzacatsha; futhi wena uzadinga isiphephelo ngenxa yesitha.
Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.
12 Inqaba zakho zonke zizakuba njengezihlahla zemikhiwa ezilezithelo zokuqala; uba zinyikinywa, ziwela emlonyeni wodlayo.
All thy strong holds [shall be like] fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Khangela, abantu bakho bangabesifazana phakathi kwakho; amasango elizwe lakho azavulekela kakhulu izitha zakho; umlilo uzaqeda imigoqo yakho.
Behold, thy people in the midst of thee [are] women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.
14 Zikhelele amanzi okuvinjezelwa, uqinise izinqaba zakho; ngena odakeni, uxove ibumba, uqinise ihondo yezitina.
Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.
15 Lapho umlilo uzakuqeda, inkemba ikuqume, ikudle njengesikhonyane, uzandise njengesikhonyane, uzandise njengezintethe.
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.
16 Wandise abathengisi bakho ngaphezu kwenkanyezi zamazulu; iqhwagi liyona, liphaphe lihambe.
Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.
17 Abetheswe umqhele bakho banjengezintethe, labalawulimabutho bakho banjengentethe ezinengi, ezimisa inkamba ezintangweni ngosuku lomqando; ilanga seliphumile, ziyasuka zibaleke, ingabe isaziwa indawo yazo ukuthi zingaphi.
Thy crowned [are] as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, [but] when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they [are].
18 Abelusi bakho bayawozela, wena nkosi yeAsiriya; abakhulu bakho bazahlala; abantu bakho bazahlakazeka ezintabeni, njalo kungekho obabuthayo.
Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell [in the dust: ] thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth [them].
19 Kakukho ukupholiswa kokwephuka kwakho, inxeba lakho libuhlungu; bonke abezwa umbiko ngawe baqakeza izandla ngawe; ngoba kukubani obungadlulanga kuye ububi bakho njalonjalo?
[There is] no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
