Tsoka la Ninive
1Tsoka kwa mzinda wopha anthu,
mzinda wodzaza ndi mabodza,
mzinda wodzaza ndi anthu olanda zinthu anzawo,
mu mzinda mʼmene simusowa anthu osautsidwa nthawi zonse!
2Kulira kwa zikwapu,
mkokomo wa mikombero,
kufuwula kwa akavalo
ndiponso phokoso la magaleta!
3Kuthamanga kwa anthu okwera pa akavalo,
kungʼanima kwa malupanga
ndi kunyezimira kwa mikondo!
Anthu ambiri ophedwa,
milumilu ya anthu akufa,
mitembo yosawerengeka,
anthu akupunthwa pa mitemboyo.
4Zonsezi ndi chifukwa cha zilakolako za mkazi wachiwerewere,
wokopa anthu uja, mkazi wochita zamatsenga,
amene anakopa mitundu ya anthu ndi zachiwerewere zake,
ndiponso anthu a mitundu ina ndi zaufiti zake.
5Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti,
“Ine ndikutsutsana nawe.
Ndidzakuvula chovala chako.
Anthu a mitundu ina ndidzawaonetsa umaliseche wako
ndipo udzachita manyazi pamaso pa maufumu onse.
6Ndidzakuthira zonyansa,
ndidzakuchititsa manyazi
ndiponso kukusandutsa chinthu choseketsa.
7Onse amene adzakuona adzakuthawa ndipo adzati,
‘Ninive wasanduka bwinja,
adzamulira ndani?’
Kodi ndingamupeze kuti munthu woti nʼkukutonthoza?”
8Kodi ndiwe wopambana Tebesi,
mzinda wokhala mʼmbali mwa Nailo,
wozunguliridwa ndi madzi?
Mtsinjewo unali chitetezo chake,
madziwo anali linga lake.
9Mphamvu zake zinali Kusi ndi Igupto,
Puti ndi Libiya anali ena mwa abwenzi ake.
10Komabe anthu a ku Tebesi anagwidwa
ndipo anapita ku ukapolo.
Ana ake anawaphwanyitsa pansi
mʼmisewu yonse ya mu mzindamo.
Anachita maere ogawana anthu ake otchuka,
ndipo anthu ake onse amphamvu
anamangidwa ndi maunyolo.
11Iwenso Ninive udzaledzera;
udzabisala
ndipo udzafunafuna malo othawirako kuopa mdani.
12Malo ako onse otetezedwa ali ngati mitengo ya mkuyu
yokhala ndi zipatso zoyambirira kucha;
pamene agwedeza mitengoyo,
nkhuyuzo zimagwera mʼkamwa mwa wofuna kuzidya.
13Tayangʼana ankhondo ako,
onse ali ngati akazi!
Zipata za dziko lako zatsekukira adani ako;
moto wapsereza mipiringidzo yake.
14Tungani madzi woti mudzamwe nthawi ya kuzunguliridwa kwanu,
limbitsani chitetezo chanu!
Pondani dothi,
ikani mʼchikombole,
konzani khoma la njerwa!
15Kumeneko moto udzakupserezani;
lupanga lidzakukanthani
ndipo lidzakuwonongani ngati likuwononga ziwala.
Chulukanani ngati ziwala,
chulukanani ngati dzombe!
16Mwachulukitsa chiwerengero cha anthu a malonda anu
mpaka kupambana nyenyezi za mlengalenga,
koma iwo ngati dzombe akuwononga dziko
ndipo kenaka akuwuluka nʼkuchoka.
17Akalonga ako ali ngati dzombe,
akuluakulu ako ali ngati gulu la dzombe
limene lamatirira pa khoma nthawi yozizira,
koma pamene dzuwa latuluka limawuluka,
ndipo palibe amene amadziwa komwe lapita.
18Iwe mfumu ya ku Asiriya,
abusa ako agona tulo;
anthu ako olemekezeka amwalira.
Anthu ako amwazikira ku mapiri
popanda ndi mmodzi yemwe wowasonkhanitsa.
19Palibe chimene chingachize bala lako;
chilonda chako sichingapole.
Aliyense amene amamva za iwe
amawomba mʼmanja chifukwa cha kugwa kwako,
kodi alipo amene sanazilawepo
nkhanza zako zosatha?
Woe to Nineveh
1Woe to the city of blood,
full of lies,
full of plunder,
never without victims!
2The crack of whips,
the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
and jolting chariots!
3Charging cavalry,
flashing swords
and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
piles of dead,
bodies without number,
people stumbling over the corpses –
4all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
alluring, the mistress of sorceries,
who enslaved nations by her prostitution
and peoples by her witchcraft.
5‘I am against you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.
‘I will lift your skirts over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness
and the kingdoms your shame.
6I will pelt you with filth,
I will treat you with contempt
and make you a spectacle.
7All who see you will flee from you and say,
“Nineveh is in ruins – who will mourn for her?”
Where can I find anyone to comfort you?’
8Are you better than Thebes,
situated on the Nile,
with water around her?
The river was her defence,
the waters her wall.
9Cush3:9 That is, the upper Nile region and Egypt were her boundless strength;
Put and Libya were among her allies.
10Yet she was taken captive
and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed to pieces
at every street corner.
Lots were cast for her nobles,
and all her great men were put in chains.
11You too will become drunk;
you will go into hiding
and seek refuge from the enemy.
12All your fortresses are like fig-trees
with their first ripe fruit;
when they are shaken,
the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
13Look at your troops –
they are all weaklings.
The gates of your land
are wide open to your enemies;
fire has consumed the bars of your gates.
14Draw water for the siege,
strengthen your defences!
Work the clay,
tread the mortar,
repair the brickwork!
15There the fire will consume you;
the sword will cut you down –
and it will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
multiply like locusts!
16You have increased the number of your merchants
till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
but like locusts they strip the land
and then fly away.
17Your guards are like locusts,
your officials like swarms of locusts
that settle in the walls on a cold day –
but when the sun appears they fly away,
and no-one knows where.
18King of Assyria, your shepherds3:18 That is, rulers slumber;
your nobles lie down to rest.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
with no-one to gather them.
19Nothing can heal you;
your wound is fatal.
All who hear the news about you
clap their hands at your fall,
for who has not felt
your endless cruelty?