Kuwa kwe Ninive
1 Mpaladzi waswika kuwobhayana nawe Ninive.
Linda mbako dze matizhilo,
tjengeta zila
usunga thunji dzidzo
ushingise matatabuko awo wose!
2 Ngoti Yahwe banowobuza mu tjimo gudzo la Jakubo
se gudzo le Iziraela,
nenguba bathukudzi bakabathukudza
bakatjinya mizhambi yabo.
3 Zwivikisi zwe babhayani babe zwishaba,
bagwi babe bakambala zwiambalo zwishaba kwakabondelela.
Koloyi dzidze dze ngwa dzopenya
mu zhuba ladzalulwamisigwa ngwa,
ne mathumo anokuswiwa.
4 Koloyi dze ngwa dzolabuka dzizhala zila,
dzovirima dziyenda yeno na yeno mu zwibata.
Dzolingika se mithuto ye mavone,
dzilabuka se lupenyo gwe vula.
5 Unodana batungamili babo,
banotshatsharika abezha kwabadang'wa.
Banolabukila ku guma,
ndizo tjidzibili tjibe tjibigwa pakalingisana.
6 Mikoba ye njizi ikazhuka,
ngono nzi we bumambo ukapela masimba.
7 Nlayo wadwa wekuti nzi utapiwe,
balandakadzi bawo basengwe,
belila se njiba
bakabhata hana dzabo.
8 Ninive inonga dziba,
ngono vula yalo ipkhwa.
Mmwe unodana eti, “Imani! Imani!”
Ngono kube kusheta unoshanduka.
9 Tapani siliva!
Tapani golide!
Fumwa izhele ipapa!
Kuzhele tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakanaka!
10 Ninive yakashakadziwa ikatapigwa, ikakolomogwa!
Moyo inotimbama, zwidwi zwikatetema,
thunji dzose dzozunguzika njiso dzose dzofubala.
11 Lingayi ngwenu wali guwu le shumba
pabakabe bejisila bana babo?
Pangayi pakabe peyendayenda shumba ne shumbakadzi
ne shumbana kusina tjadzinotja?
12 Shumba yakamwawulanya kwakalizana bana bayo
ikasina tjayakabhata kupa shumbakadzi yayo.
Yakazhadza makuwu ayo nge zwayakabulaya
ne makuhwana akazhala.
13 Yahwe Masimbawose bakati,
“Bona, ndobhayana nawe.
Ndowopisa koloyi dzidzo dzose nge moto
thumo nayilo lowoja shumbana dzidzo.
Akuna tjandinowokusiyila tjawungabulaya mu shango.
Mahwi e thumwa dzidzo aatowohwika kakale.”
Nineveh Will Fall
1 Nineveh, someone is coming
to attack and scatter you.
Guard your fortresses!
Watch the road! Be brave!
Prepare for battle!
2 Judah and Israel are like trees
with branches broken
by their enemies.
But the Lord is going to restore
their power and glory.
* 3 Nineveh, on this day of attack,
your enemies' shields are red;
their uniforms are crimson.
4 Their horses prance,
and their armored chariots
dart around like lightning
or flaming torches.
5 An officer gives a command.
But his soldiers stumble,
as they hasten to build
a shelter to protect themselves
against rocks thrown down
from the city wall.
6 The river gates fly open,
and panic floods the palace.
7 Nineveh is disgraced.
The queen is dragged off.
Her servant women mourn;
they moan like doves,
and they beat their breasts
in sorrow.
8 Nineveh is like a pond
with leaking water.
Shouts of “Stop! Don't go!”
can be heard everywhere.
But everyone is leaving.
9 Enemy soldiers shout,
“The city is full of treasure
and all kinds of wealth.
Steal her silver! Grab her gold!”
10 Nineveh is doomed! Destroyed!
Her people tremble with fear;
their faces turn pale.
11 What happened to this city?
They were safer there
than powerful lions in a den,
with no one to disturb them.
12 These are the same lions
that ferociously attacked
their victims,
then dragged away the flesh
to feed their young.
13 The Lord All-Powerful
is against you, Nineveh.
God will burn your chariots
and send an army to kill
those young lions of yours.
You will never again
make victims of others
or send messengers to threaten
everyone on this earth.