Punishment for Nineveh
The Lord said:
1 Doom to the crime capital!
Nineveh, city of murder
and treachery,
2 here is your fate—
cracking whips,
churning wheels;
galloping horses,
roaring chariots;
3 cavalry attacking,
swords and spears flashing;
soldiers stumbling
over piles of dead bodies.
4 You were nothing more
than a prostitute
using your magical charms
and witchcraft
to attract and trap nations.
5 But I, the Lord All-Powerful,
am now your enemy.
I will pull up your skirt
and let nations and kingdoms
stare at your nakedness.
6 I will cover you with garbage,
treat you like trash,
and rub you in the dirt.
7 Everyone who sees you
will turn away and shout,
“Nineveh is done for!
Is anyone willing to mourn
or to give her comfort?”
Nineveh's Fate Is Sealed
8 Nineveh, do you feel safer
than the city of Thebes?
The Nile River
was its wall of defense.
9 Thebes trusted the mighty power
of Ethiopia and Egypt;
the nations of Put and Libya
were her allies.
10 But she was captured and taken
to a foreign country.
Her children were murdered
at every street corner.
The members of her royal family
were auctioned off,
and her high officials
were bound in chains.
11 Nineveh, now it's your turn!
You will get drunk and try to hide
from your enemy.
12 Your fortresses are fig trees
with ripe figs.
Merely shake the trees,
and fruit will fall
into every open mouth.
13 Your army is weak.
Fire has destroyed the crossbars
on your city gates;
now they stand wide open
to your enemy.
14 Your city is under attack.
Haul in extra water!
Strengthen your defenses!
Start making bricks!
Stir the mortar!
15 You will still go up in flames
and be cut down by swords
that will wipe you out like a field
attacked by grasshoppers.
So, go ahead and increase
like a swarm of locusts!
16 More merchants are in your city
than there are stars
in the sky—
but they are like locusts
that eat everything,
then fly away.
17 Your guards and your officials
are swarms of locusts.
On a chilly day
they settle on a fence,
but when the sun comes out,
they take off
to who-knows-where.
18 King of Assyria,
your officials and leaders
are sound asleep,
while your people are scattered
in the mountains.
Yes, your people are sheep
without a shepherd.
19 You're fatally wounded.
There's no hope for you.
But everyone claps
when they hear this news,
because your constant cruelty
has caused them pain.
Baayiñaa te Ninewe la kasaaroo la
1 Kooroo be yeleboŋ saatewo ye,
faniyaa saatewo,
saatewo meŋ be faariŋ ñapinkaŋ feŋolu la,
saatewo meŋ, a la ñapinkandiroo maŋ dandulaa soto.
2 Busoolu si kuma,
sareeti siŋolu maakaŋo,
suwoolu borikaŋo,
aniŋ sareetoolu sawunkaŋo.
3 Suutiyolu si kirimbaasi ñaato keledulaa to.
Sooroolu ye ŋalasi,
hawusaroolu* ye tara malamalariŋ.
Moo jurumoo ye faa,
furewolu ye jurumi ñoo kaŋ,
moo faariŋolu, dandulaa te tara la meŋ na.
Kelediŋolu ye tara takiŋ-takiŋ na furewolu la.
4 Ñiŋ bee be ke la Ninewe la le,
kaatu a keta le ko cakamusoo,
meŋ na cakayaa maŋ dandulaa soto.
A ka moolu neenee niŋ a la ñiiñaa la,
a keta ko buwaamusoo,
buwaayaa koyita meŋ ma.
A ye banku jamaa le joŋyandi a la cakayaa la,
a ye moolu joŋyandi a la buwaayaa la.
5 Yaawe* Alihawaa Maariyo* ye ñiŋ ne fo Ninewe ye ko,
“N niŋ i be janjuŋ na le!
Ŋa i wura fefes,
ŋa banku koteŋolu bula ì ye i kenseŋo je,
mansamarali bankoolu ñaa ye loo i la malu kuwo kaŋ.
6 N si i ke suntukuŋo ti,
ka i malundi,
moolu ye ì ñaa mala i kaŋ ka kaawa.
7 Moo-wo-moo ñaa boyita i kaŋ,
a si bori i la,
a ye a fo ko, ‘Ninewe kasaarata le fokabaŋ,
jumaa le bala be faa la a ye?’
Moo be bo noo la miŋ, meŋ be a sabarindi la?”
8 Fo ite le fisiyaata Tebesi ti baŋ,
meŋ be Nayili Boloŋo bala,
a daala bee niŋ jiyo?
Baa le mu a la tankoo buloo ti,
jiyo le mu a la tankoo sansaŋo ti.
9 Kusi* niŋ Misira le mu a semboo ti,
dandulaa te meŋ na.
Puti niŋ Libiya, wolu le mu a maakoyilaalu ti.
10 Hani wo bee,
jawoolu ye a muta,
a keta kelejoŋo ti.
Hani dindiŋolu, ì ye ì lipaŋ-lipaŋ mbeedoolu kaŋ ne taariŋ
fo ì ye ì faa.
Alikuuroolu* le keta a la kee kummaayaariŋolu la kuwo to,
ka ì talaa ñoo teema.
A ñaatonkoolu tuta sitiriŋ neejoloolu la.
11 Ite Ninewe,
i fanaa be ke la le ko siiratoo,
i ye bori ka taa maabo,
ka tankoo ñini i jawoolu ma.
12 I la tatoolu bee ka muluŋ ne ko sooto diŋ mooriŋolu,
niŋ sooto suŋo jiijaata doroŋ,
ì si joloŋ ì domolaa daa kono suruk.
13 I la kelediŋolu juubee, ì bee keta musoo ti.
Dimbaa ye i la bankoo naanewo sorondaŋolu bee jani,
dulaa bee yeleta i jawoolu ye hakañi.
14 Jiyo fankanta, waatoo meŋ na ì be i suki la.
I la tatoolu dadaa kuu,
i ye potoo dori,
i ye muuloo parendi birikikosoo ye.
15 Dimbaa be i domo la jee le to,
hawusaroo ye i faa.
I be kasaara la le ko kuntiŋolu ye feŋ meŋ domo.
I faŋ siyandi ko kuntiŋolu,
i ye i faŋ lafaa ko jatatoŋolu.
16 I la safaarilaalu naata siyaa
ka tambi looloo la saŋo santo.
Ko kuntiŋolu, ì ye wandi feŋolu bee ñapinkaŋ,
ì niŋ ì ye yeemaŋ.
17 I la kantarilaalu be le ko jatatoŋolu,
i la mansakundaa dookuulaalu ko kuntiŋ koorewo.
Ì si tara denderiŋ sansaŋolu bala taariŋ,
sumayaa waatoolu la.
Niŋ tiloo bota ñaameŋ, ì ye taa,
moo te a loŋ na ì taata daameŋ.
18 Hee, Asiriya mansa,
i la maralilaalu be jinkoo la,
i la kee kendoolu be laariŋ,
i la moolu be janjandiŋ konkoolu kaŋ,
moo maŋ soto noo ka ì kafundi ñoo ma.
19 Dimoo meŋ ye i maa,
jaarañaa te a la,
i la baramoo te jaara noo la.
Niŋ moo-wo-moo ye i la kasaaroo moyi,
a be a buloo le kosi la,
kaatu moo bee le toorata i la tilimbaliyaa bambaloo waatoo la.
