1

1 Isihlabo esisingisele kwiNineve. Incwadi yombono kaNahum wase-Elekoshe.

2 UYehova nguThixo onobukhwele, ophindezelayo; uYehova ngumphindezeli obushushu bukhulu; uYehova ngumphindezeli kubachasi bakhe, ezigcinela iintshaba zakhe umsindo wakhe.

3 UYehova uzeka kade umsindo, mkhulu ke ngamandla, ongakhe amenze msulwa onetyala; uYehova, indlela yakhe isesivunguvaneni naseluqhwitheleni, namafu aluthuli lweenyawo zakhe.

4 Ukhalimela ulwandle, alutshise, ayomise nemilambo yonke; intshwenyile iKarmele neBhashan, intshwenyile intyantyambo yaseLebhanon.

5 Iintaba ziyanyikima phambi kwakhe, neenduli ziyanyibilika; liyafukuka ihlabathi ebusweni bakhe, elimiweyo nabemi bonke abakulo.

6 Ngubani na ongémayo phambi kobhavumo lwakhe? Ngubani na ongáziphakamisayo ekuvutheni komsindo wakhe? Ubushushu bakhe buphalazeka njengomlilo, namawa ayadilizwa nguye.

7 UYehova ulungile, uligwiba ngemini yembandezelo; uyabazi abazimela ngaye.

8 Ke uyayiphelisa indawo yayo ngomkhukula ehamba phandle, azisukele iintshaba zakhe emnyameni

9 Nicinga ntoni na ngoYehova? Uyaphelisa yena; imbandezelo ayisayi kuphakama izihlandlo ezibini.

10 Kuba bofanelana bephinyelene ngokweziphingo, benxila yiwayini yabo emnandi: baya kudliwa kuphele, njengeendiza ezomileyo.

11 Kuphume kuwe ocinga okubi ngoYehova, oceba ubutshijolo.

12 Utsho uYehova ukuthi, Noko bapheleleyo, bebaninzi nokuba baninzi, baya kusikwa noko benjalo, badlule. Ndikucinezele nje, andiyi kuphinda ndikucinezele.

13 Ngoku ke ndiya kuyaphula idyokhwe yakhe, ingabikho kuwe; ndiziqhawule izitropu zakho.

14 Ke uYehova uwise umthetho ngawe, wokuba akusayi kuba sahlwayelwa nto inegama lakho; endlwini yothixo wakho ndowunqumla umfanekiso oqingqiweyo notyhidiweyo; ndiya kulenza ingcwaba lakho; kuba wafunyanwa ulula.

15 Yabonani, zisezintabeni iinyawo zabashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo, abavakalisa usindiso. Yenza imithendeleko yakho, Yuda, zalisa izibhambathiso zakho; ngokuba akasayi kubuya acande kuwe olitshijolo; únqunyulwe kwaphela.

2

1 Kunyuké umhlekezi, weza phambi kwakho, Nineve; londoloza inqaba yakho, bonisela endleleni, qinisa izinqe, khupha amandla kunene.

2 Ngokuba uYehova ulibuyele iqhayiya lakwaYakobi ngokweqhayiya lakwaSirayeli; ngokuba abathi qongqololo bathe qongqololo; bawonakalisile amasebe abo emidiliya.

3 Ingweletshetshe yamagorha akhe yenziwe ingqombela, amadoda anobukroti athiwe wambu ngezibomvu; iinqwelo zokulwa zinomlilo ophuma ezintsimbini ngemini yokuxhoba kwakhe, izinto zemisipres* ziyatyityimba.

4 Iinqwelo zokulwa ziyadlongozela ezitratweni, ziyagilana emabaleni; ukubonakala kwazo kunjengezikhuni ezitshangaziswayo, zibaleka njengemibane.

5 Úkhumbulé iingangamsha zakhe; ziya kukhubeka ekuhambeni kwazo; zingxamela eludongeni lwayo, selimisiwe ikhuselo.

6 Amasango àsemilanjeni avuliwe, linyibilikile ibhotwe.

7 Kugqityiwe kwelokuba iya kuhlutywa, imkiswe, nabakhonzazana bayo badumzele ngokwelizwi lamavukuthu, bebetha ezifubeni zabo.

8 INineve injengechibi lamanzi, kususela koko yabakhoyo; bayabaleka noko; kuba angàthiwa, Yimani, yimani! hayi, akubikho uphethulayo.

9 Phangani isilivere, phangani igolide; akunakuphela ukuxhotyiswa ngobuninzi beempahla zonke ezinqwenelekayo.

10 Kuthe qongqololo, kwathi qongqololo, kwaba selubala; intliziyo inyibilikile, amadolo ayagevezela; yinimba emanqeni onke, ubuso bonke buphela buba luthuthu.

11 Siphi na isikhundla seengonyama, nedlelo elo leengonyama ezintsha, ebilihamba ingonyama induna nengonyamakazi, ithole lengonyama, kungekho wothusayo?

12 Ingonyama le iqwenga okwanele amathole ayo, ikrwitshele iingonyamakazi zayo, izalise imingxuma yayo ngexhoba, nezikhundla zayo ngento eqwengiweyo.

13 Uthi uYehova wemikhosi, Yabona, ndikuchasile; ndozitshisa iinqwelo zakho zokulwa zibe ngumsi, ikrele lizidle iingonyama zakho ezintsha; ndilinqumle ehlabathini ixhoba lakho, lingabi savakala izwi labathunywa bakho.

3

1 Yeha, umzi wamagazi! Úzele kwaphela luhanahaniso nakukudlavula; akumki kuwo ukuqwenga.

2 Isithonga seziniya, nesithonga sokugoqoza kweevili, nokuphala kwamahashe, nokuxhuma kweenqwelo zokulwa;

3 abamahashe besenza amagqasi, ukubengezela kwamakrele, nokumenyezela kwezikhali; ukuba baninzi ababuleweyo, izigigaba zabafileyo; ewe, azinakuphela izidumbu; bayakhubeka ezidumbini zabo;

4 ngenxa yobuninzi bezihenyuzo zehenyukazi elihle, elinesoya, umnikazi-kukhafula, othengisa iintlanga ngezihenyuzo zakhe, nemizalwane ngokukhafula kwakhe.

5 Uthi uYehova wemikhosi, Yabona, ndikuchasile; ndozityhila iingubo zakho, ndiziphose phezu kobuso bakho, ndizibonise iintlanga ubuzé bakho; ndizibonise izikumkani ukucukucezwa kwakho.

6 Ndiya kukugalela ngezinto ezinezothe, ndikwenze inqambi, ndikwenze ube njengento ebonelwayo.

7 Kuya kuthi, bonke abakubonayo bakubaleke, bathi, INineve ibhuqekile; ngubani na oya kuyikhuza? ndokufunela phi na abathuthuzeli?

8 Ùyidlule ngokulunga yini na iNoka-Amon, eyamisa emijelweni yoMnayile, amanzi engeenxa zonke kuyo; elungqameko lwayo ibilulwandle, udonga lwayo lululwandle?

9 Ayengamandla ayo amaKushi kwanamaYiputa, engenakuphela ndawo ke; amaPuti namaLubhi avengabancedisi bayo.

10 Nayo ke leyo yafuduswa, yathinjwa, neentsana zayo zacunyuzwa ezimbonjeni zezitrato zonke; amadoda azukileyo kuyo bawenzela amaqashiso; bonke abakhulu kuyo babakhonkxa ngemixokelelwane.

11 Nawe lo ùya kunxila, ùya kufihlakala; nawe lo ùya kufuna igwiba ngenxa yotshaba.

12 Zonke iinqaba zakho ziyimikhiwane enamakhiwane aqalelayo; ukuba avuthululwe, owá emlonyeni wowadlayo.

13 Yabona, abantu bakho bangamankazana phakathi kwakho apho; avulekile amasango elizwe lakho, avulekela iintshaba zakho; umlilo utshisa imivalo yakho.

14 Zikhelele amanzi angqingo, qinisa iinqaba zakho; ngena eludakeni, uxovule udongwe; lungisa iziko lokutshisa izitena.

15 Khona apho umlilo uya kukutshisa; ikrele liya kukunqumla, liya kukudla njengenkumbi ekhothululayo. Zándíse njengenkumbi ekhothululayo, zándíse njengenkumbi eyandayo.

16 Ùbandisile ke abarhwebi bakho ngaphezu kweenkwenkwezi zezulu; inkumbi ekhothululayo igalelekile, yabhunyula, yabaleka yemka.

17 Abalúluhle bakho banjengeenkumbi ezandayo, abathetheli bakho banjengemiqikela, ngemiqikela yeenkumbi, ezilalisa ezintangweni mhla ngengqele; lithi lingaphuma ilanga, zibaleke zimke, ingazeki indawo yazo, ukuba ziphi na.

18 Balele abalusi bakho, kumkani Asiriya; zilele phantsi iingangamsha zakho; bathe phangalala abantu bakho ezintabeni, akukho ubabuthayo.

19 Àkuhlangani ukwaphuka kwakho; inxeba lakho lelibulalayo. Bonke abazivayo iindaba zakho babetha izandla ngawe; ngokuba ngubani na ezingadlulanga phezu kwakhe izinto zakho ezimbi ngamaxesha onke?