2

Nineveh to Fall

  1An attacker advances against you, Nineveh.
   Guard the fortress,
   watch the road,
   brace yourselves,
   marshal all your strength!

  2The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob
   like the splendor of Israel,
  though destroyers have laid them waste
   and have ruined their vines.

  3The shields of the soldiers are red;
   the warriors are clad in scarlet.
  The metal on the chariots flashes
   on the day they are made ready;
   the spears of juniper are brandished.
  4The chariots storm through the streets,
   rushing back and forth through the squares.
  They look like flaming torches;
   they dart about like lightning.

  5Nineveh summons her picked troops,
   yet they stumble on their way.
  They dash to the city wall;
   the protective shield is put in place.
  6The river gates are thrown open
   and the palace collapses.
  7It is decreed that Nineveh
   be exiled and carried away.
  Her female slaves moan like doves
   and beat on their breasts.
  8Nineveh is like a pool
   whose water is draining away.
  “Stop! Stop!” they cry,
   but no one turns back.
  9Plunder the silver!
   Plunder the gold!
  The supply is endless,
   the wealth from all its treasures!
  10She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
   Hearts melt, knees give way,
   bodies tremble, every face grows pale.

  11Where now is the lions’ den,
   the place where they fed their young,
  where the lion and lioness went,
   and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
  12The lion killed enough for his cubs
   and strangled the prey for his mate,
  filling his lairs with the kill
   and his dens with the prey.

  13“I am against you,”
   declares the Lord Almighty.
  “I will burn up your chariots in smoke,
   and the sword will devour your young lions.
   I will leave you no prey on the earth.
  The voices of your messengers
   will no longer be heard.”

2

Ninave yuav puam tsuaj

  1Lub nroog Ninave, cov uas tsoo koj
   twb tuaj ua rog rau koj lawm.
  Kavtsij mus zov rooj loog, zov ncauj kev,
  cia li sia siv khov kho npaj tos,
   sau tub rog txhij zog.

  2(Yawmsaub tabtom ua kom Yakhauj tebchaws
   rov muaj hwjchim meej mom li qub
  ib yam li Yixayee tebchaws
   yuav vam meej nto moo,
  vim yog tub sab lws lawv
   thiab muab lawv tej ceg ua liamsim tag.)

  3Cov tub rog uas siab tuab
   mas lawv daim hlau thaiv liab ploog,
   cov tub rog tej tsoos liab tsaus nti.
  Hnub uas npaj txhij mas tej tsheb ua rog
   ci nplas cuag li nplaim taws,
  cov nees ua rog
   kuj txauj tes peem qas qees yuav mus.
  4Cov tsheb ua rog
   mas dhia nroo ntws taug kev,
  mus tawg pes lees
   hauv tej tshav puam hauv nroog,
  ci nplas li taws tsau,
   laim pes lias li xob laim.
  5Cov thawj rog raug hu,
   lawv dhia dawm taw pig poog mus,
  lawv dhia ncaj nraim rau ntawm ntsa loog,
   lawv tsa kiag daim hlau
   thaiv hauv ntaj hauv hmuv.
  6Lub qhov rooj dej qheb kiag lawm,
   cov hauv vajntxwv tsev poob siab tag.
  7Lawv muab tus poj vaj tej tsoos tsho hle,
   lawv ntes poj vaj coj mus.
  Cov nkauj qhev kuj quaj ntsuag zom zaws
   yam nkaus li nquab quaj
   thiab lawv ntaus hauv siab.
  8Ninave zoo nkaus li lub pas dej
   uas ntws zuj zus mus lawm.
  Lawv qw hais tias, “Txhob mus, txhob mus,”
   tiamsis tsis muaj leejtwg tig rov los li.
  9Cia li mus lws nyiaj lws kub.
   Muaj nyiaj txiag ntau kawg tsis paub tag li,
  muaj ib puas tsav yam
   qhov txhia chaw muaj nqes.

  10Ninave txom nyem lauj,
   puam tsuaj tag du lug lauj!
  Lub siab yaj ntshis,
   hauv caug tshee hnyo,
  ib ce tsaug qas hnyo,
   ntsej muag thim xem tag.
  11Tsov ntxhuav lub chaw nyob dua twg lawm?
   Yog lub qhov tsua
   uas cov tsov ntxhuav mos nyob
  thiab kwv nqaij mus noj
   tsis muaj leejtwg nkag mus tab kaum tau.
  Qhov chaw uas tsis muaj leejtwg nkag mus
   zes cov menyuam tsov ntxhuav dua twg lawm?
  12Tus tsov ntxhuav dua nqaij
   txaus cov menyuam noj
  thiab ntxo kiag nqaij caj dab los
   rau cov maum tsov ntxhuav.
  Nws nrhiav nqaij coj los puv nkaus qhov tsua
   thiab dua nqaij los
   tso puv nkaus lub chaw nyob.

  13Yawmsaub uas muaj hwjchim loj kawg nkaus
   hais tias, “Saib maj, kuv tawm tsam koj.
  Kuv yuav hlawv koj tej tsheb ua rog
   kom ncho pa lug,
  thiab hniav ntaj yuav tua
   koj cov tsov ntxhuav mos.
  Kuv yuav muab cov nqaij uas koj noj
   rho tawm hauv lub ntiajteb mus,
  thiab yuav tsis hnov
   koj cov tub tshaj xo lub suab li lawm.”