Nahum 1–2

The ’s Anger against Nineveh

1^*This is a message about Nineveh, the account of a vision seen by Nahum, who was from Elkosh.

^2*The Lord God tolerates no rivals;

he punishes those who oppose him.

In his anger he pays them back.

^3*The Lord does not easily become angry,

but he is powerful

and never lets the guilty go unpunished.

Where the Lord walks, storms arise; the clouds are the dust raised by his feet!

⁴He commands the sea, and it dries up!

He makes the rivers go dry.

The fields of Bashan wither,

Mount Carmel turns brown,

and the flowers of Lebanon fade.

⁵Mountains quake in the presence of the Lord;

hills melt before him.

The earth shakes when the Lord appears;

the world and all its people tremble.

⁶When he is angry, who can survive?

Who can survive his terrible fury?

He pours out his flaming anger;

rocks crumble to dust before him.

⁷The Lord is good;

he protects his people in times of trouble;

he takes care of those who turn to him.

⁸Like a great rushing flood he completely destroys his enemies;^a

he sends to their death those who oppose him.

⁹What are you plotting against the Lord?

He will destroy you.

No one opposes him more than once.

¹⁰Like tangled thorns and dry straw,

you drunkards will be burnt up!

¹¹From you, Nineveh, there came someone full of wicked schemes, who plotted against the Lord. ¹²This is what the Lord says to his people Israel: “Even though the Assyrians are strong and numerous, they will be destroyed and disappear. My people, I made you suffer, but I will not do it again. ¹³I will now end Assyria’s power over you and break the chains that bind you.”

¹⁴This is what the Lord has decreed about the Assyrians: “They will have no descendants to carry on their name. I will destroy the idols that are in the temples of their gods. I am preparing a grave for the Assyrians—they don’t deserve to live!”

^15*Look, a messenger is coming over the mountains with good news! He is on his way to announce the victory! People of Judah, celebrate your festivals and give God what you solemnly promised him. The wicked will never invade your land again. They have been totally destroyed!

The Fall of Nineveh

2Nineveh, you are under attack!

The power that will shatter you has come.

Prepare the defences!

Guard the road!

Prepare for battle!

²(The Lord is about to restore the glory of Israel, as it was before her enemies plundered her.)

³The enemy soldiers carry red shields

and wear uniforms of red.

They are preparing to attack!

Their chariots flash like fire!

Their horses^b prance!

⁴Chariots dash wildly through the streets,

rushing to and fro through the city squares.

They flash like torches

and dart about like lightning.

⁵The officers are summoned;

they stumble as they press forward.

The attackers rush to the wall

and set up the shield for the battering ram.

⁶The gates by the river burst open;

the palace is filled with terror.

⁷The queen is taken captive;

her servants moan like doves

and beat their breasts in sorrow.

⁸Like water from a broken dam

the people rush from Nineveh!^c

“Stop! Stop!” the cry rings out—

but no one turns back.

⁹Plunder the silver!

Plunder the gold!

The city is full of treasure!

¹⁰Nineveh is destroyed, deserted, desolate!

Hearts melt with fear;

knees tremble, strength is gone;

faces grow pale.

¹¹Where now is the city

that was like a den of lions,

the place

where young lions were fed, where the lion and the lioness would go

and their cubs would be safe?

¹²The lion killed his prey

and tore it to pieces for his mate and her cubs;

he filled his den with torn flesh.

¹³“I am your enemy!” says the Lord Almighty. “I will burn up your chariots. Your soldiers will be killed in war, and I will take away everything that you took from others. The demands of your envoys will no longer be heard.”