Nahum 1:1–8

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.