Nahum 1–3

1ST CHAPTER

Nahum’s Vision

¹This is a revelation from the Lord about Nineveh. This book contains the vision of Nahum from Elkosh. 

Who Can Withstand the Lord’s Anger?

²God does not tolerate rivals. The Lord takes revenge. 

The Lord takes revenge and is full of anger. 

The Lord takes revenge against his enemies 

and holds a grudge against his foes. 

³The Lord is patient and has great strength. 

The Lord will never let the guilty go unpunished. 

Raging winds and storms mark his path, 

and clouds are the dust from his feet. 

⁴He yells at the sea and makes it dry. 

He dries up all the rivers. 

Bashan and Carmel wither. 

The flowers of Lebanon wither. 

⁵The mountains quake because of him. 

The hills melt. 

The earth draws back in his presence. 

The world and all who live in it draw back as well. 

⁶Who can stand in the presence of his rage? 

Who can oppose his burning anger? 

He pours out his rage like fire 

and smashes the rocky cliffs. 

Why Does Nineveh Oppose the Lord?

⁷The Lord is good. 

⸤He is⸥ a fortress in the day of trouble. 

He knows those who seek shelter in him. 

⁸He will put an end to Nineveh 

with a devastating flood. 

He will pursue his enemies with darkness. 

⁹What do you think about the Lord? 

He is the one who will bring Nineveh to an end. 

This trouble will never happen again. 

¹⁰⸤The people of Nineveh will be⸥ like tangled thorns 

and like people drunk on their own drink. 

They will be completely burned up like very dry straw. 

¹¹From you, Nineveh, a person who plans evil against the Lord sets out. 

His advice is wicked. 

Nineveh Will Fall

¹²This is what the Lord says: 

Though the people of Nineveh are physically fit and many in number, 

they will be cut down and die. 

Though I have humbled you, Judah, 

I will not humble you again. 

¹³But now I will break Nineveh’s yoke^aoff of you 

and tear its chains from you. 

¹⁴The Lord has given this command about you, Nineveh: 

You will no longer have descendants to carry on your name. 

I will remove the wooden and metal idols from the temple of your gods. 

I will prepare your grave because you are worthless.^b

An Army Will Conquer Nineveh

¹⁵There on the mountains are the feet of a messenger 

who announces the good news: “All is well!” 

Celebrate your festivals, Judah! Keep your vows! 

This wickedness will never pass your way again. 

It will be completely removed. 

2ND CHAPTER^a

¹The one who will scatter you is coming to attack you. 

Guard your fortress! 

Keep a lookout on the road! 

Prepare for battle! 

Be very courageous! 

²The Lord will restore Jacob’s glory like Israel’s glory, 

although enemies have looted it 

and have destroyed its vines. 

³The shields of his warriors are painted red. 

His soldiers have red uniforms. 

The metal on his chariots flashes fiery red, 

so do the spears when they are waved 

on the day he prepares for battle. 

⁴Chariots are racing madly through the streets, 

rushing this way and that in the city squares. 

They look like torches, like lightning, as they dart about. 

⁵He remembers his best fighting men. 

They stumble over themselves as they march. 

They hurry to Nineveh’s wall. 

The shield has been set up for the battering ram. 

⁶The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace melts away. 

Nineveh’s Treasures Will Be Taken

⁷The Lord has determined: 

“It will be stripped. 

It will be carried away. 

Its young women will be mourning like doves 

as they beat their breasts.” 

⁸Nineveh was like a pool of water from its first day on. 

But now its people are fleeing. 

“Stop! Stop!” 

But no one turns around. 

⁹Steal the silver! Steal the gold! 

There is no end to what is stored here— 

everything a person could ever want. 

¹⁰Nineveh is destroyed, deserted, demolished. 

Hearts are melting. 

Knees are knocking. 

Every stomach becomes upset. 

Every face turns pale. 

Nineveh Will Be Destroyed

¹¹Where is the lions’ den, 

that feeding place for young lions? 

Where are the lion, the lioness, and the lion cub who moved about 

with no one to terrify them? 

¹²The lion tore its prey to pieces to feed its cubs. 

It strangled ⸤the prey⸥ for its mates. 

It used to fill its caves with torn carcasses 

and its dens with torn flesh. 

¹³“I am against you, Nineveh,” declares the Lord of Armies. 

“I will send your chariots up in smoke, 

and a sword will kill your young lions. 

I will remove your prey from the earth, 

and no one will ever hear the voice of your messengers again.” 

3RD CHAPTER

Nineveh’s Punishment for Sin

¹How horrible it will be for that city of bloody violence! 

It is completely full of lies and stolen goods—never without victims. 

²The sound of the whip! 

The sound of rattling wheels! 

Horses gallop! 

Chariots bounce along! 

³Horses charge! 

Swords flash! 

Spears glitter! 

Many are killed! 

Dead bodies pile up! 

There is no end to the corpses! 

People trip over corpses 

⁴because of Nineveh’s constant prostitution, 

this very charming mistress of evil magic. 

She used to sell 

nations her prostitution 

and people her evil magic.” 

⁵“I am against you, Nineveh,” declares the Lord of Armies. 

“I will lift up your dress over your face. 

I will show nations your naked body and kingdoms your disgrace. 

⁶I will throw filth on you. 

I will make you look like a fool. 

I will make you a sight to be seen. 

⁷Everyone who sees you will run from you, saying, 

‘Nineveh has been violently destroyed! 

Who will feel sorry for her?’ 

Where can I find anyone to comfort you?” 

Nineveh Will Not Escape Punishment

⁸Are you better than No-amon,^awhich sits by the streams of the Nile 

with water surrounding her? 

The sea was ⸤her⸥ defense. 

The water was her wall. 

⁹Sudan and Egypt were her endless strength. 

Put and the Lybians were her help. 

¹⁰Even she went into captivity and was exiled. 

Even her little children were smashed to death at every street corner. 

Soldiers tossed dice for her important men, 

and all her best men were bound in chains. 

¹¹Even you, Nineveh, will stagger like a drunk. 

You will disappear. 

Even you will look for a fortress ⸤to escape⸥ from the enemy. 

¹²All your defenses will be like fig trees with the earliest figs. 

When shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater. 

¹³Look at your soldiers; they’re women! 

The gates of your country are wide open to your enemies. 

Fire has destroyed the bars of your gates. 

Nineveh’s Strength Will Not Save Her

¹⁴Store water for the siege! 

Strengthen your defenses! 

Step into the claypits and trample the clay! 

Grab the brick mold! 

¹⁵Fire will consume you there. 

A sword will cut you down. 

It will consume you like locusts. 

Multiply like locusts! 

Multiply like hungry locusts! 

¹⁶You have produced more businessmen than there are stars in the sky. 

⸤They are⸥ like locusts that attack and then fly away. 

¹⁷Your officers are like locusts, 

and your scribes are like swarms of locusts 

that settle on the fences when it is cold. 

The sun rises, and they scatter in every direction. 

No one knows where they’ve gone. 

¹⁸Your shepherds, king of Assyria, have fallen into a deep sleep. 

Your best fighting men are at rest. 

Your people are scattered on the mountains, 

and there is no one to gather them. 

¹⁹There is no relief for your collapse. 

Your wound is fatal. 

All who hear the news about you will clap their hands. 

Who hasn’t suffered from your endless evil?