Nahum 1:1–3:19

Here is a message the Lord gave Nahum in a vision about Nineveh. It is written on a scroll. Nahum was from the town of Elkosh. Here is what he said.

The Lord Is Angry With Nineveh

²The Lord is a jealous God who punishes people.

He pays them back for the evil things they do.

His anger burns against them.

The Lord punishes his enemies.

He holds his anger back

until the right time to use it.

³The Lord is slow to get angry.

He is very powerful.

The Lord will not let guilty people go

without punishing them.

When he marches out, he stirs up winds and storms.

Clouds are the dust kicked up by his feet.

⁴He controls the seas. He dries them up.

He makes all of the rivers run dry.

Bashan and Mount Carmel dry up.

The flowers in Lebanon fade.

⁵He causes the mountains to shake.

The hills melt away.

The earth trembles because he is there.

So do the world and all those who live in it.

⁶Who can stand firm when his anger burns?

Who can live when he is angry?

His anger blazes out like fire.

He smashes the rocks to pieces.

⁷The Lord is good.

When people are in trouble,

they can go to him for safety.

He takes good care of those

who trust in him.

⁸But he will destroy Nineveh

with a powerful flood.

He will chase his enemies

into the darkness of punishment.

⁹The Lord will put an end

to anything they plan against him.

He won’t allow Assyria to win the battle

over his people a second time.

¹⁰His enemies will be tangled up among thorns.

Their wine will make them drunk.

They’ll be burned up like dry straw.

¹¹Nineveh, a king has marched out from you.

He makes evil plans against the Lord.

He gives harmful advice.

¹²The Lord says,

“His army has many soldiers.

Other nations are helping them.

But they will be cut off and pass away.

Judah, I punished you.

But I will not do it anymore.

¹³Now I will break Assyria’s yoke off your neck.

I will tear off the ropes that hold you.”

¹⁴Nineveh, the Lord has given an order concerning you.

He has said, “You will not have any children

to carry on your name.

I will destroy the wooden and metal statues

that are in the temple of your gods.

I will get your grave ready for you.

You are worthless.”

¹⁵Look at the mountains of Judah!

I see a messenger running to bring good news!

He’s telling us that peace has come!

People of Judah, celebrate your feasts.

Carry out your promises.

The evil Assyrians won’t attack you again.

They’ll be completely destroyed.

The Lord Will Destroy Nineveh

2Nineveh, armies are coming to attack you.

Guard the forts!

Watch the roads!

Get ready!

Gather all of your strength!

²Assyria once took everything of value from God’s people.

Its army destroyed all of their vines.

But the Lord will bring back

the glory of Jacob’s people.

He’ll make Israel glorious again.

³The shields of the soldiers attacking Nineveh are red.

The armies are dressed in bright red uniforms.

The metal on their chariots flashes

when they are prepared for war.

Their spears are ready to use.

⁴The chariots race through the main streets.

They rush back and forth through them.

They look like flaming torches.

They dart around like lightning.

⁵The commander of the attackers

sends for his special troops.

But they trip and fall on their way.

They run toward the city wall.

They keep their shield in front of them.

⁶They open the gates that hold back

the waters of the river.

And the palace falls down.

⁷The attackers order that the city’s people

be taken away as prisoners.

The female slaves cry like sad doves.

They beat their chests.

⁸Nineveh is like a pool.

Its water is draining away.

“Stop running away!” someone cries out.

But no one turns back.

⁹“Steal the silver!” the attackers shout.

“Grab the gold!”

The supply is endless.

There is plenty of wealth

among all of the city’s treasures.

¹⁰Nineveh is destroyed, robbed and stripped!

Hearts melt away in fear.

Knees give way.

Bodies tremble with fear.

Everyone’s face turns pale.

¹¹Assyria is like a lion.

Where is the lions’ den now?

Where did they feed their cubs?

Where did all of the lions go?

In their den they had nothing to fear.

¹²The lion killed enough for his cubs to eat.

He choked what he caught for his mate.

He filled his home with what he had killed.

He brought to his dens what he had caught.

¹³“Nineveh, I am against you,”

announces the Lord who rules over all.

“I will burn up your chariots with fire.

Your young lions will be killed with swords.

I will leave you nothing on earth to catch.

The voices of your messengers

will no longer be heard.”

The Lord Will Judge Nineveh

3How terrible it will be for Nineveh!

It is a city of murderers!

It is full of liars!

It’s filled with stolen goods!

The killing never stops!

²Whips crack!

Wheels clack!

Horses charge!

Chariots rumble!

³Horsemen attack!

Swords flash!

Spears gleam!

Many people die.

Dead bodies pile up.

They can’t even be counted.

People trip over them.

⁴All of that was caused by the evil longings

of the prostitute Nineveh.

That woman who practiced evil magic

was very beautiful.

She used her sinful charms

to make slaves out of the nations.

She worshiped evil powers

in order to trap others.

⁵“Nineveh, I am against you,”

announces the Lord who rules over all.

“I will pull your skirts up over your face.

I will show the nations your naked body.

Kingdoms will make fun of your shame.

⁶I will throw garbage at you.

I will look down on you.

I will make an example out of you.

⁷All those who see you will run away from you.

They will say, ‘Nineveh is destroyed.

Who will sob over it?’

Where can I find someone

to comfort your people?”

⁸Nineveh, are you better than Thebes

on the Nile River?

There was water all around that city.

The river helped to keep it safe.

The waters were like a wall around it.

⁹Cush and Egypt gave it all of the strength it needed.

Put and Libya also helped it.

¹⁰But Thebes was captured anyway.

Its people were taken away as prisoners.

Its babies were smashed to pieces

at every street corner.

The Assyrian soldiers cast lots

for all of its great leaders.

They put them in chains

and made slaves out of them.

¹¹People of Nineveh, you too will get drunk.

You will try to hide from your enemies.

You will look for a place of safety.

¹²All of your forts are like fig trees

that have their first ripe fruit on them.

When the trees are shaken,

the figs fall into the mouths

of those who eat them.

¹³Look at your troops.

All of them are weak.

The gates of your forts

are wide open to your enemies.

Fire has destroyed their heavy metal bars.

¹⁴Prepare for the attack by storing up water!

Make your walls as strong as you can!

Make some bricks out of clay!

Mix the mud to hold them together!

Use them to repair the walls!

¹⁵In spite of all of your hard work,

fire will burn you up inside your city.

Your enemies will cut you down with their swords.

They will destroy you

just as grasshoppers eat up crops.

Multiply like grasshoppers!

Increase your numbers like locusts!

¹⁶You have more traders

than the number of stars in the sky.

But like locusts they strip the land.

Then they fly away.

¹⁷Your guards are like grasshoppers.

Your officials are like large numbers of locusts.

They settle in the walls on a cold day.

But when the sun appears, they fly away.

And no one knows where they go.

¹⁸King of Assyria, your leaders are asleep.

Your nobles lie down to rest.

Your people are scattered on the mountains.

No one is left to gather them together.

¹⁹Nothing can heal your wounds.

You will die of them.

All those who hear the news about you clap their hands

because you have fallen from power.

All of them suffered

because you never showed them any pity.