1 A prophecya concerning Nineveh.b The book of the visionc of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

2 The Lord is a jealousd and avenging God;

the Lord takes vengeancee and is filled with wrath.

The Lord takes vengeance on his foes

and vents his wrath against his enemies.f

3 The Lord is slow to angerg but great in power;

the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.h

His way is in the whirlwindi and the storm,j

and cloudsk are the dust of his feet.

4 He rebukesl the sea and dries it up;m

he makes all the rivers run dry.

Bashan and Carmeln wither

and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.

5 The mountains quakeo before him

and the hills melt away.p

The earth tremblesq at his presence,

the world and all who live in it.r

6 Who can withstands his indignation?

Who can enduret his fierce anger?u

His wrath is poured out like fire;v

the rocks are shatteredw before him.

7 The Lord is good,x

a refuge in times of trouble.y

He cares forz those who trust in him,a

8 but with an overwhelming floodb

he will make an end of Nineveh;

he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

9 Whatever they plotc against the Lord

he will bringa to an end;

trouble will not come a second time.

10 They will be entangled among thornsd

and drunke from their wine;

they will be consumed like dry stubble.b f

11 From you, Nineveh, has one come forth

who plots evil against the Lord

and devises wicked plans.

12 This is what the Lord says:

“Although they have allies and are numerous,

they will be destroyedg and pass away.

Although I have afflicted you, Judah,

I will afflict you no more.h

13 Now I will break their yokei from your neck

and tear your shackles away.”j

14 The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:

“You will have no descendants to bear your name.k

I will destroy the imagesl and idols

that are in the temple of your gods.

I will prepare your grave,m

for you are vile.”

15 Look, there on the mountains,

the feet of one who brings good news,n

who proclaims peace!o

Celebrate your festivals,p Judah,

and fulfill your vows.

No more will the wicked invade you;q

they will be completely destroyed.c

Nineveh to Fall

2 a An attackerr advances against you, Nineveh.

Guard the fortress,

watch the road,

brace yourselves,

marshal all your strength!

2 The Lord will restores the splendort of Jacob

like the splendor of Israel,

though destroyers have laid them waste

and have ruined their vines.

3 The shields of the soldiers are red;

the warriors are clad in scarlet.u

The metal on the chariots flashes

on the day they are made ready;

the spears of juniper are brandished.b

4 The chariotsv storm through the streets,

rushing back and forth through the squares.

They look like flaming torches;

they dart about like lightning.

5 Nineveh summons her picked troops,

yet they stumblew on their way.

They dash to the city wall;

the protective shield is put in place.

6 The river gatesx are thrown open

and the palace collapses.

7 It is decreedc that Nineveh

be exiled and carried away.

Her female slaves moany like doves

and beat on their breasts.z

8 Nineveh is like a pool

whose water is draining away.

“Stop! Stop!” they cry,

but no one turns back.

9 Plunder the silver!

Plunder the gold!

The supply is endless,

the wealth from all its treasures!

10 She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!

Hearts melt,a knees give way,

bodies tremble, every face grows pale.b

11 Where now is the lions’ den,c

the place where they fed their young,

where the lion and lioness went,

and the cubs, with nothing to fear?

12 The lion killedd enough for his cubs

and strangled the prey for his mate,

filling his lairse with the kill

and his dens with the prey.f

13 “I am againstg you,”

declares the Lord Almighty.

“I will burn up your chariots in smoke,h

and the swordi will devour your young lions.

I will leave you no prey on the earth.

The voices of your messengers

will no longer be heard.”j

Woe to Nineveh

3 Woe to the city of blood,k

full of lies,l

full of plunder,

never without victims!

2 The crack of whips,

the clatter of wheels,

galloping horses

and jolting chariots!

3 Charging cavalry,

flashing swords

and glittering spears!

Many casualties,

piles of dead,

bodies without number,

people stumbling over the corpsesm—

4 all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,

alluring, the mistress of sorceries,n

who enslaved nations by her prostitutiono

and peoples by her witchcraft.

5 “I am againstp you,” declares the Lord Almighty.

“I will lift your skirtsq over your face.

I will show the nations your nakednessr

and the kingdoms your shame.

6 I will pelt you with filth,s

I will treat you with contemptt

and make you a spectacle.u

7 All who see you will fleev from you and say,

‘Ninevehw is in ruinsx—who will mourn for her?’y

Where can I find anyone to comfortz you?”

8 Are you better thana Thebes,b

situated on the Nile,c

with water around her?

The river was her defense,

the waters her wall.

9 Cusha d and Egypt were her boundless strength;

Pute and Libyaf were among her allies.

10 Yet she was taken captiveg

and went into exile.

Her infants were dashedh to pieces

at every street corner.

Lotsi were cast for her nobles,

and all her great men were put in chains.j

11 You too will become drunk;k

you will go into hidingl

and seek refuge from the enemy.

12 All your fortresses are like fig trees

with their first ripe fruit;m

when they are shaken,

the figsn fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Look at your troops—

they are all weaklings.o

The gatesp of your land

are wide open to your enemies;

fire has consumed the bars of your gates.q

14 Draw water for the siege,r

strengthen your defenses!s

Work the clay,

tread the mortar,

repair the brickwork!

15 There the firet will consume you;

the swordu will cut you down—

they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.

Multiply like grasshoppers,

multiply like locusts!v

16 You have increased the number of your merchants

till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,

but like locustsw they strip the land

and then fly away.

17 Your guards are like locusts,x

your officials like swarms of locusts

that settle in the walls on a cold day—

but when the sun appears they fly away,

and no one knows where.

18 King of Assyria, your shepherdsb slumber;y

your nobles lie down to rest.z

Your people are scattereda on the mountains

with no one to gather them.

19 Nothing can heal you;b

your wound is fatal.

All who hear the news about you

clap their handsc at your fall,

for who has not felt

your endless cruelty?d