Nahum 1–2

Chapter 1

¹An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

²The Lord is a jealous God and avenging,

the Lord is avenging and wrathful;

the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries

and keeps wrath for his enemies.

³The Lord is slow to anger and of great might,

and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.

His way is in whirlwind and storm,

and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

⁴He rebukes the sea and makes it dry,

he dries up all the rivers;

Bashan and Carmel wither,

the bloom of Lebanon fades.

⁵The mountains quake before him,

the hills melt;

the earth is laid waste before him,

the world and all that dwell therein.

⁶Who can stand before his indignation?

Who can endure the heat of his anger?

His wrath is poured out like fire,

and the rocks are broken asunder by him.

⁷The Lord is good,

a stronghold in the day of trouble;

he knows those who take refuge in him.

⁸But with an overflowing flood

he will make a full end of his adversaries,^a

and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

⁹What do you plot against the Lord?

He will make a full end;

he will not take vengeance^b twice on his foes.^c

¹⁰Like entangled thorns they are consumed,^d

like dry stubble.

¹¹Did one not^e come out from you,

who plotted evil against the Lord,

and counseled villainy?

¹²Thus says the Lord,

“Though they be strong and many,

they will be cut off and pass away.

Though I have afflicted you,

I will afflict you no more.

¹³And now I will break his yoke from off you

and will burst your bonds asunder.”

¹⁴The Lord has given commandment about you:

“No more shall your name be perpetuated;

from the house of your gods I will cut off

the graven image and the molten image.

I will make your grave, for you are vile.”

¹⁵Behold, on the mountains the feet of him

who brings good tidings,

who proclaims peace!

Keep your feasts, O Judah,

fulfil your vows,

for never again shall the wicked come against you,

he is utterly cut off.

Chapter 2

¹The shatterer has come up against you.

Man the ramparts;

watch the road;

gird your loins;

collect all your strength.

²(For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob

as the majesty of Israel,

for plunderers have stripped them

and ruined their branches.)

³The shield of his mighty men is red,

his soldiers are clothed in scarlet.

The chariots flash like flame^h

when mustered in array;

the chargersⁱ prance.

⁴The chariots rage in the streets,

they rush to and fro through the squares;

they gleam like torches,

they dart like lightning.

⁵The officers are summoned,

they stumble as they go,

they hasten to the wall,

the mantelet is set up.

⁶The river gates are opened,

the palace is in dismay;

⁷its mistress^j is stripped, she is carried off,

her maidens lamenting,

moaning like doves,

and beating their breasts.

⁸Nineveh is like a pool

whose waters^k run away.

“Halt! Halt!” they cry;

but none turns back.

⁹Plunder the silver,

plunder the gold!

There is no end of treasure,

or wealth of every precious thing.

¹⁰Desolate! Desolation and ruin!

Hearts faint and knees tremble,

anguish is on all loins,

all faces grow pale!

¹¹Where is the lions’ den,

the cave^l of the young lions,

where the lion brought his prey,

where his cubs were, with none to disturb?

¹²The lion tore enough for his whelps

and strangled prey for his lionesses;

he filled his caves with prey

and his dens with torn flesh.

¹³Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard.