(A)An oracle concerning (B)Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

God's Wrath Against Nineveh

(C)The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
    the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
(D)the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
    and (E)keeps wrath for his enemies.
(F)The Lord is slow to anger and (G)great in power,
    and (H)the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
(I)His way is in whirlwind and storm,
    and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
(J)He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
    he dries up all the rivers;
(K)Bashan and (L)Carmel wither;
    the bloom of (M)Lebanon withers.
(N)The mountains quake before him;
    (O)the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
    (P)the world and all who dwell in it.

(Q)Who can stand before his indignation?
    Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath (R)is poured out like fire,
    and (S)the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
(T)The Lord is good,
    (U)a stronghold in the day of trouble;
(V)he knows those who take refuge in him.
    But (W)with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,[a]
    and (X)will pursue his enemies into darkness.
What (Y)do you plot against the Lord?
    (Z)He will make a complete end;
    trouble will not rise up a second time.
10 For they are (AA)like entangled thorns,
    like drunkards as they drink;
    (AB)they are consumed like stubble fully dried.
11 From you came one
    (AC)who plotted evil against the Lord,
    a worthless counselor.

12 Thus says the Lord,
“Though they are at full strength and many,
    (AD)they will be cut down and pass away.
(AE)Though I have afflicted you,
    I will afflict you no more.
13 And now (AF)I will break his yoke from off you
    and will burst your bonds apart.”

14 The Lord has given commandment about you:
    (AG)“No more shall your name be perpetuated;
from (AH)the house of your gods I will cut off
    the carved image and the metal image.
(AI)I will make your grave, (AJ)for you are vile.”

15 [b] (AK)Behold, upon the mountains, (AL)the feet of him
    who brings good news,
    who publishes peace!
(AM)Keep your feasts, O Judah;
    (AN)fulfill your vows,
(AO)for never again shall the worthless pass through you;
    he is utterly cut off.

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 1:8 Hebrew of her place
  2. Nahum 1:15 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew

This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh.

The Lord’s Anger against Nineveh

The Lord is a jealous God,
    filled with vengeance and rage.
He takes revenge on all who oppose him
    and continues to rage against his enemies!
The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great,
    and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.
He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm.
    The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.
At his command the oceans dry up,
    and the rivers disappear.
The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade,
    and the green forests of Lebanon wither.
In his presence the mountains quake,
    and the hills melt away;
the earth trembles,
    and its people are destroyed.
Who can stand before his fierce anger?
    Who can survive his burning fury?
His rage blazes forth like fire,
    and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence.

The Lord is good,
    a strong refuge when trouble comes.
    He is close to those who trust in him.
But he will sweep away his enemies[a]
    in an overwhelming flood.
He will pursue his foes
    into the darkness of night.

Why are you scheming against the Lord?
    He will destroy you with one blow;
    he won’t need to strike twice!
10 His enemies, tangled like thornbushes
    and staggering like drunks,
    will be burned up like dry stubble in a field.
11 Who is this wicked counselor of yours
    who plots evil against the Lord?

12 This is what the Lord says:
“Though the Assyrians have many allies,
    they will be destroyed and disappear.
O my people, I have punished you before,
    but I will not punish you again.
13 Now I will break the yoke of bondage from your neck
    and tear off the chains of Assyrian oppression.”

14 And this is what the Lord says concerning the Assyrians in Nineveh:
“You will have no more children to carry on your name.
    I will destroy all the idols in the temples of your gods.
I am preparing a grave for you
    because you are despicable!”

15 [b]Look! A messenger is coming over the mountains with good news!
    He is bringing a message of peace.
Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah,
    and fulfill all your vows,
for your wicked enemies will never invade your land again.
    They will be completely destroyed!

Footnotes

  1. 1:8 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads sweep away her place.
  2. 1:15 Verse 1:15 is numbered 2:1 in Hebrew text.