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Yahweh’s Wrath Against Nineveh

The [a](A)oracle of (B)Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

Aleph

A (C)jealous and avenging God is [b]Yahweh;
Yahweh is (D)avenging and [c]wrathful.
Yahweh is (E)avenging against His adversaries,
And He keeps His anger for His enemies.
Yahweh is (F)slow to anger and great in power,
And Yahweh will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.

Beth

In (G)whirlwind and storm is His way,
And (H)clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

Gimel

He (I)rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
He dries up all the rivers.
(J)Bashan and Carmel languish;
The blossoms of Lebanon languish.

He

Mountains (K)quake because of Him,

Vav

And the hills (L)melt;
Indeed the earth is (M)upheaved by His presence,
The (N)world and all the inhabitants in it.

Zayin

(O)Who can stand before His indignation?
Who can endure the (P)burning of His anger?

Heth

His (Q)wrath is poured out like fire,
And the (R)rocks are torn down by Him.

Teth

Yahweh is (S)good,
A strong defense in the day of distress,

Yodh

And (T)He knows those who take refuge in Him.
But with an (U)overflowing flood

Kaph

He will make a complete destruction of [d]its place
And will pursue His enemies into (V)darkness.

Whatever you (W)devise against Yahweh,
He will make a (X)complete destruction of it.
Distress will not rise up twice.
10 Like tangled (Y)thorns,
And like those who are (Z)drunken with their drink,
They are (AA)consumed
As stubble fully dried up.
11 From you has gone forth
One who (AB)devised evil against Yahweh,
A [e](AC)vile counselor.

12 Thus says Yahweh,

“Though they are at full strength and likewise many,
Even so, they will be (AD)cut off and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you (AE)no longer.
13 So now, I will (AF)break his yoke bar from upon you,
And I will break your bands apart.”

14 And Yahweh has commanded concerning [f]you:
[g]There will (AG)no longer be seed from your name.
From the house of your gods,
I will cut off (AH)graven image and molten image.
I will prepare your (AI)grave,
For you are contemptible.”

15 [h]Behold, (AJ)on the mountains the feet of him who proclaims good news,
Who [i]announces peace!
(AK)Celebrate your feasts, O Judah;
Pay your vows.
For (AL)never again will the [j]vile one pass through you;
He is (AM)cut off completely.

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 1:1 Or burden
  2. Nahum 1:2 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  3. Nahum 1:2 Lit a possessor of wrath
  4. Nahum 1:9 Nineveh’s
  5. Nahum 1:11 Or worthless; Heb Belial
  6. Nahum 1:14 The king of Nineveh
  7. Nahum 1:14 Lit No more of your name will be sown
  8. Nahum 1:15 Ch 2:1 in Heb
  9. Nahum 1:15 Or causes peace to be heard
  10. Nahum 1:15 Or worthless; Heb Belial

Nahum’s Vision

A pronouncement[a] about Nineveh: The record of the vision of Nahum[b] from Elkosh.

The Lord’s Anger against Assyria

A jealous God, the Lord avenges.
    The Lord avenges;
The Lord is an angry husband.
The Lord takes vengeance on his enemies,
    reserving anger for his adversaries.
The Lord is slow to anger and powerful,
    and he will never let the guilty[c] go unpunished.
The Lord’s path is in the windstorm and hurricane;
    thunderclouds are dust beneath his feet.
He rebukes the sea, and it evaporates;
    he dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither,
    while the flowers of Lebanon languish.
Mountains shake because of him,
    and the hills melt.
The earth goes into upheaval at his presence,
    as does the world with all of its inhabitants.
Who can stand before his fury?
    And who can endure his fierce anger?
His displeasure pours out like fire,
    and rocks are broken to pieces because of him.

The Lord’s Goodness in the Midst of Judgment

The Lord is good—
    a refuge in troubled times.[d]
He knows those who are confiding in him.
But with an overwhelming deluge he will bring utter desolation to Nineveh,[e]
    and his enemies he will pursue with darkness.
What are you scheming against the Lord?
    He will bring about utter desolation—
        adversity will not strike twice!
10 Indeed, while tangled as by a thorn bush,
    while drunken as by a strong drink,
        the Ninevites[f] will be burned like dry straw.
11 Someone has left you who plans evil against the Lord.
    He is a demonic counselor.[g]

The Lord’s Rebuke to Assyria

12 This is what the Lord says:
“No matter how strong they are,[h]
    and no matter how numerous,
        they will surely be annihilated[i] and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,[j]
    I will do so no more.
13 Now I will break off Assyria’s[k] yoke from you,
    and tear apart your shackles.”

14 Now this is what the Lord has decreed about you, Nineveh:[l]
    “There will be no more children born[m] to carry on your name.
I will cut out the graven and molten images from the temples of your gods.
    I myself will dig your grave,
        because you are vile.”

The Sure and Certain Deliverance of Judah

15 [n]Look! There on the mountains!
    The feet of the one who brings good news,
        who broadcasts a message of peace.
Judah, celebrate your solemn festivals
    and keep your vows,
because the wicked will never again invade you.
    Nineveh[o] will be[p] completely eliminated!

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 1:1 Or revelation
  2. Nahum 1:1 The Heb. name Nahum means comfort
  3. Nahum 1:3 The Heb. lacks the guilty
  4. Nahum 1:7 Or in a day of trouble
  5. Nahum 1:8 Lit. to its place
  6. Nahum 1:10 Lit. they
  7. Nahum 1:11 Or a worthless counselor; Lit. a counselor of Belial
  8. Nahum 1:12 The Heb. lacks they are
  9. Nahum 1:12 Lit. be cut down
  10. Nahum 1:12 The Heb. lacks you
  11. Nahum 1:13 Lit. his
  12. Nahum 1:14 The Heb. lacks Nineveh
  13. Nahum 1:14 Lit. sown
  14. Nahum 1:15 This verse is 2:1 in MT
  15. Nahum 1:15 Lit. It
  16. Nahum 1:15 Or has been