Nahum 1
Holman Christian Standard Bible
1 The oracle concerning Nineveh.(A) The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
God’s Vengeance
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord takes vengeance
and is fierce in[a] wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance against His foes;
He is furious with His enemies.(B)
3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished.(C)
His path is in the whirlwind and storm,
and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
4 He rebukes the sea so that it dries up,
and He makes all the rivers run dry.(D)
Bashan and Carmel wither;(E)
even the flower of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before Him,
and the hills melt;
the earth trembles[b][c] at His presence—
the world and all who live in it.(F)
6 Who can withstand His indignation?
Who can endure His burning anger?(G)
His wrath is poured out like fire,
even rocks are shattered before Him.
Destruction of Nineveh
7 The Lord is good,
a stronghold in a day of distress;
He cares for those who take refuge(H) in Him.
8 But He will completely destroy Nineveh[d]
with an overwhelming flood,(I)
and He will chase His enemies into darkness.
9 Whatever you[e] plot against the Lord,
He will bring it to complete destruction;(J)
oppression will not rise up a second time.
10 For they will be consumed
like entangled thorns,(K)
like the drink of a drunkard
and like straw that is fully dry.[f]
11 One has gone out from you,[g]
who plots evil against Yahweh,
and is a wicked counselor.
Promise of Judah’s Deliverance
12 This is what the Lord says:
Though they are strong[h] and numerous,
they will still be mowed down,
and he[i] will pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,[j](L)
I will afflict you no longer.(M)
13 For I will now break off his yoke from you
and tear off your shackles.
The Assyrian King’s Demise
14 The Lord has issued an order concerning you:
There will be no offspring
to carry on your name.[k](N)
I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image
from the house of your gods;(O)
I will prepare your grave,
for you are contemptible.
15 [l]Look to the mountains—
the feet of one bringing good news(P)
and proclaiming peace!
Celebrate your festivals, Judah;
fulfill your vows.
For the wicked one will never again
march through you;
he will be entirely wiped out.
Footnotes
- Nahum 1:2 Lit is a master of
- Nahum 1:5 Some emend to earth is laid waste
- Nahum 1:5 Lit lifts
- Nahum 1:8 Lit her place
- Nahum 1:9 = Nineveh
- Nahum 1:10 Hb obscure
- Nahum 1:11 Possibly Nineveh
- Nahum 1:12 Lit intact
- Nahum 1:12 Either the king of Assyria or his army
- Nahum 1:12 = Judah
- Nahum 1:14 Lit It will not be sown from your name any longer
- Nahum 1:15 Nah 2:1 in Hb
Nahum 1
GOD’S WORD Translation
Nahum’s Vision
1 This is a revelation from the Lord about Nineveh. This book contains the vision of Nahum from Elkosh.
Who Can Withstand the Lord’s Anger?
2 God does not tolerate rivals. The Lord takes revenge.
The Lord takes revenge and is full of anger.
The Lord takes revenge against his enemies
and holds a grudge against his foes.
3 The Lord is patient and has great strength.
The Lord will never let the guilty go unpunished.
Raging winds and storms mark his path,
and clouds are the dust from his feet.
4 He yells at the sea and makes it dry.
He dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither.
The flowers of Lebanon wither.
5 The mountains quake because of him.
The hills melt.
The earth draws back in his presence.
The world and all who live in it draw back as well.
6 Who can stand in the presence of his rage?
Who can oppose his burning anger?
He pours out his rage like fire
and smashes the rocky cliffs.
Why Does Nineveh Oppose the Lord?
7 The Lord is good.
⌞He is⌟ a fortress in the day of trouble.
He knows those who seek shelter in him.
8 He will put an end to Nineveh
with a devastating flood.
He will pursue his enemies with darkness.
9 What do you think about the Lord?
He is the one who will bring Nineveh to an end.
This trouble will never happen again.
10 ⌞The people of Nineveh will be⌟ like tangled thorns
and like people drunk on their own drink.
They will be completely burned up like very dry straw.
11 From you, Nineveh, a person who plans evil against the Lord sets out.
His advice is wicked.
Nineveh Will Fall
12 This is what the Lord says:
Though the people of Nineveh are physically fit and many in number,
they will be cut down and die.
Though I have humbled you, Judah,
I will not humble you again.
13 But now I will break Nineveh’s yoke [a] off of you
and tear its chains from you.
14 The Lord has given this command about you, Nineveh:
You will no longer have descendants to carry on your name.
I will remove the wooden and metal idols from the temple of your gods.
I will prepare your grave because you are worthless.[b]
An Army Will Conquer Nineveh
15 There on the mountains are the feet of a messenger
who announces the good news: “All is well!”
Celebrate your festivals, Judah! Keep your vows!
This wickedness will never pass your way again.
It will be completely removed.
Footnotes
- 1:13 A yoke is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts.
- 1:14 Nahum 1:15 in English Bibles is Nahum 2:1 in the Hebrew Bible.
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