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The Lord Is Judge and Savior

A threatening oracle against Nineveh.

The book of the vision of Nahum from Elkosh.

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God.
    The Lord takes vengeance and displays his anger.
    The Lord takes vengeance against his adversaries.
    He will maintain his rage against his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger, yet great in power.
    The Lord will certainly not let the guilty go unpunished.

    He marches out in the whirlwind and in the storm.
    Storm clouds are like dust stirred up by his feet.
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry up.
    He makes all the rivers run dry.
    Bashan and Carmel are completely withered.
    The buds of Lebanon are completely withered.
The mountains quake in front of him.
    The hills melt away.
    The earth in front of him rises up,
    the whole world and all who live in it.
Who can withstand his anger?
    Who can resist his fury?
    His rage is poured out like fire,
    and the rocks are torn down by him.

The Lord is good.
    He is a place of safety in the day of distress.
    He knows those who seek safety in him,
but he will bring this place to a complete end by an overwhelming flood.
    He will drive his enemies into darkness.

No matter what you plot against the Lord, he will destroy your plot completely. Disaster will not need to strike them twice, 10 because like tangled thorns, like the liquor of drunkards, like fully dried stubble, they will be consumed.

Judgment on the Enemy

11 Someone who plots evil against the Lord has gone out from you, but his wicked plans are worthless. 12 This is what the Lord says. Even though they are at full strength and are numerous, nevertheless they are sure to be cut off, and they will disappear. Even though I have humbled you, I will not humble you any longer. 13 Now I will break their yoke from your neck. I will tear apart the shackles that are on you.

14 The Lord has issued a decree against you: There will be no descendants to carry on your name. I will put an end to the carved idols and molten images in the temple of your gods. I will dig your grave because you are cursed.[a]

Peace for God’s People

15 Look! A herald is coming over the mountain to proclaim this good news:
        Peace! Celebrate your sacred festivals, Judah!
        Fulfill your sacred vows to praise God!
        For never again will wickedness overwhelm you.
        It has been completely destroyed.[b]

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 1:14 Or too weak to resist
  2. Nahum 1:15 English 1:15 is 2:1 in Hebrew. All subsequent verse numbers in chapter 2 are one number lower in English than they are in Hebrew.

Superscription

The oracle concerning Nineveh—
    the scroll of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

Half-Acrostic: Yahweh Takes Vengeance against His Enemies

Yahweh is a jealous God and avenging;
    Yahweh is avenging and full of wrath.[a]
Yahweh takes vengeance against his enemies;
    he rages against his adversaries.
Yahweh is slow to anger but great in power;
    he will certainly not allow the guilty to go unpunished.
He marches[b] in storm wind and in gale;
    storm clouds are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes the sea and he dries up the rivers;
    he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither;[c]
    the blossom of Lebanon languishes.
Mountains quake before him;
    the hills shake apart.[d]
The earth heaves before him—
    the world and all her inhabitants.
His indignation—who can stand before it?
    Who can endure his fierce anger?[e]
His wrath is poured out like fire;
    rocks are shattered before[f] him.
Yahweh is good—a refuge in the day of distress;
    he knows those who take refuge in him.
But with a rushing torrent he will bring Nineveh to an end;
    he will chase his enemies into darkness.

Yahweh Will Destroy Nineveh

What[g] do you plot against Yahweh?
    He will completely destroy it;[h]
        trouble will not rise up a second time!
10 For like entangled thorns,
    and like their drink which is drunk,
        they will be consumed like fully dry chaff.
11 From you goes out one who plots evil against Yahweh,
    one who plans wickedness.

Yahweh Will Deliver Judah and Destroy Nineveh

12 Yahweh says this:

“Even though they are powerful and likewise many,
    even so they will be cut off and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,[i]
    I will afflict you[j] no longer.
13 And now, I will break his yoke from upon you;
    I will snap your bonds.”

14 Yahweh has commanded concerning you:

“Your name will no longer be sown.
    I will cut off the idols and images[k] from the temple[l] of your gods;
        I will send you to the grave[m] because you are worthless.”
15 [n] Look! On the mountains!
    The feet of the one who brings good tidings,
        the one who proclaims peace!
“Celebrate a festival, O Judah,
    Fulfill your vows!
For he will not invade you again;
    the wicked one is cut off completely!”

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 1:2 Literally “a lord of wrath”
  2. Nahum 1:3 Literally “His path”
  3. Nahum 1:4 MT reads “languishes,” but the versions reflect “withers,” which also restores the acrostic
  4. Nahum 1:5 Or “melt”
  5. Nahum 1:6 Literally “the heat of his anger”
  6. Nahum 1:6 Or “by”
  7. Nahum 1:9 Or “Why …?”
  8. Nahum 1:9 Literally “he will make a complete destruction”
  9. Nahum 1:12 That is, Judah
  10. Nahum 1:12 That is, Judah
  11. Nahum 1:14 Literally “the idols and the molten idols”
  12. Nahum 1:14 Literally “house”
  13. Nahum 1:14 Literally “I will make your grave”
  14. Nahum 1:15 Nahum 1:15–2:13 in the English Bible is 2:1–14 in the Hebrew Bible