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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

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.