Nahum 1-3

New International Version

1 A prophecy^(A) concerning Nineveh.^(B) The book of the vision^(C) of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

²The Lord is a jealous^(D) and avenging God;
    the Lord takes vengeance^(E) and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
    and vents his wrath against his enemies.^(F)
³The Lord is slow to anger^(G) but great in power;
    the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.^(H)
His way is in the whirlwind^(I) and the storm,^(J)
    and clouds^(K) are the dust of his feet.
⁴He rebukes^(L) the sea and dries it up;^(M)
    he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel^(N) wither
    and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
⁵The mountains quake^(O) before him
    and the hills melt away.^(P)
The earth trembles^(Q) at his presence,
    the world and all who live in it.^(R)
⁶Who can withstand^(S) his indignation?
    Who can endure^(T) his fierce anger?^(U)
His wrath is poured out like fire;^(V)
    the rocks are shattered^(W) before him.

⁷The Lord is good,^(X)
    a refuge in times of trouble.^(Y)
He cares for^(Z) those who trust in him,^(AA)
⁸    but with an overwhelming flood^(AB)
he will make an end of Nineveh;
    he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

⁹Whatever they plot^(AC) against the Lord
    he will bring^[a] to an end;
    trouble will not come a second time.
¹⁰They will be entangled among thorns^(AD)
    and drunk^(AE) from their wine;
    they will be consumed like dry stubble.^[b]^(AF)
¹¹From you, Nineveh, has one come forth
    who plots evil against the Lord
    and devises wicked plans.

¹²This is what the Lord says:

“Although they have allies and are numerous,
    they will be destroyed^(AG) and pass away.
Although I have afflicted you, Judah,
    I will afflict you no more.^(AH)
¹³Now I will break their yoke^(AI) from your neck
    and tear your shackles away.”^(AJ)

¹⁴The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:
    “You will have no descendants to bear your name.^(AK)
I will destroy the images^(AL) and idols
    that are in the temple of your gods.
I will prepare your grave,^(AM)
    for you are vile.”

¹⁵Look, there on the mountains,
    the feet of one who brings good news,^(AN)
    who proclaims peace!^(AO)
Celebrate your festivals,^(AP) Judah,
    and fulfill your vows.
No more will the wicked invade you;^(AQ)
    they will be completely destroyed.^[c]

Nineveh to Fall

2 ^[d]An attacker^(AR) advances against you, Nineveh.
    Guard the fortress,
    watch the road,
    brace yourselves,
    marshal all your strength!

²The Lord will restore^(AS) the splendor^(AT) of Jacob
like the splendor of Israel,
though destroyers have laid them waste
and have ruined their vines.

³The shields of the soldiers are red;
    the warriors are clad in scarlet.^(AU)
The metal on the chariots flashes
    on the day they are made ready;
    the spears of juniper are brandished.^[e]
⁴The chariots^(AV) storm through the streets,
    rushing back and forth through the squares.
They look like flaming torches;
    they dart about like lightning.

⁵Nineveh summons her picked troops,
    yet they stumble^(AW) on their way.
They dash to the city wall;
    the protective shield is put in place.
⁶The river gates^(AX) are thrown open
    and the palace collapses.
⁷It is decreed^[f] that Nineveh
    be exiled and carried away.
Her female slaves moan^(AY) like doves
    and beat on their breasts.^(AZ)
⁸Nineveh is like a pool
    whose water is draining away.
“Stop! Stop!” they cry,
    but no one turns back.
⁹Plunder the silver!
    Plunder the gold!
The supply is endless,
    the wealth from all its treasures!
¹⁰She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
    Hearts melt,^(BA) knees give way,
    bodies tremble, every face grows pale.^(BB)

¹¹Where now is the lions’ den,^(BC)
    the place where they fed their young,
where the lion and lioness went,
    and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
¹²The lion killed^(BD) enough for his cubs
    and strangled the prey for his mate,
filling his lairs^(BE) with the kill
    and his dens with the prey.^(BF)

¹³“I am against^(BG) you,”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will burn up your chariots in smoke,^(BH)
    and the sword^(BI) will devour your young lions.
    I will leave you no prey on the earth.
The voices of your messengers
    will no longer be heard.”^(BJ)

Woe to Nineveh

3 Woe to the city of blood,^(BK)
    full of lies,^(BL)
full of plunder,
    never without victims!
²The crack of whips,
    the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
    and jolting chariots!
³Charging cavalry,
    flashing swords
    and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
    piles of dead,
bodies without number,
    people stumbling over the corpses^(BM)—
⁴all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
    alluring, the mistress of sorceries,^(BN)
who enslaved nations by her prostitution^(BO)
    and peoples by her witchcraft.

⁵“I am against^(BP) you,” declares the Lord Almighty.
    “I will lift your skirts^(BQ) over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness^(BR)
    and the kingdoms your shame.
⁶I will pelt you with filth,^(BS)
    I will treat you with contempt^(BT)
    and make you a spectacle.^(BU)
⁷All who see you will flee^(BV) from you and say,
    ‘Nineveh^(BW) is in ruins^(BX)—who will mourn for her?’^(BY)
    Where can I find anyone to comfort^(BZ) you?”

⁸Are you better than^(CA) Thebes,^(CB)
    situated on the Nile,^(CC)
    with water around her?
The river was her defense,
    the waters her wall.
⁹Cush^[g]^(CD) and Egypt were her boundless strength;
    Put^(CE) and Libya^(CF) were among her allies.
¹⁰Yet she was taken captive^(CG)
    and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed^(CH) to pieces
    at every street corner.
Lots^(CI) were cast for her nobles,
    and all her great men were put in chains.^(CJ)
¹¹You too will become drunk;^(CK)
    you will go into hiding^(CL)
    and seek refuge from the enemy.

¹²All your fortresses are like fig trees
    with their first ripe fruit;^(CM)
when they are shaken,
    the figs^(CN) fall into the mouth of the eater.
¹³Look at your troops—
    they are all weaklings.^(CO)
The gates^(CP) of your land
    are wide open to your enemies;
    fire has consumed the bars of your gates.^(CQ)

¹⁴Draw water for the siege,^(CR)
    strengthen your defenses!^(CS)
Work the clay,
    tread the mortar,
    repair the brickwork!
¹⁵There the fire^(CT) will consume you;
    the sword^(CU) will cut you down—
    they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
    multiply like locusts!^(CV)
¹⁶You have increased the number of your merchants
    till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
but like locusts^(CW) they strip the land
    and then fly away.
¹⁷Your guards are like locusts,^(CX)
    your officials like swarms of locusts
    that settle in the walls on a cold day—
but when the sun appears they fly away,
    and no one knows where.

¹⁸King of Assyria, your shepherds^[h] slumber;^(CY)
    your nobles lie down to rest.^(CZ)
Your people are scattered^(DA) on the mountains
    with no one to gather them.
¹⁹Nothing can heal you;^(DB)
    your wound is fatal.
All who hear the news about you
    clap their hands^(DC) at your fall,
for who has not felt
    your endless cruelty?^(DD)

Footnotes

Nahum 1:9 Or What do you foes plot against the Lord? / He will bring it
Nahum 1:10 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
Nahum 1:15 In Hebrew texts this verse (1:15) is numbered 2:1.
Nahum 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-13 is numbered 2:2-14.
Nahum 2:3 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac ready; / the horsemen rush to and fro.
Nahum 2:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Nahum 3:9 That is, the upper Nile region
Nahum 3:18 That is, rulers

Luke 10

New International Version

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two^(A)^(B)^(C)

10 After this the Lord^(D) appointed seventy-two^[a] others^(E) and sent them two by two^(F) ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.^(G) ²He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.^(H) ³Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.^(I) ⁴Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

⁵“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.^(J) Do not move around from house to house.

⁸“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.^(K) ⁹Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God^(L) has come near to you.’ ¹⁰But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you.^(M) Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’^(N) ¹²I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom^(O) than for that town.^(P)

¹³“Woe to you,^(Q) Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth^(R) and ashes. ¹⁴But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum,^(S) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.^[b]

¹⁶“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”^(T)

¹⁷The seventy-two^(U) returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”^(V)

¹⁸He replied, “I saw Satan^(W) fall like lightning from heaven.^(X) ¹⁹I have given you authority to trample on snakes^(Y) and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”^(Z)

²¹At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.^(AA) Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

²²“All things have been committed to me by my Father.^(AB) No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”^(AC)

²³Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. ²⁴For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”^(AD)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan^(AE)

²⁵On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”^(AF)

²⁶“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[c];^(AG) and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”^(AH)

²⁸“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”^(AI)

²⁹But he wanted to justify himself,^(AJ) so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.^(AK) ³²So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan,^(AL) as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii^[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha^(AM) opened her home to him. ³⁹She had a sister called Mary,^(AN) who sat at the Lord’s feet^(AO) listening to what he said. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care^(AP) that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried^(AQ) and upset about many things, ⁴²but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[f]^(AR) Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Footnotes

Luke 10:1 Some manuscripts seventy; also in verse 17
Luke 10:15 That is, the realm of the dead
Luke 10:27 Deut. 6:5
Luke 10:27 Lev. 19:18
Luke 10:35 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).
Luke 10:42 Some manuscripts but only one thing is needed