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

The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

The 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)
The 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.
He 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.
The 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)
Who 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.

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

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

12 This 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)
13 Now I will break their yoke(AI) from your neck
    and tear your shackles away.”(AJ)

14 The 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.”

15 Look, 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

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

The 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.

The 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]
The chariots(AV) storm through the streets,
    rushing back and forth through the squares.
They look like flaming torches;
    they dart about like lightning.

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

11 Where 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?
12 The 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

Woe to the city of blood,(BK)
    full of lies,(BL)
full of plunder,
    never without victims!
The crack of whips,
    the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
    and jolting chariots!
Charging cavalry,
    flashing swords
    and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
    piles of dead,
bodies without number,
    people stumbling over the corpses(BM)
all 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.

“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.
I will pelt you with filth,(BS)
    I will treat you with contempt(BT)
    and make you a spectacle.(BU)
All 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?”

Are you better than(CA) Thebes,(CB)
    situated on the Nile,(CC)
    with water around her?
The river was her defense,
    the waters her wall.
Cush[g](CD) and Egypt were her boundless strength;
    Put(CE) and Libya(CF) were among her allies.
10 Yet 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)
11 You too will become drunk;(CK)
    you will go into hiding(CL)
    and seek refuge from the enemy.

12 All 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.
13 Look 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)

14 Draw water for the siege,(CR)
    strengthen your defenses!(CS)
Work the clay,
    tread the mortar,
    repair the brickwork!
15 There 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)
16 You 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.
17 Your 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.

18 King 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.
19 Nothing 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)

Notas al pie

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

The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.

The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

What do ye imagine against the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.

10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

11 There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked counsellor.

12 Thus saith the Lord; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.

13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.

14 And the Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.

15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.

For the Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.

The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.

He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared.

The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.

And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.

But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.

10 She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

11 Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?

12 The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

13 Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;

The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:

Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.

And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?

Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

10 Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

11 Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.

12 All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.

14 Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.

15 There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.

16 Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away.

17 Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

18 Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.

19 There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

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!

The Fall of Nineveh

[c]Your enemy is coming to crush you, Nineveh.
    Man the ramparts! Watch the roads!
    Prepare your defenses! Call out your forces!

Even though the destroyer has destroyed Judah,
    the Lord will restore its honor.
Israel’s vine has been stripped of branches,
    but he will restore its splendor.

Shields flash red in the sunlight!
    See the scarlet uniforms of the valiant troops!
Watch as their glittering chariots move into position,
    with a forest of spears waving above them.[d]
The chariots race recklessly along the streets
    and rush wildly through the squares.
They flash like firelight
    and move as swiftly as lightning.
The king shouts to his officers;
    they stumble in their haste,
    rushing to the walls to set up their defenses.
The river gates have been torn open!
    The palace is about to collapse!
Nineveh’s exile has been decreed,
    and all the servant girls mourn its capture.
They moan like doves
    and beat their breasts in sorrow.
Nineveh is like a leaking water reservoir!
    The people are slipping away.
“Stop, stop!” someone shouts,
    but no one even looks back.
Loot the silver!
    Plunder the gold!
There’s no end to Nineveh’s treasures—
    its vast, uncounted wealth.
10 Soon the city is plundered, empty, and ruined.
    Hearts melt and knees shake.
The people stand aghast,
    their faces pale and trembling.

11 Where now is that great Nineveh,
    that den filled with young lions?
It was a place where people—like lions and their cubs—
    walked freely and without fear.
12 The lion tore up meat for his cubs
    and strangled prey for his mate.
He filled his den with prey,
    his caverns with his plunder.

13 “I am your enemy!”
    says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“Your chariots will soon go up in smoke.
    Your young men[e] will be killed in battle.
Never again will you plunder conquered nations.
    The voices of your proud messengers will be heard no more.”

The Lord’s Judgment against Nineveh

What sorrow awaits Nineveh,
    the city of murder and lies!
She is crammed with wealth
    and is never without victims.
Hear the crack of whips,
    the rumble of wheels!
Horses’ hooves pound,
    and chariots clatter wildly.
See the flashing swords and glittering spears
    as the charioteers charge past!
There are countless casualties,
    heaps of bodies—
so many bodies that
    people stumble over them.
All this because Nineveh,
    the beautiful and faithless city,
mistress of deadly charms,
    enticed the nations with her beauty.
She taught them all her magic,
    enchanting people everywhere.

“I am your enemy!”
    says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“And now I will lift your skirts
    and show all the earth your nakedness and shame.
I will cover you with filth
    and show the world how vile you really are.
All who see you will shrink back and say,
    ‘Nineveh lies in ruins.
Where are the mourners?’
    Does anyone regret your destruction?”

Are you any better than the city of Thebes,[f]
    situated on the Nile River, surrounded by water?
She was protected by the river on all sides,
    walled in by water.
Ethiopia[g] and the land of Egypt
    gave unlimited assistance.
The nations of Put and Libya
    were among her allies.
10 Yet Thebes fell,
    and her people were led away as captives.
Her babies were dashed to death
    against the stones of the streets.
Soldiers threw dice[h] to get Egyptian officers as servants.
    All their leaders were bound in chains.

11 And you, Nineveh, will also stagger like a drunkard.
    You will hide for fear of the attacking enemy.
12 All your fortresses will fall.
    They will be devoured like the ripe figs
that fall into the mouths
    of those who shake the trees.
13 Your troops will be as weak
    and helpless as women.
The gates of your land will be opened wide to the enemy
    and set on fire and burned.
14 Get ready for the siege!
    Store up water!
    Strengthen the defenses!
Go into the pits to trample clay,
    and pack it into molds,
    making bricks to repair the walls.

15 But the fire will devour you;
    the sword will cut you down.
The enemy will consume you like locusts,
    devouring everything they see.
There will be no escape,
    even if you multiply like swarming locusts.
16 Your merchants have multiplied
    until they outnumber the stars.
But like a swarm of locusts,
    they strip the land and fly away.
17 Your guards[i] and officials are also like swarming locusts
    that crowd together in the hedges on a cold day.
But like locusts that fly away when the sun comes up,
    all of them will fly away and disappear.

18 Your shepherds are asleep, O Assyrian king;
    your princes lie dead in the dust.
Your people are scattered across the mountains
    with no one to gather them together.
19 There is no healing for your wound;
    your injury is fatal.
All who hear of your destruction
    will clap their hands for joy.
Where can anyone be found
    who has not suffered from your continual cruelty?

Notas al pie

  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.
  3. 2:1 Verses 2:1-13 are numbered 2:2-14 in Hebrew text.
  4. 2:3 Greek and Syriac versions read into position, / the horses whipped into a frenzy.
  5. 2:13 Hebrew young lions.
  6. 3:8 Hebrew No-amon; also in 3:10.
  7. 3:9 Hebrew Cush.
  8. 3:10 Hebrew They cast lots.
  9. 3:17 Or princes.