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Yahweh’s Destruction of Nineveh

[a]The one who (A)scatters has come up against [b]you.
Guard the fortification, watch the road;
Strengthen your loins, [c]instill your power with exceeding courage.
For Yahweh will restore the (B)majesty of Jacob
(C)Like the majesty of Israel,
Even though those who empty them have emptied them to destruction
And (D)ruined their vine branches.

The shields of [d]his mighty men are colored red,
The valiant men are dressed in (E)[e]scarlet,
The chariots are enveloped in [f]flashing steel
[g]When he is set up to march,
And the cypress (F)spears are brandished.
The (G)chariots race madly in the streets;
They rush wildly in the [h]squares;
Their appearance is like torches;
They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.
He remembers his (H)mighty ones;
They (I)stumble in their march;
They hurry to her wall,
And the [i]mantelet is set up.
The gates of the rivers are opened,
And the palace is melted away.
So it stands fixed:
She is exiled, she is carried away,
And her maidservants are (J)moaning like the sound of doves,
(K)Beating on their hearts.

Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days,
Now they are fleeing;
“Stand! Stand!”
But (L)no one [j]turns back.
Plunder the silver!
Plunder the (M)gold!
And there is no limit to the treasure—
[k]Wealth from every kind of desirable object.
10 She is (N)emptied! Yes, she is emptied out and eviscerated!
(O)Hearts are melting and knees knocking!
Also anguish is in all their loins,
And all their (P)faces [l]turn pale!
11 Where is the den of the lions
And the feeding place of the (Q)young lions,
Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub prowled,
With nothing to make them tremble?
12 The lion tore enough for its cubs
And strangled enough for its lionesses
And filled its lairs with torn up prey
And its dens with torn up flesh.

13 “Behold, (R)I am against you,” declares Yahweh of hosts. “And I will (S)burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; and I will (T)cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 2:1 Ch 2:2 in Heb
  2. Nahum 2:1 Lit your face
  3. Nahum 2:1 Or make your power courageous
  4. Nahum 2:3 Those attacking Nineveh
  5. Nahum 2:3 Or crimson, cf. Lam 4:5
  6. Nahum 2:3 Lit fire of steel
  7. Nahum 2:3 Lit On the day of his preparation
  8. Nahum 2:4 Lit broad places
  9. Nahum 2:5 Lit covering (used in a siege)
  10. Nahum 2:8 Lit gathers
  11. Nahum 2:9 Lit Glory
  12. Nahum 2:10 Lit gather their radiance

He describeth the victories of the Chaldeans against the Assyrians.

The [a]destroyer is come before thy face: keep the munition: look to the way: make thy loins strong: increase thy strength mightily.

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

The shield of his mighty men is made red, [d]the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be as in the fire and flames in the day of his preparation, and [e]the fir trees shall tremble.

The chariots shall rage in the streets: they shall run to and fro in the highways: they shall seem like lamps: they shall shoot like the lightning.

[f]He shall remember his strong men: they shall stumble as they go: they shall make haste to the walls thereof, and the defense shall be prepared.

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

And Huzzab the Queen shall be led away captive, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, smiting upon their breasts.

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

[h]Spoil ye the silver, spoil the gold: for there is none end of the store and glory of all the pleasant vessels.

10 [i]She is empty and void and waste, and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and sorrow is in all loins, and the faces [j]of them all gather blackness.

11 Where is the [k]dwelling of the lions, and the pasture of the lion’s whelps? where the lion and the lioness waked, and the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid.

12 The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and worried for his lioness, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with spoil.

13 Behold, I come unto thee saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the [l]smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions, and I will cut off thy spoil from the earth, and the voice of thy [m]messengers shall no more be heard.

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 2:1 That is, Nebuchadnezzar is in readiness to destroy the Assyrians: and the Prophet derideth the enterprises of the Assyrians which prepared to resist him.
  2. Nahum 2:2 Seeing God hath punished his own people Judah and Israel, he will now punish the enemies by whom he scourged them, read Isa. 10:12.
  3. Nahum 2:2 Signifying, that the Israelites were utterly destroyed.
  4. Nahum 2:3 Both to fear the enemy, and also that they themselves should not so soon espy blood one of another to discourage them.
  5. Nahum 2:3 Meaning, their spears should shake and crash together.
  6. Nahum 2:5 Then the Assyrians shall seek by all means to gather their power, but all things shall fail them.
  7. Nahum 2:8 The Assyrians will flatter themselves and say, that Nineveh is so ancient that it can never perish, and is as a fishpool, whose waters they that walk on the banks cannot touch, but they shall be scattered, and shall not look back though men would call them.
  8. Nahum 2:9 God commandeth the enemies to spoil Nineveh, and promiseth them infinite riches and treasures.
  9. Nahum 2:10 That is, Nineveh, and the men thereof shall be after this sort.
  10. Nahum 2:10 Read Joel 2:6.
  11. Nahum 2:11 Meaning, Nineveh, whose inhabitants were cruel like the Lions, and given to all oppression, and spared no violence or tyranny to provide for their wives and children.
  12. Nahum 2:13 That is, as soon as my wrath beginneth to kindle.
  13. Nahum 2:13 Signifying the heralds, which were accustomed to proclaim war. Some read, of thy gum teeth, wherewith Nineveh was wont to bruise the bones of the poor.

Nineveh to Fall

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

The Lord will restore(B) the splendor(C) 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.(D)
The metal on the chariots flashes
    on the day they are made ready;
    the spears of juniper are brandished.[b]
The chariots(E) 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(F) on their way.
They dash to the city wall;
    the protective shield is put in place.
The river gates(G) are thrown open
    and the palace collapses.
It is decreed[c] that Nineveh
    be exiled and carried away.
Her female slaves moan(H) like doves
    and beat on their breasts.(I)
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,(J) knees give way,
    bodies tremble, every face grows pale.(K)

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1-13 is numbered 2:2-14.
  2. Nahum 2:3 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac ready; / the horsemen rush to and fro.
  3. Nahum 2:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

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.

'Nahum 2 ' not found for the version: En Levende Bok.