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Attack against Nineveh

One who scatters is coming up against you.(A)
Man the fortifications!
Watch the road!
Brace[a] yourself!
Summon all your strength!(B)

For the Lord will restore the majesty of Jacob,(C)
yes,[b] the majesty of Israel,
though ravagers have ravaged them(D)
and ruined their vine branches.(E)

The shields of his[c] warriors are dyed red;
the valiant men are dressed in scarlet.(F)
The fittings of the chariot flash like fire(G)
on the day of its battle preparations,
and the spears are brandished.
The chariots dash madly through the streets;
they rush around in the squares.
They look like torches;
they dart back and forth like lightning.
He gives orders to his officers;
they stumble as they advance.
They race to its wall;
the protective shield is set in place.
The river gates are opened,
and the palace erodes away.(H)

Beauty[d] is stripped;[e]
she is carried away;
her ladies-in-waiting moan
like the sound of doves(I)
and beat their breasts.(J)
Nineveh has been like a pool of water
from her first days,[f]
but they are fleeing.
‘Stop! Stop! ’ they cry,
but no one turns back.
‘Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! ’(K)
There is no end to the treasure,
an abundance of every precious thing.(L)
10 Desolation, decimation, devastation!
Hearts melt,(M)
knees tremble,(N)
insides churn,(O)
every face grows pale!(P)

11 Where is the lions’ lair,(Q)
or the feeding ground of the young lions,
where the lion and lioness prowled,
and the lion’s cub,
with nothing to frighten them away?(R)
12 The lion mauled whatever its cubs needed
and strangled prey for its lionesses.
It filled up its dens with the kill,
and its lairs with mauled prey.(S)
13 Beware, I am against you.(T)
This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
I will make your chariots go up in smoke,[g]
and the sword will devour your young lions.(U)
I will cut off your prey from the earth,
and the sound of your messengers
will never be heard again.(V)

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Lit Strengthen
  2. 2:2 Or like
  3. 2:3 = the army commander attacking Nineveh
  4. 2:7 Text emended; MT reads Huzzab
  5. 2:7 Hb obscure
  6. 2:8 Hb obscure
  7. 2:13 Lit will burn her chariots in smoke

Ataque contra Nínive

[a]El destructor[b] ha subido contra ti[c](A).
Monta guardia en la fortaleza,
vigila el camino;
fortalece tus lomos,
refuerza más tu poder.
Porque el Señor restaurará la gloria[d](B) de Jacob
como la gloria[e] de Israel(C),
aunque devastadores los han devastado
y destruido sus sarmientos(D).

El escudo de los valientes[f] es rojo,
los guerreros están vestidos de escarlata(E),
y de acero centelleante[g] los carros
cuando están en formación[h],
y se blanden las lanzas(F) de ciprés.
Por las calles corren furiosos[i] los carros,
se precipitan por las plazas[j](G),
su aspecto es semejante a antorchas,
como relámpagos se lanzan.
Se acuerda él de sus nobles(H)
que tropiezan en su marcha(I),
se apresuran a su muralla,
y es preparada la defensa[k].
Las compuertas de los ríos se abren,
y el palacio se llena de terror[l].
Está decretado:
la reina es despojada y deportada,
y sus sirvientas gimen como palomas(J),
golpeándose el pecho[m](K).

Aunque Nínive era como estanque de aguas desde la antigüedad[n];
ahora ellos huyen.
¡Deteneos! ¡Deteneos!
Pero nadie se vuelve(L).
¡Saquead la plata!
¡Saquead el oro(M)!
No hay límite a los tesoros,
a las riquezas de toda clase de objetos codiciables.
10 ¡Vacía está! Sí, desolada y desierta[o](N).
Los corazones se derriten y las rodillas tiemblan(O);
hay también angustia en todo el cuerpo[p],
y los rostros de todos han palidecido(P).
11 ¿Dónde está la guarida de los leones
y el lugar[q] donde comen los leoncillos(Q),
donde andaban el león, la leona y su cachorro,
sin que nada los asustara?
12 El león desgarraba lo suficiente para sus cachorros,
mataba[r] para sus leonas,
llenaba de presa sus guaridas
y de carne desgarrada sus cubiles.

13 Heme aquí contra ti(R) —declara el Señor de los ejércitos. Quemaré y reduciré a humo tus[s] carros(S), la espada devorará tus leoncillos, arrancaré de la tierra tu presa(T), y no se oirá más la voz de tus mensajeros.

Footnotes

  1. Nahúm 2:1 En el texto heb., cap. 2:2
  2. Nahúm 2:1 Lit., El que dispersa
  3. Nahúm 2:1 Lit., tu rostro
  4. Nahúm 2:2 Lit., magnificencia
  5. Nahúm 2:2 Lit., magnificencia
  6. Nahúm 2:3 I.e., los que atacan a Nínive
  7. Nahúm 2:3 Lit., fuego de acero
  8. Nahúm 2:3 Lit., en el día de su preparación
  9. Nahúm 2:4 Lit., andan como locos
  10. Nahúm 2:4 Lit., los lugares amplios
  11. Nahúm 2:5 O, el parapeto
  12. Nahúm 2:6 Lit., se disuelve
  13. Nahúm 2:7 Lit., su corazón
  14. Nahúm 2:8 Lit., desde los días de ella
  15. Nahúm 2:10 Lit., Vacuidad y desolación y devastación
  16. Nahúm 2:10 Lit., lomo
  17. Nahúm 2:11 Lit., pastizal
  18. Nahúm 2:12 Lit., estrangulaba
  19. Nahúm 2:13 Lit., sus

The Divine Warrior Will Attack Nineveh

One who shatters[a] has come up against you!
    Guard the fortification!
        Watch the road![b]
    Gird your loins!
        Muster[c] all your strength!
For Yahweh will restore the majesty of Jacob
    like the majesty of Israel;
for ravagers have ravaged them
    and ruined their branches.

The Enemy Army Conquers the City of Nineveh

The shields of his warriors are dyed red;
    The powerful men are dressed in scarlet.
The metal of the chariots[d] shines like fire on the day of battle,[e]
    and their spears quiver.
The chariots[f] race madly through the streets;
    they rush back and forth in the public squares.
Their appearance like lightning bolts,
    they dart about like flashes of lightning.
He calls his officers;
    they stumble as they march;
they rush to her wall;
    they set the covering[g] in place.
The gates of the river are opened;
    the palace trembles.
Her goddess is taken out and taken into exile;[h]
    her maidservants moan like doves;
        they beat on their breasts.
Nineveh is like a pool of water without its water.[i]
    As they flee,[j] she cries, “Stop! Stop!”
        But there is no one who turns back.
Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!
    There is no end to the spoils,[k]
        an abundance of everything one could want![l]
10 Emptiness and plundering and devastation!
    Their hearts faint and their knees tremble,[m]
        All their loins shake[n] and all their faces turn[o] pale.

The Divine Warrior Will Hunt down the Mighty Lions

11 Where now is the den of the lions
    and the cave of the fierce lions?
There the lioness, the cub, and the lion once prowled,[p]
    and no one disturbed them.[q]
12 The lion tore apart enough prey for his cubs,
    he strangled prey for his lioness;
he filled his lair[r] with prey
    and his den with mangled carcass.
13 “Look! I am against you!” declares[s] Yahweh of hosts.
    “I will burn her chariots with fire;[t]
        the sword will devour fierce lions.
    I will cut off your prey from the earth;
        the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.”

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 2:1 Literally “a shatterer”
  2. Nahum 2:1 Or “way”
  3. Nahum 2:1 Or “Collect”
  4. Nahum 2:3 Hebrew “chariot”
  5. Nahum 2:3 Literally “on the day of his preparation”
  6. Nahum 2:4 Hebrew “chariot”
  7. Nahum 2:5 The Hebrew word describes a small portable roof to protect siege warriors from arrows and debris hurled at them from the fortified city wall
  8. Nahum 2:7 Literally “It is decreed that she be exiled and led away.” MT reads the very enigmatic “And he is placed, she is sent into exile, she is taken up.” The BHS editors suggest the conjectural emendation “And her goddess = the idol of the patron deity of Nineveh is taken and taken into exile.” This is adopted in the translation on the basis of internal evidence
  9. Nahum 2:8 MT reads “from her days.” Greek LXX and Syriac Peshitta reflect “from her waters”
  10. Nahum 2:8 Literally “And they flee away”
  11. Nahum 2:9 Literally “the supply”
  12. Nahum 2:9 Literally “every kind of desirable object”
  13. Nahum 2:10 Or “totter”
  14. Nahum 2:10 Literally “And shaking of all loins”
  15. Nahum 2:10 Literally “gather”
  16. Nahum 2:11 Literally “went”
  17. Nahum 2:11 Literally “there is no one making them afraid”
  18. Nahum 2:12 Literally “his holes”
  19. Nahum 2:13 Literally “a declaration of”
  20. Nahum 2:13 Literally “with smoke”

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.