Nahúm 2
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Ataque contra Nínive
2 [a]El destructor ha subido contra ti(A).
Monta guardia en la fortaleza,
Vigila el camino;
Fortalece tus lomos,
Refuerza más tu poder.
2 Porque el Señor restaurará la gloria(B) de Jacob
Como la gloria de Israel(C),
Aunque devastadores los han devastado
Y destruido sus sarmientos(D).
3 ¶El escudo de los valientes es rojo,
Los guerreros están vestidos de escarlata(E),
Y de acero centelleante los carros
Cuando están en formación,
Y se blanden las lanzas(F) de ciprés.
4 Por las calles corren furiosos los carros,
Se precipitan por las plazas(G),
Su aspecto es semejante a antorchas,
Como relámpagos se lanzan.
5 Se acuerda él de sus nobles(H)
Que tropiezan en su marcha(I),
Se apresuran a su muralla,
Y es preparada la defensa.
6 Las compuertas de los ríos se abren,
Y el palacio se llena de terror.
7 Está decretado:
La reina es despojada y deportada,
Y sus sirvientas gimen como palomas(J),
Golpeándose el pecho(K).
8 ¶Aunque Nínive era como estanque de aguas desde la antigüedad;
Ahora ellos huyen.
«¡Deténganse! ¡Deténganse!»,
Pero nadie se vuelve(L).
9 ¡Saqueen la plata!
¡Saqueen 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(N).
Los corazones se derriten y las rodillas tiemblan(O);
Hay también angustia en todo el cuerpo,
Y los rostros de todos han palidecido(P).
11 ¿Dónde está la guarida de los leones
Y el lugar 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 para sus leonas,
Llenaba de presa sus cuevas
Y de carne desgarrada sus guaridas.
13 «Aquí estoy contra ti(R)», declara el Señor de los ejércitos. «Quemaré y reduciré a humo tus 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
- 2:1 En el texto heb. cap. 2:2.
Nahum 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
1 At this moment on the mountains
the footsteps of one bearing good news,
of one announcing peace!(A)
Celebrate your feasts, Judah,
fulfill your vows!
For never again will destroyers invade you;[a]
they are completely cut off.
The Attack on Nineveh
2 One who scatters has come up against you;[b]
guard the rampart,
Watch the road, brace yourselves,
marshal all your strength!
3 [c]The Lord will restore the vine of Jacob,
the honor of Israel,
Because ravagers have ravaged them
and ruined their branches.
4 The shields of his warriors are crimsoned,
the soldiers clad in scarlet;
Like fire are the trappings of the chariots
on the day he prepares for war;
the cavalry is agitated!
5 The chariots dash madly through the streets
and wheel in the squares,
Looking like torches,
bolting like lightning.
6 His picked troops are called,
ranks break at their charge;
To the wall they rush,
their screen[d] is set up.
7 The river gates[e] are opened,
the palace is washed away.
8 The mistress is led forth captive,
and her maidservants[f] led away,
Moaning like doves,
beating their breasts.
9 Nineveh is like a pool
whose waters escape;
“Stop! Stop!”
but none turns back.(B)
10 “Plunder the silver, plunder the gold!”
There is no end to the treasure,
to wealth in every precious thing!
11 Emptiness, desolation, waste;
melting hearts and trembling knees,
Churning in every stomach,
every face turning pale!(C)
12 Where is the lionesses’ den,
the young lions’ cave,
Where the lion[g] went in and out,
and the cub, with no one to disturb them?(D)
13 The lion tore apart enough for his cubs,
and strangled for his lionesses;
He filled his lairs with prey,
and his dens with torn flesh.
14 I now come against you—
oracle of the Lord of hosts—
I will consume your chariots in smoke,
and the sword will devour your young lions;
Your preying on the land I will bring to an end,
the cry of your lionesses will be heard no more.
Footnotes
- 2:1 For never again will destroyers invade you: prophets are not always absolutely accurate in the things they foresee. Nineveh was destroyed, as Nahum expected, but Judah was later invaded by the Babylonians and (much later) by the Romans. The prophets were convinced that Israel held a key place in God’s plan and looked for the people to survive all catastrophes, always blessed by the Lord, though the manner was not always as they expected; the “fallen hut of David” was not rebuilt as Am 9:11 suggests, except in the coming of Jesus, and in a way far different than the prophet expected. Often the prophet speaks in hyperbole, as when Second Isaiah speaks of the restored Jerusalem being built with precious stones (Is 54:12) as a way of indicating a glorious future.
- 2:2 One who scatters has come up against you: the enemy is about to crush Nineveh, dispersing and deporting its people (v. 8; 3:18).
- 2:3 This verse does not fit its context well; it may have been the conclusion for the preceding section and have once followed v. 1, or it may be a later scribal addition.
- 2:6 Their screen: that is, a mantelet, a movable military shelter protecting the besiegers.
- 2:7 River gates: a network of canals brought water into Nineveh from the Tigris and Khosr Rivers on which the city was located.
- 2:8 Mistress…and her maidservants: either the queen of Nineveh with the ladies of her court, or the city of Nineveh itself, pictured as a noblewoman (3:4).
- 2:12 The lion: the king of Assyria.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.