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Descripción del fin de Nínive

¡Ay de la ciudad sedienta de sangre,
    repleta de mentira,
insaciable en su rapiña,
    aferrada a la presa!
Se oye el chasquido de los látigos,
    el estrépito de las ruedas,
el galopar de los caballos,
    el chirrido de los carros,
la carga de la caballería,
    el fulgor de las espadas,
el centellear de las lanzas,
    la multitud de muertos,
los cuerpos amontonados,
    los cadáveres por doquier,
    en los que todos tropiezan.
¡Y todo por las muchas prostituciones
    de esa ramera de encantos zalameros,
    de esa maestra de la seducción!
Engañó a los pueblos con sus fornicaciones,
    y a los clanes con sus embrujos.

«¡Aquí estoy contra ti!
            —afirma el Señor Todopoderoso—.
Te levantaré la falda hasta la cara,
    para que las naciones vean tu desnudez,
    y los reinos descubran tus vergüenzas.
Te cubriré de inmundicias,
    te ultrajaré y te exhibiré en público.
Todos los que te vean huirán de ti,
    y dirán: “¡Nínive ha sido devastada!
¿Quién hará duelo por ella?”
    ¿Dónde hallaré quien la consuele?»

Destrucción total de Nínive

¿Acaso eres mejor que Tebas,[a]
    ciudad rodeada de aguas,
    asentada junto a las corrientes del Nilo,
que tiene al mar por terraplén
    y a las aguas por muralla?
Cus y Egipto eran su fuerza ilimitada,
    Fut y Libia eran sus aliados.
10 Con todo, Tebas marchó al exilio;
    fue llevada al cautiverio.
A sus hijos los estrellaron
    contra las esquinas de las calles.
Sobre sus nobles echaron suertes,
    y encadenaron a su gente ilustre.

11 También tú, Nínive, te embriagarás,
    y se embotarán tus sentidos.
También tú, por causa del enemigo,
    tendrás que buscar refugio.
12 Todas tus fortalezas son higueras
    cargadas de brevas maduras:
si las sacuden,
    caen en la boca del que se las come.
13 Mira, al enfrentarse al enemigo
    tus tropas se portan como mujeres.
Las puertas de tu país quedarán abiertas de par en par,
    porque el fuego consumirá tus cerrojos.

Defensa inútil

14 Abastécete de agua para el asedio,
    refuerza tus fortificaciones.
Métete al barro, pisa la mezcla
    y moldea los ladrillos.
15 Porque allí mismo te consumirá el fuego
    y te exterminará la espada;
    ¡como larva de langosta te devorará!
Multiplícate como larva,
    reprodúcete como langosta.
16 Aumentaste tus mercaderes
    más que las estrellas del cielo.[b]
17 Tus dignatarios son como langostas
    y tus oficiales, como insectos
    que en días fríos se posan sobre los muros,
pero que al salir el sol desaparecen,
    y nadie sabe dónde hallarlos.

18 Rey de Asiria,
    tus pastores están amodorrados,
    ¡tus tropas escogidas se echaron a dormir!
Tu pueblo anda disperso por los montes,
    y no hay quien lo reúna.
19 Tu herida no tiene remedio;
    tu llaga es incurable.

Todos los que sepan lo que te ha pasado
    celebrarán tu desgracia.
Pues ¿quién no fue víctima
    de tu constante maldad?

Footnotes

  1. 3:8 Tebas. Lit. No Amón.
  2. 3:16 cielo (lectura probable); cielo. La larva se desprende del capullo y vuela (TM).

Woe to Nineveh

Woe to the city of blood,(A)
    full of lies,(B)
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(C)
all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
    alluring, the mistress of sorceries,(D)
who enslaved nations by her prostitution(E)
    and peoples by her witchcraft.

“I am against(F) you,” declares the Lord Almighty.
    “I will lift your skirts(G) over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness(H)
    and the kingdoms your shame.
I will pelt you with filth,(I)
    I will treat you with contempt(J)
    and make you a spectacle.(K)
All who see you will flee(L) from you and say,
    ‘Nineveh(M) is in ruins(N)—who will mourn for her?’(O)
    Where can I find anyone to comfort(P) you?”

Are you better than(Q) Thebes,(R)
    situated on the Nile,(S)
    with water around her?
The river was her defense,
    the waters her wall.
Cush[a](T) and Egypt were her boundless strength;
    Put(U) and Libya(V) were among her allies.
10 Yet she was taken captive(W)
    and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed(X) to pieces
    at every street corner.
Lots(Y) were cast for her nobles,
    and all her great men were put in chains.(Z)
11 You too will become drunk;(AA)
    you will go into hiding(AB)
    and seek refuge from the enemy.

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

14 Draw water for the siege,(AH)
    strengthen your defenses!(AI)
Work the clay,
    tread the mortar,
    repair the brickwork!
15 There the fire(AJ) will consume you;
    the sword(AK) will cut you down—
    they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
    multiply like locusts!(AL)
16 You have increased the number of your merchants
    till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
but like locusts(AM) they strip the land
    and then fly away.
17 Your guards are like locusts,(AN)
    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[b] slumber;(AO)
    your nobles lie down to rest.(AP)
Your people are scattered(AQ) on the mountains
    with no one to gather them.
19 Nothing can heal you;(AR)
    your wound is fatal.
All who hear the news about you
    clap their hands(AS) at your fall,
for who has not felt
    your endless cruelty?(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 3:9 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Nahum 3:18 That is, rulers

The Woe of Nineveh

Woe to the (A)bloody city!
It is all full of lies and robbery.
Its [a]victim never departs.
The noise of a whip
And the noise of rattling wheels,
Of galloping horses,
Of [b]clattering chariots!
Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear.
There is a multitude of slain,
A great number of bodies,
Countless corpses—
They stumble over the corpses—
Because of the multitude of [c]harlotries of the [d]seductive harlot,
(B)The mistress of sorceries,
Who sells nations through her harlotries,
And families through her sorceries.

“Behold, I am (C)against you,” says the Lord of hosts;
(D)“I will lift your skirts over your face,
I will show the nations your nakedness,
And the kingdoms your shame.
I will cast abominable filth upon you,
Make you (E)vile,[e]
And make you (F)a spectacle.
It shall come to pass that all who look upon you
(G)Will flee from you, and say,
(H)‘Nineveh is laid waste!
(I)Who will bemoan her?’
Where shall I seek comforters for you?”

(J)Are you better than (K)No[f] Amon
That was situated by the [g]River,
That had the waters around her,
Whose rampart was the sea,
Whose wall was the sea?
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength,
And it was boundless;
(L)Put and Lubim were [h]your helpers.
10 Yet she was carried away,
She went into captivity;
(M)Her young children also were dashed to pieces
(N)At the head of every street;
They (O)cast lots for her honorable men,
And all her great men were bound in chains.
11 You also will be (P)drunk;
You will be hidden;
You also will seek refuge from the enemy.

12 All your strongholds are (Q)fig trees with ripened figs:
If they are shaken,
They fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Surely, (R)your people in your midst are women!
The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies;
Fire shall devour the (S)bars of your gates.

14 Draw your water for the siege!
(T)Fortify your strongholds!
Go into the clay and tread the mortar!
Make strong the brick kiln!
15 There the fire will devour you,
The sword will cut you off;
It will eat you up like a (U)locust.

Make yourself many—like the locust!
Make yourself many—like the swarming locusts!
16 You have multiplied your (V)merchants more than the stars of heaven.
The locust plunders and flies away.
17 (W)Your commanders are like swarming locusts,
And your generals like great grasshoppers,
Which camp in the hedges on a cold day;
When the sun rises they flee away,
And the place where they are is not known.

18 (X)Your shepherds slumber, O (Y)king of Assyria;
Your nobles rest in the dust.
Your people are (Z)scattered on the mountains,
And no one gathers them.
19 Your injury has no healing,
(AA)Your wound is severe.
(AB)All who hear news of you
Will clap their hands over you,
For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 3:1 Lit. prey
  2. Nahum 3:2 bounding or jolting
  3. Nahum 3:4 Spiritual unfaithfulness
  4. Nahum 3:4 Lit. goodly charm, in a bad sense
  5. Nahum 3:6 despicable
  6. Nahum 3:8 Ancient Thebes; Tg., Vg. populous Alexandria
  7. Nahum 3:8 Lit. rivers, the Nile and the surrounding canals
  8. Nahum 3:9 LXX her

Woe to Nineveh

Woe to (A)the bloody city,
    all full of lies and plunder—
    (B)no end to the prey!
The crack of the whip, and (C)rumble of the wheel,
    (D)galloping horse and (E)bounding chariot!
Horsemen charging,
    flashing sword and (F)glittering spear,
(G)hosts of slain,
    heaps of corpses,
dead bodies without end—
    they stumble over the bodies!
And all for the countless whorings of the (H)prostitute,
    (I)graceful and of deadly charms,
who betrays nations with her whorings,
    and peoples with her charms.

(J)Behold, I am against you,
    declares the Lord of hosts,
    and (K)will lift up your skirts over your face;
and I will make nations look at (L)your nakedness
    and kingdoms at your shame.
I will throw filth at you
    and (M)treat you with contempt
    and make you (N)a spectacle.
And all who look at you (O)will shrink from you and say,
“Wasted is (P)Nineveh; (Q)who will grieve for her?”
    (R)Where shall I seek comforters for you?

(S)Are you better than (T)Thebes[a]
    that sat (U)by the Nile,
with water around her,
    her rampart a sea,
    and water her wall?
(V)Cush was her strength;
    Egypt too, and that without limit;
    (W)Put and the (X)Libyans were her[b] helpers.

10 (Y)Yet she became an exile;
    she went into captivity;
(Z)her infants were dashed in pieces
    at the head of every street;
for her honored men (AA)lots were cast,
    (AB)and all her great men were bound in chains.
11 (AC)You also will be drunken;
    you will go into hiding;
(AD)you will seek a refuge from the enemy.
12 All your fortresses are (AE)like fig trees
    with first-ripe figs—
if shaken they fall
    into the mouth of the eater.
13 Behold, your troops
    (AF)are women in your midst.
The gates of your land
    are wide open to your enemies;
    fire has devoured your bars.

14 (AG)Draw water for the siege;
    (AH)strengthen your forts;
go into the clay;
    tread the mortar;
    take hold of the brick mold!
15 There will the fire devour you;
    the sword will cut you off.
    It will (AI)devour you (AJ)like the locust.
Multiply yourselves (AK)like the locust;
    multiply (AL)like the grasshopper!
16 You increased (AM)your merchants
    more than the stars of the heavens.
    (AN)The locust spreads its wings and flies away.

17 Your (AO)princes[c] are (AP)like grasshoppers,
    (AQ)your scribes[d] like clouds of locusts
settling on the fences
    in a day of cold—
when the sun rises, they fly away;
    no one knows where they are.

18 Your shepherds (AR)are asleep,
    O king of Assyria;
    (AS)your nobles slumber.
Your people (AT)are scattered on the mountains
    with none to gather them.
19 There is no easing your hurt;
    (AU)your wound is grievous.
All who hear the news about you
    (AV)clap their hands over you.
For (AW)upon whom has not come
    your unceasing evil?

Footnotes

  1. Nahum 3:8 Hebrew No-amon
  2. Nahum 3:9 Hebrew your
  3. Nahum 3:17 Or guards
  4. Nahum 3:17 Or marshals