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Bible in 90 Days

An intensive Bible reading plan that walks through the entire Bible in 90 days.
Duration: 88 days
New International Version (NIV)
Version
Amos 9:11 - Nahum 3:19

Israel’s Restoration

11 “In that day

“I will restore David’s(A) fallen shelter(B)
    I will repair its broken walls
    and restore its ruins(C)
    and will rebuild it as it used to be,(D)
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom(E)
    and all the nations that bear my name,[a](F)
declares the Lord, who will do these things.(G)

13 “The days are coming,”(H) declares the Lord,

“when the reaper(I) will be overtaken by the plowman(J)
    and the planter by the one treading(K) grapes.
New wine(L) will drip from the mountains
    and flow from all the hills,(M)
14     and I will bring(N) my people Israel back from exile.[b](O)

“They will rebuild the ruined cities(P) and live in them.
    They will plant vineyards(Q) and drink their wine;
    they will make gardens and eat their fruit.(R)
15 I will plant(S) Israel in their own land,(T)
    never again to be uprooted(U)
    from the land I have given them,”(V)

says the Lord your God.(W)

Obadiah’s Vision(X)(Y)

The vision(Z) of Obadiah.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom(AA)

We have heard a message from the Lord:
    An envoy(AB) was sent to the nations to say,
“Rise, let us go against her for battle”(AC)

“See, I will make you small(AD) among the nations;
    you will be utterly despised.
The pride(AE) of your heart has deceived you,
    you who live in the clefts of the rocks[c](AF)
    and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
    ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’(AG)
Though you soar like the eagle
    and make your nest(AH) among the stars,
    from there I will bring you down,”(AI)
declares the Lord.(AJ)
“If thieves came to you,
    if robbers in the night—
oh, what a disaster awaits you!—
    would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
    would they not leave a few grapes?(AK)
But how Esau will be ransacked,
    his hidden treasures pillaged!
All your allies(AL) will force you to the border;
    your friends will deceive and overpower you;
those who eat your bread(AM) will set a trap for you,[d]
    but you will not detect it.

“In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “will I not destroy(AN) the wise men of Edom,
    those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
Your warriors, Teman,(AO) will be terrified,
    and everyone in Esau’s mountains
    will be cut down in the slaughter.
10 Because of the violence(AP) against your brother Jacob,(AQ)
    you will be covered with shame;
    you will be destroyed forever.(AR)
11 On the day you stood aloof
    while strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
    and cast lots(AS) for Jerusalem,
    you were like one of them.(AT)
12 You should not gloat(AU) over your brother
    in the day of his misfortune,(AV)
nor rejoice(AW) over the people of Judah
    in the day of their destruction,(AX)
nor boast(AY) so much
    in the day of their trouble.(AZ)
13 You should not march through the gates of my people
    in the day of their disaster,
nor gloat over them in their calamity(BA)
    in the day of their disaster,
nor seize their wealth
    in the day of their disaster.
14 You should not wait at the crossroads
    to cut down their fugitives,(BB)
nor hand over their survivors
    in the day of their trouble.

15 “The day of the Lord is near(BC)
    for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
    your deeds(BD) will return upon your own head.
16 Just as you drank(BE) on my holy hill,(BF)
    so all the nations will drink(BG) continually;
they will drink and drink
    and be as if they had never been.(BH)
17 But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;(BI)
    it will be holy,(BJ)
    and Jacob will possess his inheritance.(BK)
18 Jacob will be a fire
    and Joseph a flame;
Esau will be stubble,
    and they will set him on fire(BL) and destroy(BM) him.
There will be no survivors(BN)
    from Esau.”
The Lord has spoken.

19 People from the Negev will occupy
    the mountains of Esau,
and people from the foothills will possess
    the land of the Philistines.(BO)
They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,(BP)
    and Benjamin(BQ) will possess Gilead.
20 This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan
    will possess the land as far as Zarephath;(BR)
the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
    will possess the towns of the Negev.(BS)
21 Deliverers(BT) will go up on[e] Mount Zion
    to govern the mountains of Esau.
    And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.(BU)

Jonah Flees From the Lord

The word of the Lord came to Jonah(BV) son of Amittai:(BW) “Go to the great city of Nineveh(BX) and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah ran(BY) away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish(BZ). He went down to Joppa,(CA) where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.(CB)

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.(CC) All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.(CD)

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call(CE) on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”(CF)

Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.”(CG) They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.(CH) So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord,(CI) the God of heaven,(CJ) who made the sea(CK) and the dry land.(CL)

10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”(CM)

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.(CN) 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man,(CO) for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”(CP) 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.(CQ) 16 At this the men greatly feared(CR) the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows(CS) to him.

Jonah’s Prayer

17 Now the Lord provided(CT) a huge fish to swallow Jonah,(CU) and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. [f]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said:

“In my distress I called(CV) to the Lord,(CW)
    and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead(CX) I called for help,
    and you listened to my cry.
You hurled me into the depths,(CY)
    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves(CZ) and breakers
    swept over me.(DA)
I said, ‘I have been banished
    from your sight;(DB)
yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.’(DC)
The engulfing waters threatened me,[g]
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.(DD)
To the roots of the mountains(DE) I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.(DF)

“When my life was ebbing away,
    I remembered(DG) you, Lord,
and my prayer(DH) rose to you,
    to your holy temple.(DI)

“Those who cling to worthless idols(DJ)
    turn away from God’s love for them.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise,(DK)
    will sacrifice(DL) to you.
What I have vowed(DM) I will make good.
    I will say, ‘Salvation(DN) comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah(DO) a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming,(DP) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.(DQ)

When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.(DR) This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.(DS) But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call(DT) urgently on God. Let them give up(DU) their evil ways(DV) and their violence.(DW) Who knows?(DX) God may yet relent(DY) and with compassion turn(DZ) from his fierce anger(EA) so that we will not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented(EB) and did not bring on them the destruction(EC) he had threatened.(ED)

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.(EE) He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew(EF) that you are a gracious(EG) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,(EH) a God who relents(EI) from sending calamity.(EJ) Now, Lord, take away my life,(EK) for it is better for me to die(EL) than to live.”(EM)

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”(EN)

Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God provided(EO) a leafy plant[h] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.(EP) When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die,(EQ) and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”(ER)

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern(ES) for the great city of Nineveh,(ET) in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth(EU) during the reigns of Jotham,(EV) Ahaz(EW) and Hezekiah,(EX) kings of Judah(EY)—the vision(EZ) he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.

Hear,(FA) you peoples, all of you,(FB)
    listen, earth(FC) and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness(FD) against you,
    the Lord from his holy temple.(FE)

Judgment Against Samaria and Jerusalem

Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling(FF) place;
    he comes down(FG) and treads on the heights of the earth.(FH)
The mountains melt(FI) beneath him(FJ)
    and the valleys split apart,(FK)
like wax before the fire,
    like water rushing down a slope.
All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
    because of the sins of the people of Israel.
What is Jacob’s transgression?
    Is it not Samaria?(FL)
What is Judah’s high place?
    Is it not Jerusalem?

“Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble,
    a place for planting vineyards.(FM)
I will pour her stones(FN) into the valley
    and lay bare her foundations.(FO)
All her idols(FP) will be broken to pieces;(FQ)
    all her temple gifts will be burned with fire;
    I will destroy all her images.(FR)
Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes,(FS)
    as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Weeping and Mourning

Because of this I will weep(FT) and wail;
    I will go about barefoot(FU) and naked.
I will howl like a jackal
    and moan like an owl.
For Samaria’s plague(FV) is incurable;(FW)
    it has spread to Judah.(FX)
It has reached the very gate(FY) of my people,
    even to Jerusalem itself.
10 Tell it not in Gath[i];
    weep not at all.
In Beth Ophrah[j]
    roll in the dust.
11 Pass by naked(FZ) and in shame,
    you who live in Shaphir.[k]
Those who live in Zaanan[l]
    will not come out.
Beth Ezel is in mourning;
    it no longer protects you.
12 Those who live in Maroth[m] writhe in pain,
    waiting for relief,(GA)
because disaster(GB) has come from the Lord,
    even to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 You who live in Lachish,(GC)
    harness fast horses to the chariot.
You are where the sin of Daughter Zion(GD) began,
    for the transgressions of Israel were found in you.
14 Therefore you will give parting gifts(GE)
    to Moresheth(GF) Gath.
The town of Akzib[n](GG) will prove deceptive(GH)
    to the kings of Israel.
15 I will bring a conqueror against you
    who live in Mareshah.[o](GI)
The nobles of Israel
    will flee to Adullam.(GJ)
16 Shave(GK) your head in mourning
    for the children in whom you delight;
make yourself as bald as the vulture,
    for they will go from you into exile.(GL)

Human Plans and God’s Plans

Woe to those who plan iniquity,
    to those who plot evil(GM) on their beds!(GN)
At morning’s light they carry it out
    because it is in their power to do it.
They covet fields(GO) and seize them,(GP)
    and houses, and take them.
They defraud(GQ) people of their homes,
    they rob them of their inheritance.(GR)

Therefore, the Lord says:

“I am planning disaster(GS) against this people,
    from which you cannot save yourselves.
You will no longer walk proudly,(GT)
    for it will be a time of calamity.
In that day people will ridicule you;
    they will taunt you with this mournful song:
‘We are utterly ruined;(GU)
    my people’s possession is divided up.(GV)
He takes it from me!
    He assigns our fields to traitors.’”

Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord
    to divide the land(GW) by lot.(GX)

False Prophets

“Do not prophesy,” their prophets say.
    “Do not prophesy about these things;
    disgrace(GY) will not overtake us.(GZ)
You descendants of Jacob, should it be said,
    “Does the Lord become[p] impatient?
    Does he do such things?”

“Do not my words do good(HA)
    to the one whose ways are upright?(HB)
Lately my people have risen up
    like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
    from those who pass by without a care,
    like men returning from battle.
You drive the women of my people
    from their pleasant homes.(HC)
You take away my blessing
    from their children forever.
10 Get up, go away!
    For this is not your resting place,(HD)
because it is defiled,(HE)
    it is ruined, beyond all remedy.
11 If a liar and deceiver(HF) comes and says,
    ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’(HG)
    that would be just the prophet for this people!(HH)

Deliverance Promised

12 “I will surely gather all of you, Jacob;
    I will surely bring together the remnant(HI) of Israel.
I will bring them together like sheep in a pen,
    like a flock in its pasture;
    the place will throng with people.(HJ)
13 The One who breaks open the way will go up before(HK) them;
    they will break through the gate(HL) and go out.
Their King will pass through before them,
    the Lord at their head.”

Leaders and Prophets Rebuked

Then I said,

“Listen, you leaders(HM) of Jacob,
    you rulers of Israel.
Should you not embrace justice,
    you who hate good and love evil;
who tear the skin from my people
    and the flesh from their bones;(HN)
who eat my people’s flesh,(HO)
    strip off their skin
    and break their bones in pieces;(HP)
who chop(HQ) them up like meat for the pan,
    like flesh for the pot?(HR)

Then they will cry out to the Lord,
    but he will not answer them.(HS)
At that time he will hide his face(HT) from them
    because of the evil they have done.(HU)

This is what the Lord says:

“As for the prophets
    who lead my people astray,(HV)
they proclaim ‘peace’(HW)
    if they have something to eat,
but prepare to wage war against anyone
    who refuses to feed them.
Therefore night will come over you, without visions,
    and darkness, without divination.(HX)
The sun will set for the prophets,(HY)
    and the day will go dark for them.(HZ)
The seers will be ashamed(IA)
    and the diviners disgraced.(IB)
They will all cover(IC) their faces(ID)
    because there is no answer from God.(IE)
But as for me, I am filled with power,
    with the Spirit of the Lord,
    and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
    to Israel his sin.(IF)

Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
    you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
    and distort all that is right;(IG)
10 who build(IH) Zion with bloodshed,(II)
    and Jerusalem with wickedness.(IJ)
11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(IK)
    her priests teach for a price,(IL)
    and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(IM)
Yet they look(IN) for the Lord’s support and say,
    “Is not the Lord among us?
    No disaster will come upon us.”(IO)
12 Therefore because of you,
    Zion will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble,(IP)
    the temple(IQ) hill a mound overgrown with thickets.(IR)

The Mountain of the Lord(IS)

In the last days

the mountain(IT) of the Lord’s temple will be established
    as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,(IU)
    and peoples will stream to it.(IV)

Many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,(IW)
    to the temple of the God of Jacob.(IX)
He will teach us(IY) his ways,(IZ)
    so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law(JA) will go out from Zion,
    the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
    and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.(JB)
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.(JC)
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war(JD) anymore.(JE)
Everyone will sit under their own vine
    and under their own fig tree,(JF)
and no one will make them afraid,(JG)
    for the Lord Almighty has spoken.(JH)
All the nations may walk
    in the name of their gods,(JI)
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
    our God for ever and ever.(JJ)

The Lord’s Plan

“In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will gather the lame;(JK)
    I will assemble the exiles(JL)
    and those I have brought to grief.(JM)
I will make the lame my remnant,(JN)
    those driven away a strong nation.(JO)
The Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion(JP)
    from that day and forever.(JQ)
As for you, watchtower of the flock,
    stronghold[q] of Daughter Zion,
the former dominion will be restored(JR) to you;
    kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem.(JS)

Why do you now cry aloud—
    have you no king[r](JT)?
Has your ruler[s] perished,
    that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor?(JU)
10 Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion,
    like a woman in labor,
for now you must leave the city
    to camp in the open field.
You will go to Babylon;(JV)
    there you will be rescued.
There the Lord will redeem(JW) you
    out of the hand of your enemies.

11 But now many nations
    are gathered against you.
They say, “Let her be defiled,
    let our eyes gloat(JX) over Zion!”
12 But they do not know
    the thoughts of the Lord;
they do not understand his plan,(JY)
    that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 “Rise and thresh,(JZ) Daughter Zion,
    for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
    and you will break to pieces many nations.”(KA)
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,(KB)
    their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem

[t]Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
    for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
    on the cheek(KC) with a rod.

“But you, Bethlehem(KD) Ephrathah,(KE)
    though you are small among the clans[u] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler(KF) over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,(KG)
    from ancient times.”(KH)

Therefore Israel will be abandoned(KI)
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

He will stand and shepherd his flock(KJ)
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness(KK)
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be our peace(KL)
    when the Assyrians invade(KM) our land
    and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
    even eight commanders,(KN)
who will rule[v] the land of Assyria with the sword,
    the land of Nimrod(KO) with drawn sword.[w](KP)
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
    when they invade our land
    and march across our borders.(KQ)

The remnant(KR) of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew(KS) from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,(KT)
which do not wait for anyone
    or depend on man.
The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
    in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,(KU)
    like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(KV) as it goes,
    and no one can rescue.(KW)
Your hand will be lifted up(KX) in triumph over your enemies,
    and all your foes will be destroyed.

10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“I will destroy your horses from among you
    and demolish your chariots.(KY)
11 I will destroy the cities(KZ) of your land
    and tear down all your strongholds.(LA)
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
    and you will no longer cast spells.(LB)
13 I will destroy your idols(LC)
    and your sacred stones from among you;(LD)
you will no longer bow down
    to the work of your hands.(LE)
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles[x](LF)
    when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance(LG) in anger and wrath
    on the nations that have not obeyed me.”

The Lord’s Case Against Israel

Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;(LH)
    let the hills hear what you have to say.

“Hear,(LI) you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;(LJ)
    listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.
For the Lord has a case(LK) against his people;
    he is lodging a charge(LL) against Israel.

“My people, what have I done to you?
    How have I burdened(LM) you?(LN) Answer me.
I brought you up out of Egypt(LO)
    and redeemed you from the land of slavery.(LP)
I sent Moses(LQ) to lead you,
    also Aaron(LR) and Miriam.(LS)
My people, remember
    what Balak(LT) king of Moab plotted
    and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
Remember your journey from Shittim(LU) to Gilgal,(LV)
    that you may know the righteous acts(LW) of the Lord.”

With what shall I come before(LX) the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?(LY)
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,(LZ)
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?(MA)
Shall I offer my firstborn(MB) for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?(MC)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly(MD) and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[y](ME) with your God.(MF)

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Listen! The Lord is calling to the city—
    and to fear your name is wisdom—
    “Heed the rod(MG) and the One who appointed it.[z]
10 Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house,
    and the short ephah,[aa] which is accursed?(MH)
11 Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales,(MI)
    with a bag of false weights?(MJ)
12 Your rich people are violent;(MK)
    your inhabitants are liars(ML)
    and their tongues speak deceitfully.(MM)
13 Therefore, I have begun to destroy(MN) you,
    to ruin[ab] you because of your sins.
14 You will eat but not be satisfied;(MO)
    your stomach will still be empty.[ac]
You will store up but save nothing,(MP)
    because what you save[ad] I will give to the sword.
15 You will plant but not harvest;(MQ)
    you will press olives but not use the oil,
    you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.(MR)
16 You have observed the statutes of Omri(MS)
    and all the practices of Ahab’s(MT) house;
    you have followed their traditions.(MU)
Therefore I will give you over to ruin(MV)
    and your people to derision;
    you will bear the scorn(MW) of the nations.[ae]

Israel’s Misery

What misery is mine!
I am like one who gathers summer fruit
    at the gleaning of the vineyard;
there is no cluster of grapes to eat,
    none of the early figs(MX) that I crave.
The faithful have been swept from the land;(MY)
    not one(MZ) upright person remains.
Everyone lies in wait(NA) to shed blood;(NB)
    they hunt each other(NC) with nets.(ND)
Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(NE)
    the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(NF)
    the powerful dictate what they desire—
    they all conspire together.
The best of them is like a brier,(NG)
    the most upright worse than a thorn(NH) hedge.
The day God visits you has come,
    the day your watchmen sound the alarm.
    Now is the time of your confusion.(NI)
Do not trust a neighbor;
    put no confidence in a friend.(NJ)
Even with the woman who lies in your embrace
    guard the words of your lips.
For a son dishonors his father,
    a daughter rises up against her mother,(NK)
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
    a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.(NL)

But as for me, I watch(NM) in hope(NN) for the Lord,
    I wait for God my Savior;
    my God will hear(NO) me.

Israel Will Rise

Do not gloat over me,(NP) my enemy!
    Though I have fallen, I will rise.(NQ)
Though I sit in darkness,
    the Lord will be my light.(NR)
Because I have sinned against him,
    I will bear the Lord’s wrath,(NS)
until he pleads my case(NT)
    and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;(NU)
    I will see his righteousness.(NV)
10 Then my enemy will see it
    and will be covered with shame,(NW)
she who said to me,
    “Where is the Lord your God?”(NX)
My eyes will see her downfall;(NY)
    even now she will be trampled(NZ) underfoot
    like mire in the streets.

11 The day for building your walls(OA) will come,
    the day for extending your boundaries.
12 In that day people will come to you
    from Assyria(OB) and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates
    and from sea to sea
    and from mountain to mountain.(OC)
13 The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
    as the result of their deeds.(OD)

Prayer and Praise

14 Shepherd(OE) your people with your staff,(OF)
    the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
    in fertile pasturelands.[af](OG)
Let them feed in Bashan(OH) and Gilead(OI)
    as in days long ago.(OJ)

15 “As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
    I will show them my wonders.(OK)

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,(OL)
    deprived of all their power.
They will put their hands over their mouths(OM)
    and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust(ON) like a snake,
    like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling(OO) out of their dens;
    they will turn in fear(OP) to the Lord our God
    and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God(OQ) like you,
    who pardons sin(OR) and forgives(OS) the transgression
    of the remnant(OT) of his inheritance?(OU)
You do not stay angry(OV) forever
    but delight to show mercy.(OW)
19 You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities(OX) into the depths of the sea.(OY)
20 You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,(OZ)
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors(PA)
    in days long ago.(PB)

A prophecy(PC) concerning Nineveh.(PD) The book of the vision(PE) of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

The Lord is a jealous(PF) and avenging God;
    the Lord takes vengeance(PG) and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
    and vents his wrath against his enemies.(PH)
The Lord is slow to anger(PI) but great in power;
    the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.(PJ)
His way is in the whirlwind(PK) and the storm,(PL)
    and clouds(PM) are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes(PN) the sea and dries it up;(PO)
    he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel(PP) wither
    and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
The mountains quake(PQ) before him
    and the hills melt away.(PR)
The earth trembles(PS) at his presence,
    the world and all who live in it.(PT)
Who can withstand(PU) his indignation?
    Who can endure(PV) his fierce anger?(PW)
His wrath is poured out like fire;(PX)
    the rocks are shattered(PY) before him.

The Lord is good,(PZ)
    a refuge in times of trouble.(QA)
He cares for(QB) those who trust in him,(QC)
    but with an overwhelming flood(QD)
he will make an end of Nineveh;
    he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

Whatever they plot(QE) against the Lord
    he will bring[ag] to an end;
    trouble will not come a second time.
10 They will be entangled among thorns(QF)
    and drunk(QG) from their wine;
    they will be consumed like dry stubble.[ah](QH)
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(QI) and pass away.
Although I have afflicted you, Judah,
    I will afflict you no more.(QJ)
13 Now I will break their yoke(QK) from your neck
    and tear your shackles away.”(QL)

14 The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh:
    “You will have no descendants to bear your name.(QM)
I will destroy the images(QN) and idols
    that are in the temple of your gods.
I will prepare your grave,(QO)
    for you are vile.”

15 Look, there on the mountains,
    the feet of one who brings good news,(QP)
    who proclaims peace!(QQ)
Celebrate your festivals,(QR) Judah,
    and fulfill your vows.
No more will the wicked invade you;(QS)
    they will be completely destroyed.[ai]

Nineveh to Fall

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

The Lord will restore(QU) the splendor(QV) 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.(QW)
The metal on the chariots flashes
    on the day they are made ready;
    the spears of juniper are brandished.[ak]
The chariots(QX) 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(QY) on their way.
They dash to the city wall;
    the protective shield is put in place.
The river gates(QZ) are thrown open
    and the palace collapses.
It is decreed[al] that Nineveh
    be exiled and carried away.
Her female slaves moan(RA) like doves
    and beat on their breasts.(RB)
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,(RC) knees give way,
    bodies tremble, every face grows pale.(RD)

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

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

Woe to Nineveh

Woe to the city of blood,(RM)
    full of lies,(RN)
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(RO)
all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
    alluring, the mistress of sorceries,(RP)
who enslaved nations by her prostitution(RQ)
    and peoples by her witchcraft.

“I am against(RR) you,” declares the Lord Almighty.
    “I will lift your skirts(RS) over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness(RT)
    and the kingdoms your shame.
I will pelt you with filth,(RU)
    I will treat you with contempt(RV)
    and make you a spectacle.(RW)
All who see you will flee(RX) from you and say,
    ‘Nineveh(RY) is in ruins(RZ)—who will mourn for her?’(SA)
    Where can I find anyone to comfort(SB) you?”

Are you better than(SC) Thebes,(SD)
    situated on the Nile,(SE)
    with water around her?
The river was her defense,
    the waters her wall.
Cush[am](SF) and Egypt were her boundless strength;
    Put(SG) and Libya(SH) were among her allies.
10 Yet she was taken captive(SI)
    and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed(SJ) to pieces
    at every street corner.
Lots(SK) were cast for her nobles,
    and all her great men were put in chains.(SL)
11 You too will become drunk;(SM)
    you will go into hiding(SN)
    and seek refuge from the enemy.

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

14 Draw water for the siege,(ST)
    strengthen your defenses!(SU)
Work the clay,
    tread the mortar,
    repair the brickwork!
15 There the fire(SV) will consume you;
    the sword(SW) will cut you down—
    they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
    multiply like locusts!(SX)
16 You have increased the number of your merchants
    till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
but like locusts(SY) they strip the land
    and then fly away.
17 Your guards are like locusts,(SZ)
    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[an] slumber;(TA)
    your nobles lie down to rest.(TB)
Your people are scattered(TC) on the mountains
    with no one to gather them.
19 Nothing can heal you;(TD)
    your wound is fatal.
All who hear the news about you
    clap their hands(TE) at your fall,
for who has not felt
    your endless cruelty?(TF)

New International Version (NIV)

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