1  THE BURDEN of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

1  THE wound of Nineveh, which is in the book of the visions of Nahum the Alkoshite.

2  YHWH is a jealous and avenging God, YHWH avengeth and is full of wrath; the YHWH taketh vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies.

2  God is a rival, and the Lord is avenging. The Lord is avenging, and one who applies wrath. The Lord is avenging with his enemies, and he becomes angry with his adversaries.

2  God is zealous, and the LORD is avenging; the LORD is avenging and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserves wrath for his enemies.

3  YHWH is long-suffering, and great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty; YHWH, in the whirlwind and in the storm is His way, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.

3  The Lord is long-suffering, and his power is great, and the Lord will not hold any guiltless: his way is in destruction and in the whirlwind, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

3  The Lord is patient and great in strength, and those who are not clean, he makes innocent. The Lord is in a tempest, and his way is a whirlwind, and the clouds are dust at his feet.

4  He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers; Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.

4  He threatens the sea, and dries it up, and exhausts all the rivers: the land of Basan, and Carmel are brought low, and the flourishing trees of Libanus have come to nought.

4  He is the one who rebukes the sea, and who dries it up, and who leads all the rivers to the desert. Basan has been weakened, and also Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon has languished.

5  The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

5  The mountains have trembled before him, and the hills have become desolate, and the earth has quaked before his face, both the world and all that dwells in it.

6  Who can stand before His indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder before Him.

6  Who shall stand before his anger? and who shall withstand in the anger of his wrath? his wrath brings to nought kingdoms, and the rocks are burst asunder by him.

6  Who can stand firm before the face of his indignation? And who can continue against the fury of his wrath? His indignation has broken out like a fire, and the rocks have been dissolved before him.

7  YHWH is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that take refuge in Him.

7  The Lord is good to them that wait on him in the day of affliction; and he knows them that reverence him.

7  The Lord is good, and a comforter in the day of tribulation, and he knows those who hope in him.

8  But with an overrunning flood He will make a full end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue His enemies.

8  And in the flood that passes over, he brings to consummation the end of his place. And darkness shall pursue his adversaries.

9  What do ye devise against YHWH? He will make a full end; trouble shall not rise up the second time.

9  What are you thinking up against the Lord? He will accomplish the consummation. There shall not rise up a double tribulation.

9  What do you imagine against the LORD? He will make an utter end; affliction shall not rise up the second time.

10  For though they be like tangled thorns, and be drunken according to their drink, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

10  For just as thorns entwine one another, so also, while they are feasting and drinking together, they will be consumed like stubble that is completely dry.

10  Because from the lowest among them up to their rulers they are rebellious, they stagger in their drunkenness; they have eaten and are filled with dry rubbish.

11  Out of thee came he forth, that deviseth evil against YHWH, that counselleth wickedness.

11  Out of thee shall proceed a device against the Lord, counselling evil things hostile to him.

11  Out of you will go forth one who thinks up evil against the Lord, dragging betrayals through his mind.

12  Thus saith YHWH: Though they be in full strength, and likewise many, even so shall they be cut down, and he shall pass away; and though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.

12  Thus saith the Lord who rules over many waters, Even thus shall they be sent away, and the report of thee shall not be heard any more.

13  And now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.

13  For now I will break his yoke from off you, and will burst your bonds asunder.

14  And YHWH hath given commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown; out of the house of thy god will I cut off the graven image and the molten image; I will make thy grave; for thou art become worthless.

14  And the Lord shall give a command concerning thee; there shall no more of thy name be scattered: I will utterly destroy the graven images out of the house of thy god, and the molten images: I will make thy grave; for they are swift.

14  And the Lord will place a commandment over you; nothing more from your name will be sown. From the house of your God, I will order destroyed the graven image and the molten image. I will prepare your grave, because you are not honorable.

15  Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that announceth peace! Keep thy feasts, O Judah, perform thy vows; for the wicked one shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

15  Behold, over the mountains, the feet of the Evangelizer and the Announcer of peace. Judah, celebrate your festivals and keep your vows. For Belial will never again pass through you; he has completely passed away.

2:1  A maul is come up before thy face; guard the defences, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily!--

1  It is all over with him, he has been removed, one who has been delivered from affliction has come up panting into thy presence, watch the way, strengthen thy loins, be very valiant in thy strength.

2:2  For YHWH restoreth the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine-branches.--

2  For the Lord has turned aside the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel: for they have utterly rejected them, and have destroyed their branches.

2  For the LORD will restore the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the oppressors have trampled upon them and destroyed their branches.

2:3  The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet; the chariots are fire of steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress spears are made to quiver.

3  They have destroyed the arms of their power from among men, their mighty men sporting with fire: the reins of their chariots shall be destroyed in the day of his preparation, and the horsemen shall be thrown into confusion

3  The shields of their mighty men are red, the valiant men parade with flaming torches and in chariots in the day of their preparation, and the horsemen are terrifying.

2:4  The chariots rush madly in the streets, they jostle one against another in the broad places; the appearance of them is like torches, they run to and fro like the lightnings.

4  in the ways, and the chariots shall clash together, and shall be entangled in each other in the broad ways: their appearance is as lamps of fire, and as gleaming lightnings.

4  In the streets they sing praises and glory in their chariots, their appearance is like torches; they run like lightning.

2:5  He bethinketh himself of his worthies; they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared.

5  And their mighty men shall bethink themselves and flee by day; and they shall be weak as they go; and they shall hasten to her walls, and shall prepare their defences.

5  He will call to mind his strong ones; they will destroy along their journey. They will quickly ascend its walls, and a shelter will be prepared.

2:6  The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.

6  The gates of the cities have been opened, and the palaces have fallen into ruin,

6  The city gates are opened and the palace trembles.

2:7  And the queen is uncovered, she is carried away, and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.

2:8  But Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water; yet they flee away; 'Stand, stand'; but none looketh back.

8  And as for Nineve, her waters shall be as a pool of water: and they fled, and staid not, and there was none to look back.

8  And Nineveh is like a lake, and she is situated by the waters; her warriors flee away. Make a stand, make a stand, their officers cry; but none turns back.

2:9  Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is no end of the store, rich with all precious vessels.

9  They plundered the silver, they plundered the gold, and there was no end of their adorning; they were loaded with it upon all their pleasant vessels.

2:10  She is empty, and void, and waste; and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and convulsion is in all loins, and the faces of them all have gathered blackness.

10  There is thrusting forth, and shaking, and tumult, and heart-breaking, and loosing of knees, and pangs on all loins; and the faces of all are as the blackening of a pot.

10  She has been scattered, and cut, and torn apart. And the heart melts, and the knees buckle, and weakness is in every temperament. And the faces of them all are like a black kettle.

2:11  Where is the den of the lions, which was the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?

2:12  The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with prey, and his dens with ravin.

12  The lion seized enough prey for his whelps, and strangled for his young lions, and filled his lair with prey, and his dwelling-place with spoil.

2:13  Behold, I am against thee, saith YHWH 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.

13  Behold, I will come to you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots even to smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. And I will exterminate your prey from the land, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.

3:2  Hark! the whip, and hark! the rattling of the wheels; and prancing horses, and bounding chariots;

2  The noise of whips, and the noise of the rumbling of wheels, and of the pursuing horse, and of the bounding chariot,

2  the voice of the whip, and the voice of the turning wheels, and of the neighing horse, and the burning chariot, and the horsemen who ride,

3:3  The horseman charging, and the flashing sword, and the glittering spear; and a multitude of slain, and a heap of carcases; and there is no end of the corpses, and they stumble upon their corpses;

3  and of the mounting rider, and of the glittering sword, and of the gleaming arms, and of a multitude of slain, and of heavy falling: and there was no end to her nations, but they shall be weak in their bodies

3:4  Because of the multitude of the harlotries of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her harlotries, and families through her witchcrafts.

4  because of the abundance of fornication: she is a fair harlot, and well-favoured, skilled in sorcery, that sells the nations by her fornication, and peoples by her sorceries.

4  Because of the multitude of fornications of the kept woman, beautiful and pleasing and practicing evil deeds, who sold nations by her fornications, and families by her evil doing

3:5  Behold, I am against thee, saith YHWH of hosts, and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

5  behold, I will come to you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will reveal your shame to your face, and I will show your nakedness to the Gentiles, and your disgrace to kingdoms.

3:6  And I will cast detestable things upon thee, and make thee vile, and will make thee as dung.

6  And I will cast abominable filth upon thee according to thine unclean ways, and will make thee a public example.

6  And I will cast filth upon you and disgrace you, and will make you a spectacle,

3:7  And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say: 'Nineveh is laid waste; who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?'

7  And this shall be: everyone who sees you, will recoil from you, and he will say: “Nineveh has been devastated.” Who will shake his head over you? Where might I seek consolation for you?

3:8  Art thou better than No-amon, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about her; whose rampart was the sea, and of the sea her wall?

8  Prepare thee a portion, tune the chord, prepare a portion for Ammon: she that dwells among the rivers, water is round about her, whose dominion is the sea, and whose walls are water.

8  Are you better than the populous Alexandria, which dwells along the rivers? Waters encircle it: the sea, with its riches. The waters are its walls.

3:9  Ethiopia and Egypt were thy strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

9  And Ethiopia is her strength, and Egypt; and there was no limit of the flight of her enemies; and the Libyans became her helpers.

3:10  Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

10  Yet she shall go as a prisoner into captivity, and they shall dash her infants against the ground at the top of all her ways: and they shall cast lots upon all her glorious possessions, and all her nobles shall be bound in chains.

10  Nevertheless, she has been led away with the transmigration into captivity. Her little ones have been dashed in pieces at the top of every street, and they have cast lots over her celebrities, and all her elite have been fastened together in shackles.

3:11  Thou also shalt be drunken, thou shalt swoon; thou also shalt seek a refuge because of the enemy.

11  Therefore, you also will become inebriated, and you will be despised, and you will seek help from the opposition.

11  You also shall be grieved and you shall be despised; you also shall seek help because of your enemies.

3:12  All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.

12  All thy strong-holds are as fig-trees having watchers: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.

12  All your fortresses will be like fig trees with their green figs. If they are shaken violently, they will fall into the mouth of the one who devours.

3:13  Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women; the gates of thy land are set wide open unto thine enemies; the fire hath devoured thy bars.

13  Behold, women are at the center of your people. The gates of your land will be opened wide for your enemies; fire will devour your bars.

13  Behold, your people in the midst of you are cowards; they will open the gates of your land to your enemies; the fire shall devour your bars.

3:14  Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, lay hold of the brickmould.

14  Draw in water because of the blockade; build up your fortresses. Go into the clay and tread; work it to make brick.

3:15  There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall devour thee like the canker-worm; make thyself many as the canker-worm, make thyself many as the locusts.

15  There, fire will devour you. You will perish by the sword; it will devour you like the beetle. Gather together like the beetle. Multiply like the locust.

3:16  Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven; the canker-worm spreadeth itself, and flieth away.

16  You have made more negotiations than there are stars in the sky. The beetle has spread out and flown away.

16  You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the heaven; the young locust swarms and flies away.

3:17  Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which camp in the walls in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

17  Thy mixed multitude has suddenly departed as the grasshopper, as the locust perched on a hedge in a frosty day; the sun arises, and it flies off, and knows not its place: woe to them!

17  Your guardians are like locusts, and your little ones are like locusts among locusts, which alight on hedges on a cold day. The sun rose up, and they flew away, and there was no way to know the place where they had been.

3:18  Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria, thy worthies are at rest; thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.

18  Your shepherds have become drowsy, king Assur. Your princes will be buried. Your people have remained hidden in the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.

18  Your friends slumber, O king of Assyria; your allies have deserted; your people are scattered on the mountains, and they have none to gather them.

3:19  There is no assuaging of thy hurt, thy wound is grievous; all that hear the report of thee clap the hands over thee; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

19  Your destruction is not hidden; your wound is grievous. All who have heard of your fame have clenched their hands over you, because over whom has your wickedness not trampled continually?

19  There is no one to grieve over your wound; your wound is painful; all who hear the news of you clap their hands over you; for your wickedness has gone forth against every man continually.