1

1 The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

2 Jehovah is a zealous God requiring exclusive devotion tolerates no rivals . Jehovah takes vengeance punishment against his adversaries. He reserves maintains wrath indignation displeasure against his enemies.

3 Jehovah is slow to anger, and great in power! He will by no means reprieve the guilty leave them unpunished . Jehovah has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm. The clouds are the dust of his feet.

4 He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry. He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel become dry and the flower of Lebanon withers.

5 The mountains quake because of him, and the hills melt. The earth trembles shakes heaves at his presence, yes, the world, and all that dwells in it.

6 Who can stand before his indignation displeasure ? Who can resist withstand endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken to pieces by him.

7 Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble! He knows protects takes care of those who take refuge in him.

8 He will exterminate adversaries with an over flowing flood and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

9 What do you fabricate impute against Jehovah? He will exterminate it! Affliction will not rise up a second time.

10 Entangled like thorns and drunken from drink, they are consumed like dry stubble.

11 There is one who comes out from you O Nineveh . He counsels wickedness and devises evil against Jehovah.

12 Jehovah declares: »Though they are strong and are many they will be destroyed! They will pass away. Though I have afflicted you O Judah I will not afflict you any more.

13 »I will break their yoke off of you. I will remove your restraint.

14 »Jehovah has given command concerning you Nineveh . Your name will no longer be perpetuated. I will throw your gods, graven and molten images out of your house. I despise you! You are contemptible! I will prepare your grave.

15 »Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings. Who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah and perform your vows! The wicked will no more pass through invade you. They will be completely destroyed.«

2

1 He who breaks in pieces has come up against you: Safeguard the fortress, watch the way, make your loins strong, and reinforce your power.

2 Jehovah will restore the pride of Jacob just like the pride of Israel. The devastators have emptied them out and destroyed their vine-branches.

3 The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are dressed in scarlet: the chariots flash with steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress tree spears are brandished.

4 The chariots wildly race through the streets. They rush to and fro in the broad ways. They look like torches and they run like lightning.

5 He remembers his majestic ones. They stumble as they march. They hurry to the wall to prepare the barricade.

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

7 It is decreed: she is uncovered! She is carried away and her handmaids moan like the sound of doves, beating on their chests.

8 Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. »Stand, stand,« they cry; but none looks back.

9 Take the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold for there is no limit to the amount of desirable things.

10 She is empty and void, a city laid waste! The hearts melt and the knees knock together. There is pain in all the hips and their faces have all grown pale.

11 Where is the lions den, the feeding-place of young lions? Where have the lion and the lioness walked where none have made them afraid?

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

13 »I am against you,« said Jehovah of Hosts! »I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will destroy your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers will be heard no more.«

3

1 Woe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and robbery! The prey does not leave.

2 There is the noise of the whip and the sound of the rattling wheel; the sound of the dashing horse and the bounding chariot.

3 The horseman is mounting. There is the flashing sword and the glittering spear! The multitudes of slain ones produce a great heap of corpses. There is no end of the bodies! They stumble upon their bodies.

4 This is because of Nineveh's constant prostitution, this very charming mistress of evil magic. She used to sell nations by her prostitution and people by her evil magic.

5 »I am against you, Nineveh,« declares Jehovah of Hosts. »I will lift up your dress over your face. I will show nations your naked body and kingdoms your disgrace.

6 I will treat you with contempt and cover you with filth. People will stare at you in horror.

7 »And it will come about that all who see you will go in flight from you and say, Nineveh is devastated: who will weep for her? Where will I get comforters for her?

8 »Are you better than Noamon, which sits by the streams of the Nile with water surrounding her? The sea was her defense. The water was her wall.

9 »Sudan and Egypt were her endless strength. Put and the Lybians were her help.

10 »She went into captivity and was exiled. Her children were smashed to death at every street corner. Soldiers tossed dice for her important men, and all her best men were bound in chains.

11 »Nineveh, you will stagger like a drunk. You will disappear. You will look for a fortress to escape from the enemy.

12 »All your defenses will be like fig trees with the ripe figs. When shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 »Look! Your soldiers are like women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies. Fire will destroy the bars of your gates.

14 »Draw pump water for the siege! Strengthen your defenses! Step into the clay pits and trample the clay! Grab hold of the brick mold!

15 »You will be burned to death or killed in battle. You will be devoured like crops eaten by locusts. You grew in number like locusts!

16 »You multiplied your merchants like the stars in the sky! But now they are gone, like locusts that spread their wings and fly away.

17 »Your princes are as the locusts, and your officers as the swarms of grasshoppers. They encamp in the hedges on a cold day, but when the sun shines they flee away and no one knows where they go.

18 »Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles are at rest. Your people are scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.

19 »There is no relief for your pain. Your wound is grievous! All who hear the report about you applaud for your wickedness affected everyone.«