1

1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

2 God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he keeps wrath in store for his enemies.

3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

4 He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers: Bashan is exhausted, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon droops.

5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all who dwell 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 thrown down by him.

7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows those who trust in him.

8 But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of their place, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

9 What do you imagine against the LORD? he will make a complete end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.

10 For while they are twined together like thorns, and while they are drunken like drunkards, they shall be devoured like stubble fully dry.

11 There is one who has come out from you, who imagines evil against the LORD, a wicked counselor.

12 Thus says the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.

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

14 And the LORD has given a commandment concerning you, that no more who have your name shall be born: out of the house of your gods will I cut off the sculptured image and the molten image: I will make your grave; for you are vile.

15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who announces peace! O Judah, keep your solemn feasts, perform your vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through you; he is completely cut off.

2

1 He who dashes in pieces has come up before your face: keep the stronghold, watch the way, make your loins strong, fortify your power mightily.

2 For the LORD has turned away the excellence of Jacob, like the excellence of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and hurt their vine branches.

3 The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation for battle, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

4 The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightning.

5 He shall review his mighty ones: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defense shall be prepared.

6 The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.

7 And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be taken away, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.

8 But Nineveh is from of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

9 Take the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is no end of the abundance and glory of all the pleasant furniture.

10 She is empty, and vacant, and ruined: and the heart melts, and the knees strike together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

11 Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's cub, and none made them afraid?

12 The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with torn flesh.

13 Behold, I am against you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions: and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard.

3

1 Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the taking of prey does not cease;

2 The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots.

3 The horseman lifts up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcasses; and there is no end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:

4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the beautiful harlot, the mistress of witchcraft, who sells nations through her whoredom, and families through her witchcraft.

5 Behold, I am against you, says the LORD of hosts; and I will uncover your skirts over your face, and I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.

6 And I will throw abominable filth upon you, and make you vile, and will make you a gazing stock.

7 And it shall come to pass, that all those who look upon you shall flee from you, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? where shall I seek comforters for you?

8 Are you better than populous No, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were your helpers.

10 Yet was she taken 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 honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

11 You also shall be drunken: you shall be hidden, you also shall seek strength because of the enemy.

12 All your strongholds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Behold, your people in the midst of you are women: the gates of your land shall be set wide open to your enemies: the fire shall devour your bars.

14 Draw waters for the siege, fortify your strongholds: go into clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brick kiln.

15 There shall the fire devour you; the sword shall cut you off, it shall eat you up like the young locust: make yourself numerous like the young locust, make yourself many like the locusts.

16 You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven: the young locust plunders, and flies away.

17 Your crowned ones are like the locusts, and your captains like the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun arises they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

18 Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: your nobles shall dwell in the dust: your people are scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathers them.

19 There is no healing of your bruise; your wound is severe: all that hear the report of you shall clap their hands over you: for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?