11 The [1] oracle of Nineveh . The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite .
2 A jealous and avenging God is the Lord ; The Lord is avenging and [2]wrathful e . The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries , And He reserves wrath for His enemies . 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power , And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished . In whirlwind and storm is His way , And clouds are the dust beneath His feet . 4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry ; He dries up all the rivers . Bashan and Carmel wither ; The blossoms of Lebanon wither . 5 Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve ; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence , The world and all the inhabitants in it. 6 Who can stand before His indignation ? Who can endure the burning of His anger ? His wrath is poured out like fire And the rocks are broken up by Him. 7 The Lord is good , A stronghold in the day of trouble , And He knows those who take refuge in Him. 8 But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of [3]its site , And will pursue His enemies into darkness .
9 Whatever you devise against the Lord , He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice . 10 Like tangled thorns , And like those who are drunken with their drink , They are consumed As stubble completely withered . 11 From you has gone forth One who plotted evil against the Lord , A [4] wicked counselor . 12 Thus says the Lord , "Though they are at full strength and likewise many , Even so , they will be cut off and pass away . Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer . 13 "So now , I will break his yoke bar from upon you, And I will tear off your shackles ." 14 The Lord has issued a command concerning [5]you: "[6]Your name will no longer be perpetuated . I will cut off [7] idol and [8]image From the house of your gods . I will prepare your grave , For you are contemptible ."
15 [9]Behold , on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news , Who announces peace ! Celebrate your feasts , O Judah ; Pay your vows . For never e again will the [10]wicked one pass through you; He is cut off completely .
21 The one who scatters has come up against you. Man the fortress , watch the road ; Strengthen your back , summon all your strength . 2 For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob Like the splendor of Israel , Even though devastators have devastated them And destroyed their vine branches . 3 The shields of his mighty men are colored red , The warriors are dressed in scarlet , The chariots are enveloped in flashing steel When he is prepared to march, And the cypress spears are brandished . 4 The chariots race madly in the streets , They rush wildly in the squares , Their appearance is like torches , They dash to and fro like lightning flashes . 5 He remembers his nobles ; They stumble in their march , They hurry to her wall , And the mantelet is set up. 6 The gates of the rivers are opened And the palace is dissolved . 7 It is fixed : She is stripped , she is carried away , And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves , Beating on their breasts . 8 Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days , Now they are fleeing ; "Stop , stop ," But no one turns back . 9 Plunder the silver ! Plunder the gold ! For there is no limit to the treasure - Wealth from every kind of desirable object . 10 She is emptied ! Yes, she is desolate and waste ! Hearts are melting and knees knocking ! Also anguish is in the whole body And all their faces are grown pale !
11 Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions , Where e the lion , lioness and lion's cub prowled , With nothing to disturb them? 12 The lion tore enough for his cubs , Killed enough for his lionesses , And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh .
13 "Behold , I am against you," declares the Lord of hosts . "I will burn up her chariots in smoke , a sword will devour your young lions ; I will cut off your prey from the land , and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard ."
31 Woe to the bloody city , completely full of lies and pillage ; Her prey never departs . 2 The noise of the whip , The noise of the rattling of the wheel , Galloping horses And bounding chariots ! 3 Horsemen charging , Swords flashing , spears gleaming , Many slain , a mass of corpses , And countless dead bodies - They stumble over the dead bodies ! 4 All because of the many harlotries of the harlot , The charming one , the mistress of sorceries , Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries . 5 "Behold , I am against you," declares the Lord of hosts ; "And I will lift up your skirts over your face , And show to the nations your nakedness And to the kingdoms your disgrace . 6 "I will throw filth on you And make you vile , And set you up as a spectacle . 7 "And it will come about that all who see you Will shrink from you and say , 'Nineveh is devastated ! Who will grieve for her?' Where will I seek comforters for you?"
8 Are you better than No-amon e , Which was situated by the waters of the Nile , With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea , Whose wall consisted of the sea ? 9 Ethiopia was her might , And Egypt too, without limits . Put and Lubim were among her helpers . 10 Yet she became an exile , She went into captivity ; Also her small children were dashed to pieces At the head of every street ; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with fetters . 11 You too will become drunk , You will be hidden . You too will search for a refuge from the enemy . 12 All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit - When shaken , they fall into the eater's mouth . 13 Behold , your people are women in your midst ! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies ; Fire consumes your gate bars . 14 Draw for yourself water for the siege ! Strengthen your fortifications ! Go into the clay and tread the mortar ! Take hold of the brick mold ! 15 There fire will consume you, The sword will cut you down ; It will consume you as the locust does. Multiply yourself like the creeping locust , Multiply yourself like the swarming locust . 16 You have increased your traders more than the stars of heaven - The creeping locust strips and flies away . 17 Your guardsmen are like the swarming locust . Your marshals are like hordes of grasshoppers Settling in the stone walls on a cold day . The sun rises and they flee , And the place where they are is not known . 18 Your shepherds are sleeping , O king of Assyria ; Your nobles are lying down . Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to regather them. 19 There is no relief for your breakdown , Your wound is incurable . All who hear about you Will clap their hands over you, For on whom has not your evil passed continually ?
