Chapter 1
1 Oracle about Nineveh. Book of the Vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
2 Yahweh is a jealous and vengeful God; Yahweh is vengeful and knows wrath; Yahweh takes vengeance on his adversaries and bears a grudge against his enemies.
3 Yahweh is patient and great in power, and he does not allow impunity.
Yahweh walks in the storm and in the hurricane, and the cloud is the dust of his feet.
4 He threatens the sea and dries it up, and makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, the vegetation of Lebanon.
5 The mountains tremble before him, and the hills melt; the earth heaves before his face, the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before his fury? Who can withstand the fierceness of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are shattered before him.
7 Yahweh is good; he is a refuge in the day of trouble, and he knows those who trust in him.
8 With an overflowing flood he will completely destroy This place, and he will pursue his enemies even into the darkness.
9 What are your thoughts about Yahweh? He will bring about ruin; distress will not arise twice.
10 For, entangled like thorns, and drunk with their wine, they shall be consumed like dry straw.
11 From you has come one who plots evil against Yahweh, one who devises wicked schemes.
12 Thus goes the Lord: Though they are intact and numerous, they shall be harvested and perish. I have humbled you, and I will humble you no more.
13 And now, O Judah, I will break his yoke from you, and I will shatter your bonds.
14 As for you, this is what Yahweh has commanded: There shall be no more offspring of your name; I will destroy from the house of your God the carved images and the cast images; I am preparing your grave, because you have been frivolous.
Chapter 2
1 Look, on the mountains, the feet of a messenger of good tidings, who announces peace. Celebrate your festivals, O Judah, fulfill your vows! For he will no longer pass through your land; the wicked are utterly destroyed.
2 A destroyer is advancing against you; defend the fortress, guard the way, strengthen your loins, gather all your strength!
3 For Yahweh restores the glory of Jacob, as well as the glory of Israel, because plunderers plundered them, and destroyed their vines.
4 His warriors' shields are dyed red, his men-at-arms are dressed in scarlet; in the fire of steel his chariots appear, on the day he prepares the battle, and the spears are waving.
5 In the streets the chariots rush furiously; they rush into the squares. Their appearance is that of flames, of flashing lightning.
6 He remembers his nobles; they stumble in their march. They rush towards the walls; preparations are made for the defense.
7 The river gates are opened, and the palace collapses.
8 It is done, she is stripped naked, she is led away, and her maids groan like the lamentations of doves; they beat their breasts.
9 Nineveh has been like a pool of water since its beginning… They are fleeing!… Stop! Stop!… Not one of them turns around!
10 Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! For there is no end to her riches, to the heap of all her precious objects.
11 Emptied, plundered, drained dry! Hearts faint, knees tremble; every loin is in anguish, every face is livid.
12. Where is it, the lions' den, which was a place of pasture for the young lions; where the lion, the lioness, and the cub retreated, without anyone frightening them?
13 The lion took what was needed for his cubs, he strangled for his lionesses, he filled his caves with prey, and his dens with spoils.
14 Here I am against you! — oracle of Yahweh of armies; I will reduce your chariots to smoke; the sword will devour your young lions; I will tear your prey from the land, and the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.
Chapter 3
1 Woe to the city of blood, full of fraud and violence, and which never ceases its plundering!
2 On hears the sound of the whip, the sound of the wheels crashing, the galloping of the horses, the bouncing of the carts!
Three horsemen charge forward, flaming swords, lightning lances! A multitude of wounded, a mass of dead, corpses stretching to infinity… We stumble over their corpses.
4 It is because of the many acts of prostitution of the prostitute, full of charms, skilled in enchantments, who sold nations by her prostitution, and peoples by her enchantments.
5 Here I am against you! — declares the Lord of hosts; I will raise up the sides of your dress I will show your nakedness to the nations, and your shame to the kingdoms, even on your face.
6 I will throw filth on you and humiliate you, and make a spectacle of you.
7 Everyone who sees you will flee from you and say, »Nineveh is destroyed!» Who will mourn for it? Where shall I seek comforters for you?
8 Are you better than No-Amon, who was seat on the rivers, which were surrounded by waters, which had the sea for a rampart, and whose wall was the sea?
9 Ethiopia was his strength, as well as Egypt, and they were countless; Phut and the Libyans were his helpers.
10 Yet she went into exile, she was held captive; her little children were also crushed, at the corner of every street; lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains.
11 You too will be intoxicated and disappear; you too will seek refuge from the enemy.
12 All your strongholds are fig trees with ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of whoever wanna eat them.
13 Behold, your people are like women in your midst; before your enemies the gates of your land shall be opened wide; fire shall devour your bars.
14 Draw water for yourself in preparation for the siege, rebuild your forts, knead the clay and tread the earth, take hold of the brick mold.
15 There the fire will devour you, the sword will destroy you, it will devour you like the locust, though you are as numerous as the locust, as numerous as the grasshopper.
16 You have multiplied your merchants, more than the stars of heaven; the eelek spreads its wings and flies away.
17 Your watchmen are like the elek and your leaders like a swarm of locusts; they settle on the hedges on a cold day; as soon as the sun appears, they flee, and their dwelling is no longer known; where are they?
18 Your shepherds are asleep, king of Assyria; your mighty men are lying down, your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one who THE gathers.
19 Your wound is incurable, your injury is grievous; all who hear of your story spell They will clap their hands over you; for on whom has your wickedness not passed without respite?
