NAHUM.
1 The oracle on Nineveh,—the scroll of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
2 A God jealous and avenging is Yahweh, An avenger is Yahweh and a lord of wrath, An avenger is Yahweh towards his adversaries, And a retainer [of anger] is he to his foes.
3 Yahweh is slow to anger but great in vigour, He will not leave unpunished,—As for Yahweh in storm-wind and in tempest is his way, And clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 Who rebuketh the sea and hath made it dry, And all the streams hath he dried up,—Withered are Bashan and Carmel, Even the bloom of Lebanon is withered:
5 Mountains have trembled because of him, And the hills have melted,—And the earth hath lifted itself up at his presence, The world also and all who dwell therein.
6 Before his indignation who shall stand? And who shall abide the glow of his anger? His wrath hath been poured forth like fire, And the rocks have been broken down because of him.
7 Good is Yahweh, as a protection in the day of distress,—And one who acknowledgeth them who seek refuge in him.
8 But with an overflow rolling on a full end will he make of them who rise up against him,—And his foes will he pursue into darkness.
9 What can ye devise against Yahweh? A full end is he making,—Distress shall not rise up twice!
10 Though they were like thorns intertwined, And as drunkards drenched with their drink Yet have they been devoured, like stubble fully dry.
11 Out of thee hath one come forth—Plotting against Yahweh wickedness,—A counsellor of the Abandoned One.
12 Thus saith Yahweh, Though they be in full force And so in great numbers Yet even so have they been cut off and have passed away,—If I humble thee [once] I will not humble thee again.
13 Now therefore will I break his yoke from off thee,—And thy fetters will I tear off.
14 Then will Yahweh give command concerning thee, None of thy name shall be sown any more,—Out of the house of thy gods will I cut off carved image and molten image I will appoint thy grave For thou art of little esteem.
15 Lo! upon the mountains The feet of one who bringeth Good Tidings! who publisheth Prosperity! Celebrate, O Judah, thy pilgrim festivals, Fulfil thy vows,—For not again any more shall the Abandoned One pass through thee, He hath been wholly cut off.
2 He that breaketh in pieces hath come up over thy face, Keep the keeps,—Watch the way, Brace the loins, Make vigour very firm.
2 For Yahweh hath restored the excellency of Jacob, like the excellency of Israel,—For the plunderers have plundered them, And their vine branches have they marred.
3 The shield of his heroes is made red, The men of war are clad in crimson, On fire are the chariot-steels, on the day he maketh ready,—And the lances are put in motion.
4 In the streets madly go the chariots, They rush along in the broadways,—Their appearance is like torches, As lightnings hither and thither do they run.
5 Let him call to mind his nobles, They shall stumble as they go—Let them hasten to her wall, Yet the storming cover is prepared.
6 The gates of the rivers have been opened,—And the palace doth quake.
7 And Huzzab hath been taken captive—hath been led up,—And her handmaids are making a moan like the sound of doves, as they taber upon their heart.
8 Yet as for Nineveh like a reservoir of waters are her waters,—But those men are in flight! Stand! stand!! But no one is turning.
9 Plunder silver, plunder gold,—And there is no end to the costly furnishing, Rich with every article of delight.
10 Emptiness, yea turned to emptiness, aye deserted [is she]! With heart unnerved And a tottering of knees And anguish in all loins, And the faces of them all have withdrawn their colour.
11 Where is the lair of the lions? Yea the very feeding-place of the young lions,—Where walked the lion, the lioness, the lion’s whelp With none to make them afraid?
12 The lion used to tear in pieces enough for his whelps, And to strangle for his lionesses,—And then fill with prey his holes, And his lairs with what he had torn.
13 Behold me! against thee, Declareth Yahweh of hosts, Therefore will I burn up in smoke her chariots, And thy young lions shall be devoured by the sword,—So will I cut off out of the earth thy prey, Nor shall be heard any more the voice of thine envoy.
3 Alas for the city of bloodshed! All of it deceit, of violence full, none releaseth prey!
2 The sound of the whip, And the sound of the rushing wheel,—And horse galloping, And dancing chariot rattling along.
3 Horsemen uplifting both the flashing sword and the lightning spear, Aye A mass of slain and A weight of dead bodies,—and No end of corpses, So that they stumble upon their corpses.
4 Because of the multitude of the unchaste doings of the unchaste one, Fair in grace, mistress of secret arts,—Who hath been selling Nations by her unchaste doings, Families by her secret arts
5 Behold me! against thee, Declareth Yahweh of hosts, Therefore will I remove thy skirts over thy face,—And let nations see thy nakedness, and kingdoms thy shame;
6 And I will cast upon thee abominable filth and treat thee as foolish,—and set thee as a gazing-stock.
7 And it shall come to pass that all who see thee shall flee from thee, And shall say, Destroyed is Nineveh! Who will bemoan her? Whence shall I seek any to comfort thee?
8 Art thou better than No-amon, Who sat among the Nile-streams, Waters round about her,—Whose fortress was the sea, From the sea her wall.
9 Ethiopia was her strength and Egypt—Yea without end,—Pût and Lubim were among thy helpers.
10 Yet she was given up to exile, She went into captivity, Even her babes were dashed to the ground at the head of all the streets,—And for her honourable men cast they lots, And all her great men were bound together in chains.
11 Thou too shalt be drunken, Thou shalt hide thyself,—Thou too shalt seek shelter from the foe:
12 All thy fortresses shall be fig-trees with first-ripe figs: If they be shaken then shall [the fruit] fall on the mouth of the eater.
13 Lo! thy people are women in thy midst, To thy foes have been set wide open the gates of thy land,—A fire hath devoured thy bars.
14 Siege-water draw for thyself, Strengthen thy fortresses,—Go into the clay And tread thou the mortar, Make strong the brick.
15 There shall a fire devour thee, The sword shall cut thee off, It shall devour thee like the grass locust,—Make thyself numerous like the grass locust, Make thyself numerous as the swarming locust:
16 Though thou have multiplied thy foot-soldiers beyond the stars of the heavens The grass locust hath stript itself and flown away!
17 Thy mercenary crowds are like the swarming locust, And thy mixed multitudes like locusts—swarms of locusts,—Which settle in the hedges on a cold day, The sun hath broken forth and they are in flight, And unknown is the place where they are!
18 Asleep are thy shepherds, O king of Assyria, Thy nobles must needs rest. Scattered are thy people upon the mountains And there is none to gather them.
19 No lessening of thine injury, Grievous is thy wound,—All who have heard the report of thee Have clapped their hands over thee, For upon whom hath not thy cruelty passed without ceasing?