מַשָּׂ֖א נִֽינְוֵ֑ה סֵ֧פֶר חֲז֛וֹן נַח֖וּם הָאֶלְקֹשִֽׁי׃ A pronouncement on Nineveh: The Book of the Prophecy of Nahum the Elkoshite.
אֵ֣ל קַנּ֤וֹא וְנֹקֵם֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה נֹקֵ֥ם יְהֹוָ֖ה וּבַ֣עַל חֵמָ֑ה נֹקֵ֤ם יְהֹוָה֙ לְצָרָ֔יו וְנוֹטֵ֥ר ה֖וּא לְאֹיְבָֽיו׃ The ETERNAL is a passionate, avenging God;
GOD is vengeful and fierce in wrath.
GOD takes vengeance on opponents,
And rages against foes.
יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ (וגדול) [וּגְדׇל־]כֹּ֔חַ וְנַקֵּ֖ה לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֑ה יְהֹוָ֗ה בְּסוּפָ֤ה וּבִשְׂעָרָה֙ דַּרְכּ֔וֹ וְעָנָ֖ן אֲבַ֥ק רַגְלָֽיו׃ GOD is slow to anger and of great forbearance,
But GOD does not remit all punishment.
[God] travels in whirlwind and storm,
With clouds the dust on divine feet.
גּוֹעֵ֤ר בַּיָּם֙ וַֽיַּבְּשֵׁ֔הוּ וְכׇל־הַנְּהָר֖וֹת הֶחֱרִ֑יב אֻמְלַ֤ל בָּשָׁן֙ וְכַרְמֶ֔ל וּפֶ֥רַח לְבָנ֖וֹן אֻמְלָֽל׃ [God] rebukes the sea and dries it up,
And makes all rivers fail;
Bashan and Carmel languish,
And the blossomsablossoms Lit. “bud.” of Lebanon wither.
הָרִים֙ רָעֲשׁ֣וּ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְהַגְּבָע֖וֹת הִתְמֹגָ֑גוּ וַתִּשָּׂ֤א הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ מִפָּנָ֔יו וְתֵבֵ֖ל וְכׇל־י֥וֹשְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ The mountains quake because of [God],
And the hills melt.
The earth heavesbheaves Meaning of Heb. uncertain. before [God],
The world and all that dwell therein.
לִפְנֵ֤י זַעְמוֹ֙ מִ֣י יַעֲמ֔וֹד וּמִ֥י יָק֖וּם בַּחֲר֣וֹן אַפּ֑וֹ חֲמָתוֹ֙ נִתְּכָ֣ה כָאֵ֔שׁ וְהַצֻּרִ֖ים נִתְּצ֥וּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ Who can stand before God’s wrath?
Who can resist such fury?
God’s anger pours out like fire,
And rocks are shattered as a result.
ט֣וֹב יְהֹוָ֔ה לְמָע֖וֹז בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה וְיֹדֵ֖עַ חֹ֥סֵי בֽוֹ׃ GOD is good to [those who have hope],
And is a haven on a day of distress—
Being mindful of those seeking refuge.
וּבְשֶׁ֣טֶף עֹבֵ֔ר כָּלָ֖ה יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה מְקוֹמָ֑הּ וְאֹיְבָ֖יו יְרַדֶּף־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ And with a sweeping flood
[God] makes an end of her place,cher place Meaning of Heb. uncertain; emendation yields “those who oppose [God].”
And chases enemies into the darkness.
מַה־תְּחַשְּׁבוּן֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה כָּלָ֖ה ה֣וּא עֹשֶׂ֑ה לֹא־תָק֥וּם פַּעֲמַ֖יִם צָרָֽה׃ Why will youdyou I.e., Assyria, whose capital is Nineveh; cf. v. 1. plot against GOD ?
Utter destruction is the outcome:
No adversaryeadversary Cf. Ugaritic ṣrt. opposes [God] twice!
כִּ֚י עַד־סִירִ֣ים סְבֻכִ֔ים וּכְסׇבְאָ֖ם סְבוּאִ֑ים אֻ֨כְּל֔וּ כְּקַ֥שׁ יָבֵ֖שׁ מָלֵֽא׃ fMeaning of verse uncertain. For like those besotted with drink,
They are burned up like tangled thorns,
Like straw that is thoroughly dried.
מִמֵּ֣ךְ יָצָ֔א חֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־יְהֹוָ֖ה רָעָ֑ה יֹעֵ֖ץ בְּלִיָּֽעַל׃ {ס} gVerses 11–14 would read well after 2.1. The base plotter
Who designed evil against GOD
Has left you.hyou I.e., the kingdom of Judah.
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה אִם־שְׁלֵמִים֙ וְכֵ֣ן רַבִּ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן נָג֖וֹזּוּ וְעָבָ֑ר וְעִ֨נִּתִ֔ךְ לֹ֥א אֲעַנֵּ֖ךְ עֽוֹד׃ Thus said GOD:
“Even as those daysithose days Of your affliction; Heb. “they.” were full and many,
Even so are they over and gone;
As surely as I afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.jEven as … no more Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
וְעַתָּ֕ה אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר מֹטֵ֖הוּ מֵעָלָ֑יִךְ וּמוֹסְרֹתַ֖יִךְ אֲנַתֵּֽק׃ And now
I will break off hiskhis I.e., Assyria’s. yoke bar from you
And burst your cords apart.”
וְצִוָּ֤ה עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה לֹא־יִזָּרַ֥ע מִשִּׁמְךָ֖ ע֑וֹד מִבֵּ֨ית אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אַכְרִ֨ית פֶּ֧סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֛ה אָשִׂ֥ים קִבְרֶ֖ךָ כִּ֥י קַלּֽוֹתָ׃ {פ}
GOD has commanded concerning him:lhim Heb. “you”; cf. v. 9.
No posterity shall continue your name.mNo posterity shall continue your name Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
I will do away with
The carved and graven images
In the temples of your gods;
I will make your grave
Accord with your worthlessness.nAccord with your worthlessness Meaning of Heb. uncertain.