Nahum 1
Lexham English Bible
Superscription
1 The oracle concerning Nineveh—
the scroll of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:
Half-Acrostic: Yahweh Takes Vengeance against His Enemies
2 Yahweh is a jealous God and avenging;
Yahweh is avenging and full of wrath.[a]
Yahweh takes vengeance against his enemies;
he rages against his adversaries.
3 Yahweh is slow to anger but great in power;
he will certainly not allow the guilty to go unpunished.
He marches[b] in storm wind and in gale;
storm clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and he dries up the rivers;
he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither;[c]
the blossom of Lebanon languishes.
5 Mountains quake before him;
the hills shake apart.[d]
The earth heaves before him—
the world and all her inhabitants.
6 His indignation—who can stand before it?
Who can endure his fierce anger?[e]
His wrath is poured out like fire;
rocks are shattered before[f] him.
7 Yahweh is good—a refuge in the day of distress;
he knows those who take refuge in him.
8 But with a rushing torrent he will bring Nineveh to an end;
he will chase his enemies into darkness.
Yahweh Will Destroy Nineveh
9 What[g] do you plot against Yahweh?
He will completely destroy it;[h]
trouble will not rise up a second time!
10 For like entangled thorns,
and like their drink which is drunk,
they will be consumed like fully dry chaff.
11 From you goes out one who plots evil against Yahweh,
one who plans wickedness.
Yahweh Will Deliver Judah and Destroy Nineveh
12 Yahweh says this:
“Even though they are powerful and likewise many,
even so they will be cut off and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,[i]
I will afflict you[j] no longer.
13 And now, I will break his yoke from upon you;
I will snap your bonds.”
14 Yahweh has commanded concerning you:
“Your name will no longer be sown.
I will cut off the idols and images[k] from the temple[l] of your gods;
I will send you to the grave[m] because you are worthless.”
15 [n] Look! On the mountains!
The feet of the one who brings good tidings,
the one who proclaims peace!
“Celebrate a festival, O Judah,
Fulfill your vows!
For he will not invade you again;
the wicked one is cut off completely!”
Footnotes
- Nahum 1:2 Literally “a lord of wrath”
- Nahum 1:3 Literally “His path”
- Nahum 1:4 MT reads “languishes,” but the versions reflect “withers,” which also restores the acrostic
- Nahum 1:5 Or “melt”
- Nahum 1:6 Literally “the heat of his anger”
- Nahum 1:6 Or “by”
- Nahum 1:9 Or “Why …?”
- Nahum 1:9 Literally “he will make a complete destruction”
- Nahum 1:12 That is, Judah
- Nahum 1:12 That is, Judah
- Nahum 1:14 Literally “the idols and the molten idols”
- Nahum 1:14 Literally “house”
- Nahum 1:14 Literally “I will make your grave”
- Nahum 1:15 Nahum 1:15–2:13 in the English Bible is 2:1–14 in the Hebrew Bible
Nahum 1
English Standard Version
1 (A)An oracle concerning (B)Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
God's Wrath Against Nineveh
2 (C)The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
(D)the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and (E)keeps wrath for his enemies.
3 (F)The Lord is slow to anger and (G)great in power,
and (H)the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
(I)His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 (J)He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers;
(K)Bashan and (L)Carmel wither;
the bloom of (M)Lebanon withers.
5 (N)The mountains quake before him;
(O)the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
(P)the world and all who dwell in it.
6 (Q)Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath (R)is poured out like fire,
and (S)the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
7 (T)The Lord is good,
(U)a stronghold in the day of trouble;
(V)he knows those who take refuge in him.
8 But (W)with an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,[a]
and (X)will pursue his enemies into darkness.
9 What (Y)do you plot against the Lord?
(Z)He will make a complete end;
trouble will not rise up a second time.
10 For they are (AA)like entangled thorns,
like drunkards as they drink;
(AB)they are consumed like stubble fully dried.
11 From you came one
(AC)who plotted evil against the Lord,
a worthless counselor.
12 Thus says the Lord,
“Though they are at full strength and many,
(AD)they will be cut down and pass away.
(AE)Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.
13 And now (AF)I will break his yoke from off you
and will burst your bonds apart.”
14 The Lord has given commandment about you:
(AG)“No more shall your name be perpetuated;
from (AH)the house of your gods I will cut off
the carved image and the metal image.
(AI)I will make your grave, (AJ)for you are vile.”
15 [b] (AK)Behold, upon the mountains, (AL)the feet of him
who brings good news,
who publishes peace!
(AM)Keep your feasts, O Judah;
(AN)fulfill your vows,
(AO)for never again shall the worthless pass through you;
he is utterly cut off.
Footnotes
- Nahum 1:8 Hebrew of her place
- Nahum 1:15 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
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