Nahum 2
New American Standard Bible 1995
The Overthrow of Nineveh
2 [a]The one who (A)scatters has come up against [b]you.
Man the fortress, watch the road;
[c]Strengthen your back, [d]summon all your strength.
2 For the Lord will restore the (B)splendor of Jacob
(C)Like the splendor of Israel,
Even though devastators have devastated them
And (D)destroyed their vine branches.
3 The shields of [e]his mighty men are colored red,
The warriors are dressed in (E)scarlet,
The chariots are enveloped in [f]flashing steel
[g]When he is prepared to march,
And the cypress (F)spears are brandished.
4 The (G)chariots race madly in the streets,
They rush wildly in the [h]squares,
Their appearance is like torches,
They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.
5 He remembers his (H)nobles;
They (I)stumble in their march,
They hurry to her wall,
And the [i]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 (J)moaning like the sound of doves,
(K)Beating on their [j]breasts.
8 Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days,
Now they are fleeing;
“Stop, stop,”
But (L)no one turns back.
9 Plunder the silver!
Plunder the (M)gold!
For there is no limit to the treasure—
Wealth from every kind of desirable object.
10 She is (N)emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste!
(O)Hearts are melting and knees knocking!
Also anguish is in [k]the whole body
And all their (P)faces are grown pale!
11 Where is the den of the lions
And the feeding place of the (Q)young lions,
Where the lion, lioness and lion’s cub prowled,
With nothing to disturb them?
12 The lion tore enough for his cubs,
[l]Killed enough for his lionesses,
And filled his lairs with prey
And his dens with torn flesh.
13 “Behold, (R)I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts. “I will (S)burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions; I will (T)cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”
Footnotes
- Nahum 2:1 Ch 2:2 in Heb
- Nahum 2:1 Lit your face
- Nahum 2:1 Lit Make strong your loins
- Nahum 2:1 Lit strengthen power greatly
- Nahum 2:3 I.e. those attacking Nineveh
- Nahum 2:3 Lit fire of steel
- Nahum 2:3 Lit On the day of his preparation
- Nahum 2:4 Lit broad places
- Nahum 2:5 Lit covering used in a siege
- Nahum 2:7 Lit hearts
- Nahum 2:10 Lit all the loin
- Nahum 2:12 Lit Strangled
Nahum 2
English Standard Version
The Destruction of Nineveh
2 (A)The scatterer has come up against you.
(B)Man the ramparts;
watch the road;
dress for battle;[a]
collect all your strength.
2 For (C)the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob
as the majesty of Israel,
for plunderers have plundered them
and (D)ruined their branches.
3 The shield of his mighty men is red;
(E)his soldiers are clothed in scarlet.
The chariots come with flashing metal
on the day he musters them;
the cypress spears are brandished.
4 (F)The chariots race madly through the streets;
they rush to and fro through the squares;
they gleam like torches;
they dart like lightning.
5 He remembers (G)his officers;
(H)they stumble as they go,
they hasten to the wall;
the siege tower[b] is set up.
6 (I)The river gates are opened;
the palace (J)melts away;
7 its mistress[c] is (K)stripped;[d] she is carried off,
her slave girls (L)lamenting,
moaning like doves
and beating their breasts.
8 (M)Nineveh is like a pool
whose waters run away.[e]
“Halt! Halt!” they cry,
but (N)none turns back.
9 Plunder the silver,
plunder the gold!
There is no end of the treasure
or of the wealth of all precious things.
10 (O)Desolate! Desolation and ruin!
(P)Hearts melt and (Q)knees tremble;
(R)anguish is in all loins;
(S)all faces grow pale!
11 Where is the lions' den,
the feeding place of (T)the young lions,
where the lion and lioness went,
where his cubs were, with (U)none to disturb?
12 (V)The lion tore enough for his cubs
and (W)strangled prey for his lionesses;
he filled his caves with prey
and his dens with torn flesh.
13 (X)Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and (Y)I will burn your[f] chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and (Z)the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
