1 The burden of Nineueh. The booke of the vision of Nahum the Elkeshite. 2 God is ielous, and the Lord reuengeth: the Lord reuengeth: euen the Lord of anger, the Lord will take vengeance on his aduersaries, and he reserueth wrath for his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger, but he is great in power, and will not surely cleare the wicked: the Lord hath his way in ye whirlewind, and in the storme, and the cloudes are the dust of his feete. 4 He rebuketh the sea, and dryeth it, and he dryeth vp all the riuers: Bashan is wasted and Carmel, and the floure of Lebanon is wasted. 5 The mountaines tremble for him, and the hilles melt, and the earth is burnt at his sight, yea, the worlde, and all that dwell therein. 6 Who can stande before his wrath? or who can abide in the fiercenesse of his wrath? his wrath is powred out like fire, and the rockes are broken by him. 7 The Lord is good and as a strong hold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him. 8 But passing ouer as with a flood, he will vtterly destroy the place thereof, and darknesse shall pursue his enemies. 9 What doe ye imagine against the Lord? he wil make an vtter destruction: affliction shall not rise vp the seconde time. 10 For he shall come as vnto thornes folden one in another, and as vnto drunkards in their drunkennesse: they shall be deuoured as stubble fully dryed. 11 There commeth one out of thee that imagineth euill against the Lord, euen a wicked counsellour. 12 Thus saith the Lord, Though they be quiet, and also many, yet thus shall they be cut off when he shall passe by: though I haue afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. 13 For nowe I will breake his yoke from thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. 14 And the Lord hath giuen a commandement concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sowen: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the grauen, and the molten image: I will make it thy graue for thee, for thou art vile. 15 Beholde vpon the mountaines the feete of him that declareth, and publisheth peace: O Iudah, keepe thy solemne feastes, perfourme thy vowes: for the wicked shall no more passe thorowe thee: he is vtterly cut off.
1 This is a message about Nineveh, the account of a vision seen by Nahum, who was from Elkosh.
The Lord's Anger against Nineveh
2 The Lord God tolerates no rivals;
he punishes those who oppose him.
In his anger he pays them back.
3 The Lord does not easily become angry,
but he is powerful
and never lets the guilty go unpunished.
Where the Lord walks, storms arise;
the clouds are the dust raised by his feet!
4 He commands the sea, and it dries up!
He makes the rivers go dry.
The fields of Bashan wither,
Mount Carmel turns brown,
and the flowers of Lebanon fade.
5 Mountains quake in the presence of the Lord;
hills melt before him.
The earth shakes when the Lord appears;
the world and all its people tremble.
6 When he is angry, who can survive?
Who can survive his terrible fury?
He pours out his flaming anger;
rocks crumble to dust before him.
7 The Lord is good;
he protects his people in times of trouble;
he takes care of those who turn to him.
8 Like a great rushing flood he completely destroys his enemies;
he sends to their death those who oppose him.
9 What are you plotting against the Lord?
He will destroy you.
No one opposes him more than once.
10 Like tangled thorns and dry straw
you drunkards will be burned up!
11 From you, Nineveh, there came someone full of wicked schemes, who plotted against the Lord. 12 This is what the Lord says to his people Israel: “Even though the Assyrians are strong and numerous, they will be destroyed and disappear. My people, I made you suffer, but I will not do it again. 13 I will now end Assyria's power over you and break the chains that bind you.”
14 This is what the Lord has decreed about the Assyrians: “They will have no descendants to carry on their name. I will destroy the idols that are in the temples of their gods. I am preparing a grave for the Assyrians—they don't deserve to live!”
15 Look, a messenger is coming over the mountains with good news! He is on his way to announce the victory! People of Judah, celebrate your festivals and give God what you solemnly promised him. The wicked will never invade your land again. They have been totally destroyed!