aAn oracle concerning bNineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.
God’s Wrath Against Nineveh
2 aThe Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
bthe Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and ckeeps wrath for his enemies.
3 aThe Lord is slow to anger and bgreat in power,
and cthe Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
dHis way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 aHe rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers;
bBashan and cCarmel wither;
the bloom of bLebanon withers.
5 aThe mountains quake before him;
bthe hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
cthe world and all who dwell in it.
6 aWho can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath bis poured out like fire,
and cthe rocks are broken into pieces by him.
7 aThe Lord is good,
ba stronghold in the day of trouble;
che knows those who take refuge in him.
8 But awith an overflowing flood
he will make a complete end of the adversaries,
and bwill pursue his enemies into darkness.
9 What ado you plot against the Lord?
bHe will make a complete end;
trouble will not rise up a second time.
10 For they are alike entangled thorns,
like drunkards as they drink;
bthey are consumed like stubble fully dried.
11 From you came one
awho plotted evil against the Lord,
a worthless counselor.
12 Thus says the Lord,
“Though they are at full strength and many,
athey will be cut down and pass away.
bThough I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.
13 And now aI will break his yoke from off you
and will burst your bonds apart.”
14 The Lord has given commandment about you:
a“No more shall your name be perpetuated;
from bthe house of your gods I will cut off
the carved image and the metal image.
cI will make your grave, dfor you are vile.”
15 aBehold, upon the mountains, bthe feet of him
who brings good news,
who publishes peace!
cKeep your feasts, O Judah;
dfulfill your vows,
efor never again shall the worthless pass through you;
he is utterly cut off.