نَاحُوم 1

١ 1 وَحْيٌ عَلَى نِينَوَى. سِفْرُ رُؤْيَا نَاحُومَ ٱلْأَلْقُوشِيِّ.

[I am] Nahum, from Elkosh [village]. [This is] a message about Nineveh [city, the capital of Assyria that was given] to me in a vision [by Yahweh].

٢ 2 اَلرَّبُّ إِلَهٌ غَيُورٌ وَمُنْتَقِمٌ. ٱلرّبُّ مُنْتَقِمٌ وَذُو سَخَطٍ. ٱلرّبُّ مُنْتَقِمٌ مِن مُبْغِضِيهِ وَحَافِظٌ غَضَبَهُ عَلَى أَعْدَائِهِ.

Yahweh our God (is jealous/does not want people to worship any other god). He is very angry [with those who worship other gods], and he gets revenge [DOU] [on all] those who oppose him [DOU].

٣ 3 ٱلرَّبُّ بَطِيءُ ٱلْغَضَبِ وَعَظِيمُ ٱلْقُدْرَةِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَا يُبَرِّئُ ٱلْبَتَّةَ. ٱلرَّبُّ فِي ٱلزَّوْبَعَةِ، وَفِي ٱلْعَاصِفِ طَرِيقُهُ، وَٱلسَّحَابُ غُبَارُ رِجْلَيْهِ.

Yahweh does not quickly become angry; but he is very powerful, and he will certainly punish [LIT] those who have done evil things [MTY]. He shows his power by sending whirlwinds and storms, and clouds are [like] [MET] the dust [stirred up by] his feet.

٤ 4 يَنْتَهِرُ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَيُنَشِّفُهُ وَيُجَفِّفُ جَمِيعَ ٱلْأَنْهَارِ. يَذْبُلُ بَاشَانُ وَٱلْكَرْمَلُ، وَزَهْرُ لُبْنَانَ يَذْبُلُ.

When he commands oceans and rivers to become dry, they dry up. [He causes the grass in the fields in] the Bashan [region] and [on the slopes of] Carmel [Mountain] to wither, [and causes] the flowers in Lebanon to fade.

٥ 5 اَلْجِبَالُ تَرْجُفُ مِنْهُ، وَٱلتِّلَالُ تَذُوبُ، وَٱلْأَرْضُ تُرْفَعُ مِنْ وَجْهِهِ، وَٱلْعَالَمُ وَكُلُّ ٱلسَّاكِنِينَ فِيهِ.

When he appears, [it is as though] the mountains shake and the hills melt; the earth quakes and [the people on] the earth tremble.

٦ 6 مَنْ يَقِفُ أَمَامَ سَخَطِهِ؟ وَمَنْ يَقُومُ فِي حُمُوِّ غَضَبِهِ؟ غَيْظُهُ يَنْسَكِبُ كَٱلنَّارِ، وَٱلصُّخُورُ تَنْهَدِمُ مِنْهُ.

There is no one [RHQ] who can resist him when he becomes extremely angry; there is no one [RHQ] who can survive when his anger is very hot. When he is very angry, [it is as though] his anger is like [SIM] a blazing fire, and [it is as though] mountains are shattered into pieces.

٧ 7 صَالِحٌ هُوَ ٱلرَّبُّ. حِصْنٌ فِي يَوْمِ ٱلضَّيقِ، وَهُوَ يَعْرِفُ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ عَلَيْهِ.

But he is good; he protects [us his people] when we experience troubles. He takes care of those who trust in him.

٨ 8 وَلَكِنْ بِطُوفَانٍ عَابِرٍ يَصْنَعُ هَلَاكًا تَامًّا لِمَوْضِعِهَا، وَأَعْدَاؤُهُ يَتْبَعُهُمْ ظَلَامٌ.

But he will get rid of his enemies; he will be to them [like] [MET] a flood that destroys everything. He will chase his enemies into the darkness [of the place where the dead are].

٩ 9 مَاذَا تَفْتَكِرُونَ عَلَى ٱلرَّبِّ؟ هُوَ صَانِعٌ هَلَاكًا تَامًّا. لَا يَقُومُ ٱلضِّيقُ مَرَّتَيْنِ.

[So], it is useless [RHQ] for you [people of Nineveh] to plot against Yahweh. He will not [need to] strike you two times to destroy you; he will destroy you [by striking you only once].

١٠ 10 فَإِنَّهُمْ وَهُمْ مُشْتَبِكُونَ مِثْلَ ٱلشَّوْكِ، وَسَكْرَانُونَ كَمِنْ خَمْرِهِمْ، يُؤْكَلُونَ كَٱلْقَشِّ ٱلْيَابِسِ بِٱلْكَمَالِ.

[It will be as though his enemies] are tangled in thorns, and they will stagger like people who have drunk a lot of wine. They will be burned up like [SIM] a fire completely burns up stubble/straw.

١١ 11 مِنْكِ خَرَجَ ٱلْمُفْتَكِرُ عَلَى ٱلرَّبِّ شَرًّا، ٱلْمُشِيرُ بِٱلْهَلَاكِ.

In Nineveh [city] there was a man who advised people to do very wicked things to Yahweh.

١٢ 12 هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: «إِنْ كَانُوا سَالِمِينَ وَكَثِيرِينَ هَكَذَا، فَهَكَذَا يُجَزُّونَ فَيَعْبُرُ. أَذْلَلْتُكِ. لَا أُذِلُّكِ ثَانِيَةً.

But this is what Yahweh says [about you Israeli people]: “Although the people of Assyria have very many people and their army is very powerful, they will be destroyed and will disappear. [I say to my people in Judah, ] ‘have [already] punished you, but I will not punish you again.

١٣ 13 وَٱلْآنَ أَكْسِرُ نِيرَهُ عَنْكِ وَأَقْطَعُ رُبُطَكِ».

Now I will cause the [people of Assyria] to no longer control/oppress you [MET]; [it will be as though] I will tear off the shackles/chains on your [hands and feet].”

١٤ 14 وَلَكِنْ قَدْ أَوْصَى عَنْكَ ٱلرَّبُّ: «لَا يُزْرَعُ مِنِ ٱسْمِكَ فِي مَا بَعْدُ. إِنِّي أَقْطَعُ مِنْ بَيْتِ إِلَهِكَ ٱلتَّمَاثِيلَ ٱلْمَنْحُوتَةَ وَٱلْمَسْبُوكَةَ. أَجْعَلُهُ قَبْرَكَ، لِأَنَّكَ صِرْتَ حَقِيرًا».

[And this is what] Yahweh also declares about you people of Nineveh: “You will not have any descendants who will continue to have your family names. And I will destroy all the statues of your gods that were carved or formed in molds. I will cause you [to be killed and] sent to your graves, because you are vile/despicable!”

١٥ 15 هُوَذَا عَلَى ٱلْجِبَالِ قَدَمَا مُبَشِّرٍ مُنَادٍ بِٱلسَّلَامِ! عَيِّدِي يَا يَهُوذَا أَعْيَادَكِ. أَوْفِي نُذُورَكِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَعُودُ يَعْبُرُ فِيكِ أَيْضًا ٱلْمُهْلِكُ. قَدِ ٱنْقَرَضَ كُلُّهُ.

[You people of Judah, ] look! A messenger will be coming across the mountains, and he [SYN] will be bringing good news [to you]. He will be declaring [that you will now have] peace [because Assyria will have been conquered]. [So, ] celebrate your festivals, and do what you solemnly promised to do [when your enemies were threatening to attack you], because your wicked [enemies] will not invade your country again, [because] they will be completely destroyed.