Nahum 1

1 [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].

The doom of Nineveh, The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

2 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].

A God watchful and avenging is the Lord; an avenger is the Lord, and full of fury; the Lord taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and keepeth in mind the deeds of his enemies.

3 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.

The Lord is long-suffering, and great in power, but he will by no means clear the guilty: the Lord—in the whirlwind and in the storm is his way, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

4 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.

He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and all the rivers he drieth up: Bashan then withereth, with Carmel, and the flowers of Lebanon wither.

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

Mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away; and the earth is lifted up at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.

6 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.

Before his indignation who can stand? and who can subsist before the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken down by him.

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

The Lord is good, a strong-hold on the day of distress; and he knoweth those that trust in him.

8 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].

But with an overflowing flood will he utterly destroy the place of [Nineveh], and his enemies will he pursue with darkness.

9 [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].

What will you devise against the Lord? he is bringing about an utter destruction, the distress shall not rise up twice.

10 [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.

For they, like thorns interwoven, and as men made drunken in their drinking bout, shall be entirely consumed as dry stubble.

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

There is gone forth out of thee he that devised evil against the Lord, the counsellor of infamous things.

12 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.

Thus hath said the Lord, Though they be complete, and ever so many, nevertheless shall they be cut down, and it shall be over [with them]: and if even I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.

13 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].”

For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and thy bonds will I tear asunder.

14 [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!”

But against thee hath the Lord decreed, that no heir of thy name shall be any more: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven and the molten image; I will prepare thy grave [there]; for thou art made vile.

15 [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.

Behold, upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, Celebrate thy feasts, O Judah, fulfill thy vows; for never more shall the wicked pass again through thee, he is utterly cut off.