ناحُوم 1

١ 1 وَحْيٌ بِشَأْنِ نِينَوَى، كَمَا وَرَدَ فِي كِتَابِ رُؤْيَا نَاحُومَ الأَلْقُوشِيِّ.

[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 الرَّبُّ إِلَهٌ غَيُورٌ وَمُنْتَقِمٌ. الرَّبُّ مُنْتَقِمٌ وَسَاخِطٌ. يَنْتَقِمُ مِنْ أَعْدَائِهِ، وَيُضْمِرُ الْغَضَبَ لِخُصُومِهِ.

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 الرَّبُّ بَطِيءٌ فِي غَضَبِهِ وَعَظِيمُ الْعِزَّةِ، إِنَّمَا لَا يُبْرِئُ الْخَاطِئَ الْبَتَّةَ. طَرِيقُ الرَّبِّ فِي الزَّوْبَعَةِ وَالْعَاصِفَةِ، وَالْغَمَامُ غُبَارُ قَدَمَيْهِ.

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 يَزْجُرُ الْبَحْرَ فَيُجَفِّفُهُ. يُنْضِبُ جَمِيعَ الأَنْهَارِ، فَتَذْوِي مَرَاعِي بَاشَانَ وَالْكَرْمَلِ، وَيَذْبُلُ زَهْرُ لُبْنَانَ.

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 تَتَزَلْزَلُ الْجِبَالُ أَمَامَهُ، وَتَذُوبُ التِّلالُ، وَتَتَصَدَّعُ الأَرْضُ فِي حَضْرَتِهِ وَالْمَسْكُونَةُ وَالسَّاكِنُونَ فِيهَا.

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 يَصْمِدُ أَمَامَ سَخَطِهِ؟ مَنْ يَتَحَمَّلُ فَرْطَ اضْطِرَامِ غَضَبِهِ؟ يَنْصَبُّ غَضَبُهُ كَالنَّارِ وَتَنْحَلُّ تَحْتَ وَطْأَتِهِ الصُّخُورُ.

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 الرَّبُّ صَالِحٌ، حِصْنٌ فِي يَوْمِ الضِّيقِ، وَيَعْرِفُ الْمُعْتَصِمِينَ بِهِ.

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

٨ 8 وَلَكِنَّهُ بِطُوفَانٍ طَامٍ يُخْفِي مَعَالِمَ نِينَوَى، وَتُدْرِكُ الظُّلْمَةُ أَعْدَاءَهُ.

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 لِمَاذَا تَتَآمَرُونَ عَلَى الرَّبِّ؟ إِنَّهُ يَقْضِي عَلَى مُؤَامَرَتِكُمْ، وَيُفْنِيكُمْ بِضَرْبَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ.

[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 وَتَلْتَهِمُهُمُ النَّارُ كَمَا تَلْتَهِمُ شَجَرَةَ عُلَّيْقٍ كَثِيفَةً أَوْ سُكَارَى مُتَرَنِّحِينَ مِنْ خَمْرِهِمْ أَوْ حِزْمَةَ قَشٍّ جَافَّةً.

[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 يَا نِينَوَى مَنْ تَآمَرَ بِالشَّرِّ عَلَى الرَّبِّ، وَالْمُشِيرُ بِالسُّوءِ.

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

١٢ 12 وَهَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ: مَعَ أَنَّكُمْ أَقْوِيَاءُ وَكَثِيرُونَ فَإِنَّكُمْ تُسْتَأْصَلُونَ وَتَفْنَوْنَ. أَمَّا أَنْتُمْ يَا شَعْبِي فَقَدْ عَاقَبْتُكُمْ أَشَدَّ عِقَابٍ وَلَنْ أُنْزِلَ بِكُمُ الْوَيْلاتِ 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 بَلْ أُحَطِّمُ الآنَ نِيرَ أَشُّورَ عَنْكُمْ، وَأَكْسِرُ أَغْلالَكُمْ.

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 وَهَا الرَّبُّ قَدْ أَصْدَرَ قَضَاءَهُ بِشَأْنِكَ يَا أَشُّورُ: لَنْ تَبْقَى لَكَ ذُرِّيَّةٌ تَحْمِلُ اسْمَكَ. وَأَسْتَأْصِلُ مِنْ هَيْكَلِ آلهَتِكَ مَنْحُوتَاتِكَ وَمَسْبُوكَاتِكَ، وَأَجْعَلُهُ قَبْرَكَ، لأَنَّكَ صِرْتَ نَجِساً.

[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 الْجِبَالِ (تَسِيرُ) قَدَمَا الْمُبَشِّرِ حَامِلِ الأَخْبَارِ السَّارَّةِ، الَّذِي يُعْلِنُ السَّلامَ. فَيَا يَهُوذَا وَاظِبْ عَلَى الاحْتِفَالِ بِأَعْيَادِكَ وَأَوْفِ نُذُورَكَ لأَنَّهُ لَنْ يُهَاجِمَكَ الشِّرِّيرُ مِنْ بَعْدُ، إِذْ قَدِ انْقَرَضَ تَمَاماً.

[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.