< Nahum 1 >
1 The word about Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
The birthun of Nynyue; the book of visioun of Naum Helcesei.
2 The Lord is a God who takes care of his honour and gives punishment for wrong; the Lord gives punishment and is angry; the Lord sends punishment on those who are against him, being angry with his haters.
The Lord is a punyschere, and the Lord is vengynge; the Lord is venginge, and hauynge strong veniaunce; the Lord is vengynge ayens hise aduersaries, and he is wraththing to hise enemyes.
3 The Lord is slow to get angry and great in power, and will not let the sinner go without punishment: the way of the Lord is in the wind and the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
The Lord is pacient, and greet in strengthe, and he clensynge schal not make innocent. The Lord cometh in tempest, and the weies of hym ben in whirlwynd, and cloudis ben the dust of hise feet;
4 He says sharp words to the sea and makes it dry, drying up all the rivers: Bashan is feeble, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon is without strength.
he blameth the see, and drieth it, and bryngith alle flodis to desert. Basan is maad sijk, and Carmel, and the flour of Liban langwischide.
5 The mountains are shaking because of him, and the hills flowing away; the earth is falling to bits before him, the world and all who are in it.
Mounteyns ben mouyd togidere of hym, and litil hillis ben desolat. And erthe tremblide togidere fro the face of him, and the roundenesse of erthe, and alle dwellynge ther ynne.
6 Who may keep his place before his wrath? and who may undergo the heat of his passion? his wrath is let loose like fire and the rocks are broken open by him.
Who schal stonde bifore the face of his indignacioun? and who schal ayenstonde in the wraththe of his stronge veniaunce? His indignacioun is sched out as fier, and stoonys ben brokun of hym.
7 The Lord is good, a strong place in the day of trouble; and he has knowledge of those who take him for their safe cover.
The Lord is good, and coumfortynge in the dai of tribulacioun, and knowynge hem that hopen in hym.
8 But like water overflowing he will take them away; he will put an end to those who come up against him, driving his haters into the dark.
And in greet flood passynge forth, he schal make ende of his place; and derknessis schulen pursue hise enemyes.
9 What are you designing against the Lord? he will put an end to it: his haters will not come up again a second time.
What thenken ye ayens the Lord? He schal make ende; double tribulacioun schal not rise togidere.
10 For though they are like twisted thorns, and are overcome as with drink, they will come to destruction like stems of grass fully dry.
For as thornes byclippen hem togidere, so the feeste of hem drynkynge togidere schal be wastyd, as stobul ful of drienesse.
11 One has gone out from you who is designing evil against the Lord, whose purposes are of no value.
Of thee schal go out a man thenkynge malice ayens the Lord, and trete trespassyng in soule.
12 This is what the Lord has said: The days of my cause against you are ended; they are cut off and past. Though I have sent trouble on you, you will no longer be troubled.
The Lord seith these thingis, If thei schulen be parfit, and so manye, and thus thei shulen be clippid, and it schal passe bi. I turmentide thee, and Y schal no more turmente thee.
13 And now I will let his yoke be broken off you, and your chains be parted.
And now Y schal al to-breke the yerde of hym fro thi bak, and Y schal breke thi bondis.
14 The Lord has given an order about you, that no more of your name are to be planted: from the house of your gods I will have the pictured and metal images cut off; I will make your last resting-place a place of shame; for you are completely evil.
And the Lord schal comaunde on thee, it schal no more be sowun of thi name. Of the hous of thi god Y schal sle; Y schal putte thi sepulcre a `grauun ymage, and wellid togidere, for thou art vnworschipid.
15 See on the mountains the feet of him who comes with good news, giving word of peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah, give effect to your oaths: for the good-for-nothing man will never again go through you; he is completely cut off.
Lo! on hillis the feet of the euangelisynge and tellynge pees. Juda, halewe thou thi feeste daies, and yelde thi vowis, for whi Belial schal no more put to, that he passe forth in thee; al Belial perischide.