Nahum 1

1 Burden of Nineveh. The Scroll of the Vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

[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].

2 A God zealous and avenging [is] YHWH, An avenger [is] YHWH, and possessing fury. An avenger [is] YHWH on His adversaries, And He is watching for His enemies.

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].

3 YHWH [is] slow to anger, and great in power, And YHWH does not entirely acquit, In a windstorm and in a storm [is] His way, And a cloud [is] the dust of His feet.

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.

4 He is pushing against a sea, and dries it up, Indeed, He has made all the floods dry, Bashan and Carmel [are] languishing, Indeed, the flower of Lebanon [is] languishing.

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.

5 Mountains have shaken because of Him, And the hills have been melted; And the earth [is] lifted up at His presence, And the world and all dwelling in it.

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

6 Who stands before His indignation? And who rises up in the heat of His anger? His fury has been poured out like fire, And the rocks have been broken by Him.

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.

7 Good [is] YHWH for a strong place in a day of distress. And He knows those trusting in Him.

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

8 And with a flood passing over, An end He makes of its place, And darkness pursues His enemies.

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].

9 What do we devise against YHWH? He is making an end, distress does not arise twice.

[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].

10 For while princes [are] perplexed, And with their drink are drunken, They have been consumed as stubble fully dried.

[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.

11 From you has come forth a deviser of evil Against YHWH—a worthless counselor.

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

12 Thus said YHWH: “Though complete, and thus many, Yet thus they have been cut off, And he has passed away. Though I afflicted you, I afflict you no longer.

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.

13 And now I break his rod from off you, And your bands I draw away.”

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].”

14 And YHWH has commanded concerning you, “No more of your name spreads abroad, I cut off carved and molten image from the house of your gods, I appoint your grave, for you have been vile.”

[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!”

15 Behold, on the mountains the feet of one proclaiming tidings, sounding peace! Celebrate, O Judah, your festivals, complete your vows, For the worthless no longer pass over into you, He has been completely cut off!

[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.