< 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].
מַשָּׂ֖א נִֽינְוֵ֑ה סֵ֧פֶר חֲז֛וֹן נַח֖וּם הָאֶלְקֹשִֽׁי׃
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].
אֵ֣ל קַנּ֤וֹא וְנֹקֵם֙ יְהוָ֔ה נֹקֵ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה וּבַ֣עַל חֵמָ֑ה נֹקֵ֤ם יְהוָה֙ לְצָרָ֔יו וְנוֹטֵ֥ר ה֖וּא לְאֹיְבָֽיו׃
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.
יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וּגְדָל כֹּ֔חַ וְנַקֵּ֖ה לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֑ה יְהוָ֗ה בְּסוּפָ֤ה וּבִשְׂעָרָה֙ דַּרְכּ֔וֹ וְעָנָ֖ן אֲבַ֥ק רַגְלָֽיו׃
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.
גּוֹעֵ֤ר בַּיָּם֙ וַֽיַּבְּשֵׁ֔הוּ וְכָל־הַנְּהָר֖וֹת הֶֽחֱרִ֑יב אֻמְלַ֤ל בָּשָׁן֙ וְכַרְמֶ֔ל וּפֶ֥רַח לְבָנ֖וֹן אֻמְלָֽל׃
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.
הָרִים֙ רָעֲשׁ֣וּ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְהַגְּבָע֖וֹת הִתְמֹגָ֑גוּ וַתִּשָּׂ֤א הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ מִפָּנָ֔יו וְתֵבֵ֖ל וְכָל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃
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.
לִפְנֵ֤י זַעְמוֹ֙ מִ֣י יַֽעֲמ֔וֹד וּמִ֥י יָק֖וּם בַּחֲר֣וֹן אַפּ֑וֹ חֲמָתוֹ֙ נִתְּכָ֣ה כָאֵ֔שׁ וְהַצֻּרִ֖ים נִתְּצ֥וּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
7 But he is good; he protects [us his people] when we experience troubles. He takes care of those who trust in him.
ט֣וֹב יְהוָ֔ה לְמָע֖וֹז בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה וְיֹדֵ֖עַ חֹ֥סֵי בֽוֹ׃
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].
וּבְשֶׁ֣טֶף עֹבֵ֔ר כָּלָ֖ה יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה מְקוֹמָ֑הּ וְאֹיְבָ֖יו יְרַדֶּף־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
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].
מַה־תְּחַשְּׁבוּן֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה כָּלָ֖ה ה֣וּא עֹשֶׂ֑ה לֹֽא־תָק֥וּם פַּעֲמַ֖יִם צָרָֽה׃
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.
כִּ֚י עַד־סִירִ֣ים סְבֻכִ֔ים וּכְסָבְאָ֖ם סְבוּאִ֑ים אֻ֨כְּל֔וּ כְּקַ֥שׁ יָבֵ֖שׁ מָלֵֽא׃
11 In Nineveh [city] there was a man who advised people to do very wicked things to Yahweh.
מִמֵּ֣ךְ יָצָ֔א חֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־יְהוָ֖ה רָעָ֑ה יֹעֵ֖ץ בְּלִיָּֽעַל׃ ס
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.
כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִם־שְׁלֵמִים֙ וְכֵ֣ן רַבִּ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן נָגֹ֖זּוּ וְעָבָ֑ר וְעִ֨נִּתִ֔ךְ לֹ֥א אֲעַנֵּ֖ךְ עֽוֹד׃
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].”
וְעַתָּ֕ה אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר מֹטֵ֖הוּ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ וּמוֹסְרֹתַ֖יִךְ אֲנַתֵּֽק׃
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!”
וְצִוָּ֤ה עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה לֹֽא־יִזָּרַ֥ע מִשִּׁמְךָ֖ ע֑וֹד מִבֵּ֨ית אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אַכְרִ֨ית פֶּ֧סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֛ה אָשִׂ֥ים קִבְרֶ֖ךָ כִּ֥י קַלּֽוֹתָ׃ פ
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.
הִנֵּ֨ה עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֤י מְבַשֵּׂר֙ מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ שָׁל֔וֹם חָגִּ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה חַגַּ֖יִךְ שַׁלְּמִ֣י נְדָרָ֑יִךְ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יוֹסִ֥יף ע֛וֹד לַֽעֲבָר בָּ֥ךְ בְּלִיַּ֖עַל כֻּלֹּ֥ה נִכְרָֽת׃

< Nahum 1 >