< Nahum 1 >
1 The birthun of Nynyue; the book of visioun of Naum Helcesei.
The burden of Nineueh. The booke of the vision of Nahum the Elkeshite.
2 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.
God is ielous, and the Lord reuengeth: the Lord reuengeth: euen the Lord of anger, the Lord will take vengeance on his aduersaries, and he reserueth wrath for his enemies.
3 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;
The Lord is slow to anger, but he is great in power, and will not surely cleare the wicked: the Lord hath his way in ye whirlewind, and in the storme, and the cloudes are the dust of his feete.
4 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.
He rebuketh the sea, and dryeth it, and he dryeth vp all the riuers: Bashan is wasted and Carmel, and the floure of Lebanon is wasted.
5 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.
The mountaines tremble for him, and the hilles melt, and the earth is burnt at his sight, yea, the worlde, and all that dwell therein.
6 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.
Who can stande before his wrath? or who can abide in the fiercenesse of his wrath? his wrath is powred out like fire, and the rockes are broken by him.
7 The Lord is good, and coumfortynge in the dai of tribulacioun, and knowynge hem that hopen in hym.
The Lord is good and as a strong hold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him.
8 And in greet flood passynge forth, he schal make ende of his place; and derknessis schulen pursue hise enemyes.
But passing ouer as with a flood, he will vtterly destroy the place thereof, and darknesse shall pursue his enemies.
9 What thenken ye ayens the Lord? He schal make ende; double tribulacioun schal not rise togidere.
What doe ye imagine against the Lord? he wil make an vtter destruction: affliction shall not rise vp the seconde time.
10 For as thornes byclippen hem togidere, so the feeste of hem drynkynge togidere schal be wastyd, as stobul ful of drienesse.
For he shall come as vnto thornes folden one in another, and as vnto drunkards in their drunkennesse: they shall be deuoured as stubble fully dryed.
11 Of thee schal go out a man thenkynge malice ayens the Lord, and trete trespassyng in soule.
There commeth one out of thee that imagineth euill against the Lord, euen a wicked counsellour.
12 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.
Thus saith the Lord, Though they be quiet, and also many, yet thus shall they be cut off when he shall passe by: though I haue afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.
13 And now Y schal al to-breke the yerde of hym fro thi bak, and Y schal breke thi bondis.
For nowe I will breake his yoke from thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
14 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.
And the Lord hath giuen a commandement concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sowen: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the grauen, and the molten image: I will make it thy graue for thee, for thou art vile.
15 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.
Beholde vpon the mountaines the feete of him that declareth, and publisheth peace: O Iudah, keepe thy solemne feastes, perfourme thy vowes: for the wicked shall no more passe thorowe thee: he is vtterly cut off.