נַחוּם 3

1 הֹ֖וי עִ֣יר דָּמִ֑ים כֻּלָּ֗הּ כַּ֤חַשׁ פֶּ֙רֶק֙ מְלֵאָ֔ה לֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ טָֽרֶף׃

What a disaster is coming upon this murderous city with all its treachery! It is full of wealth it has robbed, and always has plenty of victims.

2 קֹ֣ול שֹׁ֔וט וְקֹ֖ול רַ֣עַשׁ אֹופָ֑ן וְס֣וּס דֹּהֵ֔ר וּמֶרְכָּבָ֖ה מְרַקֵּדָֽה׃

Listen to the noise: whips crack, wheels clatter, horses gallop, chariots rattle!

3 פָּרָ֣שׁ מַעֲלֶ֗ה וְלַ֤הַב חֶ֙רֶב֙ וּבְרַ֣ק חֲנִ֔ית וְרֹ֥ב חָלָ֖ל וְכֹ֣בֶד פָּ֑גֶר וְאֵ֥ין קֵ֙צֶה֙ לַגְּוִיָּ֔ה יִכְשְׁלוּ (וְכָשְׁל֖וּ) בִּגְוִיָּתָֽם׃

Horsemen charge, swords flash, spears glitter! Many dead, piles of corpses, countless bodies—so many that people stumble over them.

4 מֵרֹב֙ זְנוּנֵ֣י זֹונָ֔ה טֹ֥ובַת חֵ֖ן בַּעֲלַ֣ת כְּשָׁפִ֑ים הַמֹּכֶ֤רֶת גֹּויִם֙ בִּזְנוּנֶ֔יהָ וּמִשְׁפָּחֹ֖ות בִּכְשָׁפֶֽיהָ׃

All this happens because the repeated prostitution of Nineveh the prostitute, the beautiful mistress with her deadly charms who seduces nations into slavery by her prostitution and her witchcraft.

5 הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֗יִךְ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֔ות וְגִלֵּיתִ֥י שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ עַל־פָּנָ֑יִךְ וְהַרְאֵיתִ֤י גֹויִם֙ מַעְרֵ֔ךְ וּמַמְלָכֹ֖ות קְלֹונֵֽךְ׃

Watch out! For I am against you, declares the Lord Almighty. I will lift your skirts over your face and let the nations see your nakedness, and kingdoms see your shame.

6 וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּ֥י עָלַ֛יִךְ שִׁקֻּצִ֖ים וְנִבַּלְתִּ֑יךְ וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ כְּרֹֽאִי׃

I will throw filth at you. I will treat you with contempt, and make a spectacle of you.

7 וְהָיָ֤ה כָל־רֹאַ֙יִךְ֙ יִדֹּ֣וד מִמֵּ֔ךְ וְאָמַר֙ שָׁדְּדָ֣ה נִֽינְוֵ֔ה מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑הּ מֵאַ֛יִן אֲבַקֵּ֥שׁ מְנַחֲמִ֖ים לָֽךְ׃

Then everyone who sees you will shun you saying, “Nineveh is ruined! But who is going to mourn your loss?” Where should I look to find anyone to comfort you?

8 הֲתֵֽיטְבִי֙ מִנֹּ֣א אָמֹ֔ון הַיֹּֽשְׁבָה֙ בַּיְאֹרִ֔ים מַ֖יִם סָבִ֣יב לָ֑הּ אֲשֶׁר־חֵ֣יל יָ֔ם מִיָּ֖ם חֹומָתָֽהּ׃

Are you any better than the city of Thebes on the River Nile, surrounded by water? Water was its defense, water was its wall.

9 כּ֥וּשׁ עָצְמָ֛ה וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֵ֣ין קֵ֑צֶה פּ֣וּט וְלוּבִ֔ים הָי֖וּ בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ׃

The city ruled Egypt and Ethiopia. Put and Libya were its allies.

10 גַּם־הִ֗יא לַגֹּלָה֙ הָלְכָ֣ה בַשֶּׁ֔בִי גַּ֧ם עֹלָלֶ֛יהָ יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כָּל־חוּצֹ֑ות וְעַל־נִכְבַּדֶּ֙יהָ֙ יַדּ֣וּ גֹורָ֔ל וְכָל־גְּדֹולֶ֖יהָ רֻתְּק֥וּ בַזִּקִּֽים׃

Yet its people were also taken away into exile, into captivity. Their babies were dashed to pieces in every street. Their nobles were bound in chains and taken away as servants, chosen by lot.

11 גַּם־אַ֣תְּ תִּשְׁכְּרִ֔י תְּהִ֖י נַֽעֲלָמָ֑ה גַּם־אַ֛תְּ תְּבַקְשִׁ֥י מָעֹ֖וז מֵאֹויֵֽב׃

You too will behave like a drunk. You will hide in fear, trying to find a place safe from the enemy.

12 כָּ֨ל־מִבְצָרַ֔יִךְ תְּאֵנִ֖ים עִם־בִּכּוּרִ֑ים אִם־יִנֹּ֕ועוּ וְנָפְל֖וּ עַל־פִּ֥י אֹוכֵֽל׃

All your fortresses are like fig trees ripe with fruit—they fall when they are shaken into the mouth of the one eating.

13 הִנֵּ֨ה עַמֵּ֤ךְ נָשִׁים֙ בְּקִרְבֵּ֔ךְ לְאֹ֣יְבַ֔יִךְ פָּתֹ֥וחַ נִפְתְּח֖וּ שַׁעֲרֵ֣י אַרְצֵ֑ךְ אָכְלָ֥ה אֵ֖שׁ בְּרִיחָֽיִך׃

Look! Your soldiers are women among you. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; the bars of the gates will be set on fire.

14 מֵ֤י מָצֹור֙ שַֽׁאֲבִי־לָ֔ךְ חַזְּקִ֖י מִבְצָרָ֑יִךְ בֹּ֧אִי בַטִּ֛יט וְרִמְסִ֥י בַחֹ֖מֶר הַחֲזִ֥יקִי מַלְבֵּֽן׃

Store water to prepare for a siege! Strengthen your fortresses! Go to the clay pits to tread it well, mix the cement, get your brick molds ready!

15 שָׁ֚ם תֹּאכְלֵ֣ךְ אֵ֔שׁ תַּכְרִיתֵ֣ךְ חֶ֔רֶב תֹּאכְלֵ֖ךְ כַּיָּ֑לֶק הִתְכַּבֵּ֣ד כַּיֶּ֔לֶק הִֽתְכַּבְּדִ֖י כָּאַרְבֶּֽה׃

But even so, there the fire will consume you, you will be cut down by the sword. You will be destroyed as if you were devoured by a swarm of locusts. So multiply yourselves like locusts, like a swarm of locusts.

16 הִרְבֵּית֙ רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְ מִכֹּוכְבֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם יֶ֥לֶק פָּשַׁ֖ט וַיָּעֹֽף׃

You increased your merchants so that there are more of them than the stars of heaven. But like locusts they strip everything and then fly away.

17 מִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙ כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ כְּגֹ֣וב גֹּבָ֑י הַֽחֹונִ֤ים בַּגְּדֵרֹות֙ בְּיֹ֣ום קָרָ֔ה שֶׁ֤מֶשׁ זָֽרְחָה֙ וְנֹודַ֔ד וְלֹֽא־נֹודַ֥ע מְקֹומֹ֖ו אַיָּֽם׃

Your leaders are like locusts, your officials like a swarm of locusts. They rest on walls on a cold day, but when the sun rises they fly away, and no one knows where they've gone.

18 נָמ֤וּ רֹעֶ֙יךָ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר יִשְׁכְּנ֖וּ אַדִּירֶ֑יךָ נָפֹ֧שׁוּ עַמְּךָ֛ עַל־הֶהָרִ֖ים וְאֵ֥ין מְקַבֵּֽץ׃

King of Assyria, your shepherds are asleep, your princes are slumbering. Your people are scattered across the mountains and no one can gather them.

19 אֵין־כֵּהָ֣ה לְשִׁבְרֶ֔ךָ נַחְלָ֖ה מַכָּתֶ֑ךָ כֹּ֣ל ׀ שֹׁמְעֵ֣י שִׁמְעֲךָ֗ תָּ֤קְעוּ כַף֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֗י עַל־מִ֛י לֹֽא־עָבְרָ֥ה רָעָתְךָ֖ תָּמִֽיד׃

There is no way to heal your injuries, you are too badly wounded. Everyone who hears this news will applaud what has happened to you, for was there anyone who escaped your continuous cruelty?