The Hebrew Prophets

Burden of Nineveh. The Book of the Vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

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

Jehovah is slow to anger, and great in power, And Jehovah doth not entirely acquit, In a hurricane and in a tempest is His way, And a cloud is the dust of His feet.

He is pushing against a sea, and drieth it up, Yea, all the floods He hath made dry, Languishing are Bashan and Carmel, Yea, the flower of Lebanon is languishing.

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

Before His indignation who doth stand? And who riseth up in the heat of His anger? His fury hath been poured out like fire, And the rocks have been broken by Him.

Good is Jehovah for a strong place in a day of distress. And He knoweth those trusting in Him.

And with a flood passing over, An end He maketh of its place, And His enemies doth darkness pursue.

What do we devise against Jehovah? An end He is making, arise not twice doth distress.

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

From thee hath come forth a deviser of evil Against Jehovah--a worthless counsellor.

Thus said Jehovah: Though complete, and thus many, Yet thus they have been cut off, And he hath passed away. And I afflicted thee, I afflict thee no more.

And now I break his rod from off thee, And thy bands I do draw away.

And commanded concerning thee hath Jehovah, `No more of thy name doth spread abroad, From the house of thy gods I cut off graven and molten image, I appoint thy grave, for thou hast been vile.

Lo, on the mountains the feet of one proclaiming tidings, sounding peace! Celebrate, O Judah, thy festivals, complete thy vows, For add no more to pass over into thee doth the worthless, He hath been completely cut off!

Come up hath a scatterer to thy face, Keep the bulwark, watch the way, Strengthen the loins, strengthen power mightily.

For turned back hath Jehovah to the excellency of Jacob, As to the excellency of Israel, For emptied them out have emptiers, And their branches they have marred.

The shield of his mighty ones is become red, Men of might are in scarlet, With fiery torches is the chariot in a day of his preparation, And the firs have been caused to tremble.

In out-places shine do the chariots, They go to and fro in broad places, Their appearances are like torches, As lightnings they run.

He doth remember his honourable ones, They stumble in their goings, They hasten to its wall, and prepared is the covering.

Gates of the rivers have been opened, And the palace is dissolved.

And it is established--she hath removed, She hath been brought up, And her handmaids are leading as the voice of doves, Tabering on their hearts.

And Nineveh is as a pool of waters, From of old it is --and they are fleeing! `Stand ye, stand;' and none is turning!

Seize ye silver, seize ye gold, And there is no end to the prepared things, To the abundance of all desirable vessels.

She is empty, yea, emptiness and waste, And the heart hath melted, And the knees have smitten together, And great pain is in all loins, And the faces of all of them have gathered paleness.