Book of Nahum

The Book of Nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Nahum, and was probably written in Jerusalem in the 7th century BC.

Chapter 1

 * וְעַמִּ֥י תְלוּאִ֖ים לִמְשֽׁוּבָתִ֑י וְאֶל־עַל֙ יִקְרָאֻ֔הוּ יַ֖חַד לֹ֥א יְרוֹמֵֽם אֵ֞יךְ אֶתֶּנְךָ֣ אֶפְרַ֗יִם אֲמַגֶּנְךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵיךְ אֶתֶּנְךָ֣ כְאַדְמָ֔ה אֲשִֽׂימְךָ֖ כִּצְבֹאיִ֑ם נֶהְפַּ֚ךְ עָלַי֙ לִבִּ֔י יַ֖חַד נִכְמְר֥וּ נִֽחוּמָֽי.
 * Yahweh is better than a fortress in time of distress; he recognises those who trust in him. Even when the flood rushes on; he will make an end once and for all of those who defy him, and pursue his foes into darkness.
 * NRSV, 1:7-8

Chapter 2

 * וְנִֽינְוֵ֥ה כִבְרֵֽכַת־מַ֖יִם מִ֣ימֵי הִ֑יא וְהֵ֣מָּה נָסִ֔ים עִמְד֥וּ עֲמֹ֖דוּ וְאֵ֥ין מַפְנֶֽה בֹּ֥זּוּ כֶ֖סֶף בֹּ֣זּוּ זָהָ֑ב וְאֵ֥ין קֵ֙צֶה֙ לַתְּכוּנָ֔ה כָּבֹ֕ד מִכֹּ֖ל כְּלִ֥י חֶמְדָּֽה.
 * Nineveh is like a lake, whose waters are draining away. 'Stop! Stop!' But no one turns back. 'Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!' There is no end to the treasure, a mass of everything you could desire!
 * NRSV, 2:9-10

Chapter 3

 * ה֖וֹי עִ֣יר דָּמִ֑ים כֻּלָּ֗הּ כַּ֚חַשׁ פֶּ֙רֶק֙ מְלֵאָ֔ה לֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ טָֽרֶף ק֣וֹל שׁ֔וֹט וְק֖וֹל רַ֣עַשׁ אוֹפָ֑ן וְס֣וּס דֹּהֵ֔ר וּמֶרְכָּבָ֖ה מְרַקֵּדָֽה פָּרָ֣שׁ מַֽעֲלֶ֗ה וְלַ֚הַב חֶ֙רֶב֙ וּבְרַ֣ק חֲנִ֔ית וְרֹ֥ב חָלָ֖ל וְכֹ֣בֶד פָּ֑גֶר וְאֵ֥ין קֵ֙צֶה֙ לַגְּוִיָּ֔ה וְכָֽשְׁל֖וּ (כתיב יְכָֽשְׁל֖וּ) בִּגְוִיָּתָֽם מֵרֹב֙ זְנוּנֵ֣י זוֹנָ֔ה ט֥וֹבַת חֵ֖ן בַּֽעֲלַ֣ת כְּשָׁפִ֑ים הַמֹּכֶ֚רֶת גּוֹיִם֙ בִּזְנוּנֶ֔יהָ וּמִשְׁפָּח֖וֹת בִּכְשָׁפֶֽיהָ.
 * Disaster to the city of blood, packed throughout with lies, stuffed with booty, where plundering has no end! The crack of the whip! The rumble of wheels! Galloping horse, jolting chariot, charging cavalry, flashing swords, gleaming spears, a mass of wounded, hosts of dead, countless corpses; they stumble over corpses- because of the countless who rings of the harlot, the graceful beauty, the cunning witch, who enslaved nations by her harlotries and tribes by her spells. Is no end to the treasure, a mass of everything you could desire!
 * NRSV, 3:1-4
 * וְהָיָ֚ה כָל־רֹאַ֙יִךְ֙ יִדּ֣וֹד מִמֵּ֔ךְ וְאָמַר֙ שָׁדְּדָ֣ה נִֽינְוֵ֔ה מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑הּ מֵאַ֛יִן אֲבַקֵּ֥שׁ מְנַֽחֲמִ֖ים לָֽךְ הֲתֵֽיטְבִי֙ מִנֹּ֣א אָמ֔וֹן הַיֹּֽשְׁבָה֙ בַּיְאֹרִ֔ים מַ֖יִם סָבִ֣יב לָ֑הּ אֲשֶׁר־חֵ֣יל יָ֔ם מִיָּ֖ם חֽוֹמָתָֽהּ כּ֥וּשׁ עָצְמָ֛ה וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֵ֣ין קֵ֑צֶה פּ֣וּט וְלוּבִ֔ים הָי֖וּ בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ גַּם־הִ֗יא לַגֹּלָה֙ הָֽלְכָ֣ה בַשֶּׁ֔בִי גַּ֧ם עֹֽלָלֶ֛יהָ יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כָּל־חוּצ֑וֹת וְעַל־נִכְבַּדֶּ֙יהָ֙ יַדּ֣וּ גוֹרָ֔ל וְכָל־גְּדוֹלֶ֖יהָ רֻתְּק֥וּ בַזִּקִּֽים.
 * Then all who look at you will shrink from you and say, 'Nineveh has been ruined!' Who will mourn for her? Where would I find people to comfort you? Are you better off than No-Amon situated among rivers, her defenses the seas, her rampart the waters? In Ethiopia and Egypt lay her strength, and it was boundless; Put and the Libyans served in her army.  But she too went into exile, into captivity; her little ones too were dashed to pieces at every crossroad; lots were drawn for her nobles, all her great men were put in chains.
 * NRSV, 3:7-10
 * כָּ֨ל־מִבְצָרַ֔יִךְ תְּאֵנִ֖ים עִם־בִּכּוּרִ֑ים אִם־יִנּ֕וֹעוּ וְנָֽפְל֖וּ עַל־פִּ֥י אוֹכֵֽל.
 * Your fortifications are all fig trees, with early ripening figs: as soon as they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
 * NRSV, 3:12
 * הִרְבֵּית֙ רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְ מִכּֽוֹכְבֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם יֶ֥לֶק פָּשַׁ֖ט וַיָּעֹֽף מִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙ כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ כְּג֣וֹב גּוֹבָ֑י הַֽחוֹנִ֚ים בַּגְּדֵרוֹת֙ בְּי֣וֹם קָרָ֔ה שֶׁ֚מֶשׁ זָֽרְחָה֙ וְנוֹדַ֔ד וְלֹֽא־נוֹדַ֥ע מְקוֹמ֖וֹ אַיָּֽם.
 * Let your commercial agents outnumber the stars of heaven, your garrisons, like locusts, and your marshals, like swarms of hoppers! They settle on the walls when the day is cold. The sun appears, the locusts spread their wings, they fly away,away they fly, no one knows where. Alas.
 * NRSV, 3:16-17