The Overthrow of Nineveh
2 [a]The one who (A)scatters has come up against [b]you.
Man the fortress, watch the road;
[c]Strengthen your back, [d]summon all your strength.
2 For the Lord will restore the (B)splendor of Jacob
(C)Like the splendor of Israel,
Even though devastators have devastated them
And (D)destroyed their vine branches.
3 The shields of [e]his mighty men are colored red,
The warriors are dressed in (E)scarlet,
The chariots are enveloped in [f]flashing steel
[g]When he is prepared to march,
And the cypress (F)spears are brandished.
4 The (G)chariots race madly in the streets,
They rush wildly in the [h]squares,
Their appearance is like torches,
They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.
5 He remembers his (H)nobles;
They (I)stumble in their march,
They hurry to her wall,
And the [i]mantelet is set up.
6 The gates of the rivers are opened
And the palace is dissolved.
7 It is fixed:
She is stripped, she is carried away,
And her handmaids are (J)moaning like the sound of doves,
(K)Beating on their [j]breasts.
8 Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days,
Now they are fleeing;
“Stop, stop,”
But (L)no one turns back.
9 Plunder the silver!
Plunder the (M)gold!
For there is no limit to the treasure—
Wealth from every kind of desirable object.
10 She is (N)emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste!
(O)Hearts are melting and knees knocking!
Also anguish is in [k]the whole body
And all their (P)faces are grown pale!
11 Where is the den of the lions
And the feeding place of the (Q)young lions,
Where the lion, lioness and lion’s cub prowled,
With nothing to disturb them?
12 The lion tore enough for his cubs,
[l]Killed enough for his lionesses,
And filled his lairs with prey
And his dens with torn flesh.
13 “Behold, (R)I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts. “I will (S)burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions; I will (T)cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”
Footnotes
- Nahum 2:1 Ch 2:2 in Heb
- Nahum 2:1 Lit your face
- Nahum 2:1 Lit Make strong your loins
- Nahum 2:1 Lit strengthen power greatly
- Nahum 2:3 I.e. those attacking Nineveh
- Nahum 2:3 Lit fire of steel
- Nahum 2:3 Lit On the day of his preparation
- Nahum 2:4 Lit broad places
- Nahum 2:5 Lit covering used in a siege
- Nahum 2:7 Lit hearts
- Nahum 2:10 Lit all the loin
- Nahum 2:12 Lit Strangled
Cross references
- Nahum 2:1 : Jer 51:20-23
- Nahum 2:2 : Is 60:15
- Nahum 2:2 : Ezek 37:21-23
- Nahum 2:2 : Ps 80:12, 13
- Nahum 2:3 : Ezek 23:14, 15
- Nahum 2:3 : Job 39:23
- Nahum 2:4 : Is 66:15; Jer 4:13; Ezek 26:10; Nah 3:2, 3
- Nahum 2:5 : Nah 3:18
- Nahum 2:5 : Jer 46:12
- Nahum 2:7 : Is 38:14; 59:11
- Nahum 2:7 : Is 32:12
- Nahum 2:8 : Jer 46:5; 47:3
- Nahum 2:9 : Rev 18:12, 16
- Nahum 2:10 : Is 24:1; 34:10-13; Nah 2:2
- Nahum 2:10 : Ps 22:14; Is 13:7, 8; Ezek 21:7
- Nahum 2:10 : Joel 2:6
- Nahum 2:11 : Is 5:29
- Nahum 2:13 : Jer 21:13; Ezek 5:8; Nah 3:5
- Nahum 2:13 : Josh 11:6, 9; Ps 46:9
- Nahum 2:13 : Is 49:24, 25; Nah 3:1