Study Desk

The ^(C1)pronouncement of ^(C2)Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

A ^(C1)jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is ^(C2)avenging and ^(F1)wrathful. The LORD takes ^(C3)vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.

The LORD is ^(C1)slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In the ^(C2)gale and the storm is His way, And ^(C3)clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

He ^(C1)rebukes the sea and dries it up; He dries up all the rivers. ^(C2)Bashan and Carmel wither, The blossoms of Lebanon wither.

Mountains ^(C1)quake because of Him, And the hills ^(C2)come apart; Indeed the earth is ^(C3)upheaved by His presence, The ^(C4)world and all the inhabitants in it.

^(C1)Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the ^(C2)burning of His anger? His ^(C3)wrath gushes forth like fire, And the ^(C4)rocks are broken up by Him.

The LORD is ^(C1)good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And ^(C2)He knows those who take refuge in Him.

But with an ^(C1)overflowing flood He will make a complete end of ^(F1)its site, And will pursue His enemies into ^(C2)darkness.

Whatever you ^(C1)devise against the LORD, He will make a ^(C2)complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice.

Like tangled ^(C1)thorns, And like those who are ^(C2)drunken with their drink, They are ^(C3)consumed Like stubble completely dried up.

From you has gone out One who ^(C1)plotted evil against the LORD, A ^(F1)(C2)wicked counselor.

This is what the LORD says: "Though they are at full strength and so they are many, So also they will be ^(C1)cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you ^(C2)no longer.

-"So now, I will ^(C1)break his yoke from upon you, And I will tear your shackles to pieces."

The LORD has issued a command concerning ^(F1)you: "^(F2)Your name will ^(C1)no longer be perpetuated. I will eliminate the ^(C2)carved image and the cast metal image From the house of your gods. I will prepare your ^(C3)grave, For you are contemptible."

^(F1)Behold, ^(C1)on the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace! ^(C2)Celebrate your feasts, Judah, Pay your vows. For ^(C3)never again will the ^(F2)wicked one pass through you; He is ^(C4)eliminated completely.

^(F1)The one who ^(C1)scatters has come up against ^(F2)you. Keep watch over the fortress, watch the road; ^(F3)Bind up your waist, ^(F4)summon all your strength.

For the LORD will restore the ^(C1)splendor of Jacob ^(C2)Like the splendor of Israel, Even though destroyers have laid waste to them And ^(C3)ruined their vines.

The shields of ^(F1)his warriors are dyed red, The warriors are dressed in ^(C1)scarlet, The chariots are fitted with ^(F2)flashing steel ^(F3)When he is prepared to march, And the juniper ^(C2)spears are brandished.

The ^(C1)chariots drive wildly in the streets, They rush around in the ^(F1)public squares; Their appearance is like torches, They drive back and forth like lightning flashes.

He remembers his ^(C1)officers; They ^(C2)stumble in their advance, They hurry to her wall, And the ^(F1)mantelet is set up.

The gates of the rivers are opened And the palace sways back and forth.

It is set: She is stripped, she is led away, And her slave women are ^(C1)sobbing like the sound of doves, ^(C2)Beating their ^(F1)breasts.

Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Yet they are fleeing; "Stop, stop," But ^(C1)no one turns back.

Plunder the silver, Plunder the ^(C1)gold! For there is no end to the treasure— Wealth from every kind of desirable object.

She is ^(C1)emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! ^(C2)Hearts are melting and knees wobbling! Also trembling is in ^(F1)the entire body, And all their ^(C3)faces have become pale!

Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the ^(C1)young lions, Where the lion, lioness, and lion's cub went With nothing to disturb them?

The lion tore enough for his cubs, ^(F1)Killed enough prey for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh.

"Behold, ^(C1)I am against you," declares the LORD of armies. "I will ^(C2)burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; I will ^(C3)eliminate your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard."

^(C1)Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage; Her prey does not leave.

The ^(C1)sound of the whip, The sound of the roar of the wheel, Galloping horses And ^(F1)bounding chariots!

Horsemen charging, Swords flashing, ^(C1)spears gleaming, ^(C2)Many killed, a mass of corpses, And there is ^(C3)no end to the dead bodies— They stumble over ^(F1)the dead bodies!

All because of the ^(C1)many sexual acts of the prostitute, The charming one, the ^(C2)mistress of sorceries, Who ^(C3)sells nations by her sexual acts, And families by her sorceries.

"Behold, ^(C1)I am against you," declares the LORD of armies; "And I will ^(F1)(C2)lift up your skirts over your face, And ^(C3)show the nations your nakedness, And the kingdoms your shame.

-"I will ^(C1)throw filth on you And ^(C2)declare you worthless, And set you up as a ^(C3)spectacle.

-"And it will come about that all who see you Will ^(F1)shrink from you and say, 'Nineveh is devastated! ^(C1)Who will have sympathy for her?' Where shall I seek comforters for you?"

Are you better than ^(F1)(C1)No-amon, Which was situated by the ^(C2)canals of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was ^(F2)the sea, Whose wall consisted of ^(F2)the sea?

^(C1)Ethiopia was her might, Egypt too, without limits. ^(C2)Put and ^(C3)Lubim were among ^(F1)her helpers.

Yet she ^(C1)became an exile, She went into captivity; Also her ^(C2)small children were smashed to pieces ^(C3)At the head of every street; They ^(C4)cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with shackles.

You too will become ^(C1)drunk, You will be ^(C2)hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.

All your fortifications are ^(C1)fig trees with ^(F1)(C2)ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater's mouth.

Behold, your people are ^(C1)women in your midst! The gates of your land are ^(C2)opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars.

^(C1)Draw for yourself water for a siege! ^(C2)Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick mold!

There ^(C1)fire will consume you, The sword will cut you down; It will ^(C2)consume you as the creeping locust consumes a crop. Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the migratory locust.

You have made your ^(C1)traders more numerous than the stars of heaven— The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away.

Your ^(C1)courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your ^(C2)officials are like a swarm of locusts Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known.

Your shepherds are ^(C1)sleeping, O ^(C2)king of Assyria; Your ^(C3)officers are lying down. Your people are ^(C4)scattered on the mountains And there is no one to gather them.

There is ^(C1)no relief for your collapse, Your ^(C2)wound is incurable. All who hear ^(F1)about you Will ^(C3)clap their hands over you, For upon whom has your evil not come continually?