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The mountains quake before him, and the hills dissolve; the earth collapses in his presence, the world and everyone living in it.

Who can withstand his fury? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, the rocks broken to pieces before him.

But with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of [Ninveh's] place, and darkness will pursue his enemies.

Now I will break his yoke from your necks and snap the chains that bind you.

This is a prophecy about Ninveh, the book of the vision of Nachum the Elkoshi: Adonai is a jealous and vengeful God. Adonai avenges; he knows how to be angry. Adonai takes vengeance on his foes and stores up wrath for his enemies. Adonai is slow to anger, but great in power; and he does not leave the guilty unpunished. Adonai 's path is in the whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and leaves it dry, he dries up all the rivers. Bashan and the Karmel languish; the flower of the L'vanon withers. The mountains quake before him, and the hills dissolve; the earth collapses in his presence, the world and everyone living in it. Who can withstand his fury? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, the rocks broken to pieces before him. Adonai is good, a stronghold in time of trouble; he takes care of those who take refuge in him. But with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of [Ninveh's] place, and darkness will pursue his enemies. What are you planning against Adonai ? He is making an end [of it]; trouble will not arise a second time. For like men drunk with liquor, they will be burned up like tangled thorns, like straw completely dry. Out of you, [Ninveh,] he came, one who plots evil against Adonai , who counsels wickedness. Here is what Adonai says: "Though they be many and strong, they will be cut down, they will pass; and though I have made you suffer, I will make you suffer no more. Now I will break his yoke from your necks and snap the chains that bind you. Adonai gave this order concerning you: you will have no descendants to bear your name; from the house of your god I will cut off carved image and cast metal image; I will prepare your grave, because you are worthless."

[The king of Ninveh] assigns his officers; they stumble as they march; they hurry to its wall and set up shields to protect the battering ram.

The lion would tear up food for his cubs and strangle prey for his lionesses; he used to fill his caves with prey, his lairs with torn flesh. "I am against you," says Adonai -Tzva'ot. "Her chariots I will send up in smoke, the sword will consume your lion cubs, I will destroy your prey from the earth, and your envoys' voices will be heard no more."

Your wound cannot be healed. Your injury is fatal. Everyone hearing the news about you claps his hands in joy over you. For who has not been overwhelmed by your relentless cruelty?

Truly, wine is treacherous; the arrogant will not live at peace but keeps expanding his desires like Sh'ol; like death, he can never be satisfied; he keeps collecting all the nations for himself, rallying to himself all the peoples.

"‘Woe to him who seeks unjust gain for his household, putting his nest on the heights, in order to be safe from the reach of harm.

"‘Woe to him who has his neighbor drink, adds his own poison and makes him drunk, in order to see him naked.

What good is an idol, once its maker has shaped it, a cast metal image and a teacher of lies, that its maker puts his trust in it, and goes on making non-gods, unable to talk?

But Adonai is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

God comes from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Pa'ran. (Selah) His splendor covers the sky, and his praise fills the earth.

His brightness is like the sun, rays come forth from his hand — that is where his power is concealed.

When he stands up, the earth shakes; when he looks, the nations tremble, the eternal mountains are smashed to pieces, the ancient hills sink down; the ancient paths are his.

Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them. On the day of Adonai 's fury, the whole land will be destroyed in the fire of his jealousy. For he will make an end, a horrible end, of all those living in the land."

Seek Adonai , all you humble in the land, you who exercise his justice; seek righteousness, seek humility — you might be hidden on the day of Adonai 's anger.

He will stretch out his hand against the north; he will destroy Ashur; he will make Ninveh desolate, as dry as the desert.

This is the city, once so joyful, whose people felt themselves secure, who used to say to herself, "I am [the greatest]! I have no rival." What a ruin she has become — a place for wild animals to lie down! Everyone passing by her hisses and shakes his fist!