The Storm That Was Always Coming.

מַשָּׂ֖א נִֽינְוֵ֑ה סֵ֧פֶר חֲז֛וֹן נַח֖וּם הָאֶלְקֹשִֽׁי׃

An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

אֵ֣ל קַנּ֤וֹא וְנֹקֵם֙ יְהוָ֔ה נֹקֵ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה וּבַ֣עַל חֵמָ֑ה נֹקֵ֤ם יְהוָה֙ לְצָרָ֔יו וְנוֹטֵ֥ר ה֖וּא לְאֹיְבָֽיו׃

[2] The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.

יְהוָֹ֗ה אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ ׳וּגְדוֹל־וּגְדָל־כֹּ֔חַ׳ וְנַקֵּ֖ה לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֑ה יְהוָ֗ה בְּסוּפָ֤ה וּבִשְׂעָרָה֙ דַּרְכּ֔וֹ וְעָנָ֖ן אֲבַ֥ק רַגְלָֽיו׃

[3] The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

גּוֹעֵ֤ר בַּיָּם֙ וַֽיַּבְּשֵׁ֔הוּ וְכָל־הַנְּהָר֖וֹת הֶֽחֱרִ֑יב אֻמְלַ֤ל בָּשָׁן֙ וְכַרְמֶ֔ל וּפֶ֥רַח לְבָנ֖וֹן אֻמְלָֽל׃

[4] He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers.

הָרִים֙ רָעֲשׁ֣וּ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְהַגְּבָע֖וֹת הִתְמֹגָ֑גוּ וַתִּשָּׂ֤א הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ מִפָּנָ֔יו וְתֵבֵ֖ל וְכָל־יֹ֥שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃

[5] The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.

לִפְנֵ֤י זַעְמוֹ֙ מִ֣י יַֽעֲמ֔וֹד וּמִ֥י יָק֖וּם בַּחֲר֣וֹן אַפּ֑וֹ חֲמָתוֹ֙ נִתְּכָ֣ה כָאֵ֔שׁ וְהַצֻּרִ֖ים נִתְּצ֥וּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

[6] Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

ט֣וֹב יְהוָ֔ה לְמָע֖וֹז בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה וְיֹדֵ֖עַ חֹ֥סֵי בֽוֹ׃

[7] The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

וּבְשֶׁ֣טֶף עֹבֵ֔ר כָּלָ֖ה יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה מְקוֹמָ֑הּ וְאֹיְבָ֖יו יְרַדֶּף־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

[8] But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

מַה־תְּחַשְּׁבוּן֙ אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה כָּלָ֖ה ה֣וּא עֹשֶׂ֑ה לֹֽא־תָק֥וּם פַּעֲמַ֖יִם צָרָֽה׃

[9] What do you plot against the Lord ? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.

כִּ֚י עַד־סִירִ֣ים סְבֻכִ֔ים וּכְסָבְאָ֖ם סְבוּאִ֑ים אֻ֨כְּל֔וּ כְּקַ֥שׁ יָבֵ֖שׁ מָלֵֽא׃

[10] For they are like entangled thorns, like drunkards as they drink; they are consumed like stubble fully dried.

מִמֵּ֣ךְ יָצָ֔א חֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־יְהוָ֖ה רָעָ֑ה יֹעֵ֖ץ בְּלִיָּֽעַל׃ ס

[11] From you came one who plotted evil against the Lord , a worthless counselor.

כֹּ֣ה׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אִם־שְׁלֵמִים֙ וְכֵ֣ן רַבִּ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן נָגֹ֖זּוּ וְעָבָ֑ר וְעִ֨נִּתִ֔ךְ לֹ֥א אֲעַנֵּ֖ךְ עֽוֹד׃

[12] Thus says the Lord , “Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.

וְעַתָּ֕ה אֶשְׁבֹּ֥ר מֹטֵ֖הוּ מֵֽעָלָ֑יִךְ וּמוֹסְרֹתַ֖יִךְ אֲנַתֵּֽק׃

[13] And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.”

וְצִוָּ֤ה עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה לֹֽא־יִזָּרַ֥ע מִשִּׁמְךָ֖ ע֑וֹד מִבֵּ֨ית אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אַכְרִ֨ית פֶּ֧סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֛ה אָשִׂ֥ים קִבְרֶ֖ךָ כִּ֥י קַלּֽוֹתָ׃ פ

[14] The Lord has given commandment about you: “No more shall your name be perpetuated; from the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the metal image. I will make your grave, for you are vile.”