Translation:Nahum

For other English-language translations of this work, see Nahum (Bible).

Chapter 1

¹The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. ² 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇 is a jealous God, and a revenger: 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇^[1] is a revenger, and hath wrath: 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇 taketh vengeance on His adversaries, and He is angry with his enemies. ³ 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇 is slow to anger, and great in power, and by no means will 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇 acquit the wicked, in a hurricane and in a tempest is His way, and clouds are the dust of His feet. ⁴ He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. ⁵ The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is upheaved at His presence, and the world, and all that dwell therein. ⁶ Who can stand before the face of His indignation? And who shall resist in the fierceness of His anger? His indignation is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder before Him. ⁷ 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇 is Good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. ⁸ But with a flood passing over He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies. ⁹ What do you plot against 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. ¹⁰ For while tangled like thorns, and while drunken like drunkards, they shall be consumed as stubble fully dry. ¹¹ From you comes forth one who plots evil against 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇, contriving treachery in his mind. ¹² Thus saith 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇: Though they were perfect, and many of them so, even so they shall be cut off, and he shall pass: Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; ¹³ and now I will break his rod from upon you, and burst your bonds apart. ¹⁴ 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇 has given a command concerning you: No more of your name shall be sown, from the house of your god I will cut off the graven and molten image. I will make your grave, for you are vile. ¹⁵ Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good news, who proclaims peace. O Judah, keep your festivals, and pay your vows, for Belial^[2] shall not pass through you again, he is utterly cut off.

1. The name 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇, while appearing in the Hebrew text as the four consonantal letters יהוה‎ (YHWH), is traditionally not pronounced by Orthodox Jews, who verbalize it as "Adonai"(My Lord) or "HaShem"(the Name). Translations vary: Most translations use "YHWH", "Lord", "Jehovah", "Yahweh" or even leave in the Hebrew letters as יהוה‎. This text uses 𝐘𝐇𝐖𝐇, avoiding attempts at reconstruction of how the name was originally pronounced, in order to translate the text as closely as possible to its original intent and form.
2. (8:15) Belial, Hebrew "בְּלִיַּעַל" (Bəlīyyaʿal), "used to characterize the wicked or worthless", usually translated wicked or wickeness. However, the original reference whether to Belial itself, or to a "wicked one" is not certain. Passages such as 1 Samuel 2:12 are translated as "the sons of Eli were sons of Belial" in many translations and in others as "the sons of Eli were worthless men". Here it can be left untranslated as we have done, or it can be translated as the "wicked", or the "wicked one".