Nahum 1

New International Reader's Version

1 Here is a prophecy the Lord gave Nahum, who was from the town of Elkosh. The prophecy came in a vision and is written in a book. The prophecy is about Nineveh.

The Lord Is Angry With Nineveh

²The Lord is a jealous God who punishes people.
    He pays them back for the evil things they do.
    He directs his anger against them.
The Lord punishes his enemies.
    He holds his anger back
    until the right time to use it.
³The Lord is slow to get angry.
    But he is very powerful.
The Lord will not let guilty people go
    without punishing them.
When he marches out, he stirs up winds and storms.
    Clouds are the dust kicked up by his feet.
⁴He controls the seas. He dries them up.
    He makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Mount Carmel dry up.
    The flowers in Lebanon fade.
⁵He causes the mountains to shake.
    The hills melt away.
The earth trembles because he is there.
    The world and all those who live in it also tremble.
⁶Who can stand firm when his anger burns?
    Who can live when he is angry?
His anger blazes out like fire.
    He smashes the rocks to pieces.

⁷The Lord is good.
    When people are in trouble,
    they can go to him for safety.
He takes good care of those
    who trust in him.
⁸But he will destroy Nineveh
    with a powerful flood.
He will chase his enemies
    into the place of darkness.

⁹The Lord will put an end
    to anything they plan against him.
He won’t allow Assyria to win the battle
    over his people a second time.
¹⁰His enemies will be tangled up among thorns.
    Their wine will make them drunk.
    They’ll be burned up like dry straw.
¹¹Nineveh, a king has marched out from you.
    He makes evil plans against the Lord.
    He thinks about how he can do what is wrong.

¹²The Lord says,

“His army has many soldiers.
    Other nations are helping them.
    But they will be destroyed and pass away.
Judah, I punished you.
    But I will not do it anymore.
¹³Now I will break Assyria’s yoke off your neck.
    I will tear off the ropes that hold you.”

¹⁴Nineveh, the Lord has given an order concerning you.
    He has said, “You will not have any children
    to carry on your name.
I will destroy the wooden and metal statues
    that are in the temple of your gods.
I will get your grave ready for you.
    You are worthless.”

¹⁵Look at the mountains of Judah!
    I see a messenger running to bring good news!
    He’s telling us that peace has come!
People of Judah, celebrate your feasts.
    Carry out your promises.
The evil Assyrians won’t attack you again.
    They’ll be completely destroyed.