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The Prophet Nahum

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- Chapter 3 -

1
Woe to the city of blood, filled with all manner of lies and violence. Crime shall not depart from you:
2
the voice of the whip, and the voice of the turning wheels, and of the neighing horse, and the burning chariot, and the horsemen who ride,
3
and of the flashing sword and the shining spear, and of a multitude executed and a grievous ruination. Neither is there an end to the dead bodies, and they will fall down upon their dead bodies.
4
Because of the multitude of fornications of the kept woman, beautiful and pleasing and practicing evil deeds, who sold nations by her fornications, and families by her evil doing:(a)
5
behold, I will come to you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will reveal your shame to your face, and I will show your nakedness to the Gentiles, and your disgrace to kingdoms.(b)
6
And I will cast abominations over you, and I will afflict you with abuse, and I will make an example of you.
7
And this shall be: everyone who sees you, will recoil from you, and he will say: “Nineveh has been devastated.” Who will shake his head over you? Where might I seek consolation for you?
8
Are you better than the populous Alexandria, which dwells along the rivers? Waters encircle it: the sea, with its riches. The waters are its walls.(c)
9
Ethiopia and Egypt were its strength, and there is no limit. Africa and Northern Africa have been your helpers.(d)
10
Nevertheless, she has been led away with the transmigration into captivity. Her little ones have been dashed in pieces at the top of every street, and they have cast lots over her celebrities, and all her elite have been fastened together in shackles.
11
Therefore, you also will become inebriated, and you will be despised, and you will seek help from the opposition.
12
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with their green figs. If they are shaken violently, they will fall into the mouth of the one who devours.
13
Behold, women are at the center of your people. The gates of your land will be opened wide for your enemies; fire will devour your bars.
14
Draw in water because of the blockade; build up your fortresses. Go into the clay and tread; work it to make brick.
15
There, fire will devour you. You will perish by the sword; it will devour you like the beetle. Gather together like the beetle. Multiply like the locust.
16
You have made more negotiations than there are stars in the sky. The beetle has spread out and flown away.
17
Your guardians are like locusts, and your little ones are like locusts among locusts, which alight on hedges on a cold day. The sun rose up, and they flew away, and there was no way to know the place where they had been.(e) (f)
18
Your shepherds have become drowsy, king Assur. Your princes will be buried. Your people have remained hidden in the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.
19
Your destruction is not hidden; your wound is grievous. All who have heard of your fame have clenched their hands over you, because over whom has your wickedness not trampled continually?(g)

Footnotes

(a)3:4 The word ‘maleficia’ can refer to sorcery or witchcraft, but more generally refers to evil doing or deceitful crimes.(Conte)
(b)3:5 The word ‘Gentiles,’ in the Christian view of the Bible, refers to the people of the world who are impious, secular, worldly persons.(Conte)
(c)3:8 Populous Alexandria:No-Ammon. A populous city of Egypt destroyed by the Chaldeans, and afterwards rebuilt by Alexander, and called Alexandria. Others suppose No-Ammon to be the same as Diospolis.(Challoner)
(d)3:9 The word ‘Libyes’ does not actually refer to the modern-day nation of Libya. During Biblical times, the word Libyes referred to Northern Africa in general and to the people who lived there. Therefore, the translation of ‘Libyes’ as ‘Northern Africa,’ rather than as Libya, is less literal and yet more accurate.(Conte)
(e)3:17 The phrase ‘locustæ locustarum’ does not mean ‘locusts of locusts,’ but rather ‘locusts among locusts.’ The genitive case is not always to be translated as a possessive, as ‘of something.’(Conte)
(f)3:17 Locusts of locusts:The young locusts.(Challoner)
(g)3:19 This last passage is clearly about the Antichrist. He is the false god from Assyria (Assur), the wicked king. His fall will not be hidden; it will be seen by the whole world. He will be grievously wounded, but not killed. Even the wicked will clench their fists over them, for they too hated being ruled by him.(Conte)
1
Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery—no end to the prey.
2
The noise of the whip, the noise of the rattling of wheels, prancing horses, and bounding chariots,
3
the horseman charging, and the flashing sword, the glittering spear, and a multitude of slain, and a great heap of corpses, and there is no end of the bodies. They stumble on their bodies
4
because of the multitude of the prostitution of the alluring prostitute, the mistress of witchcraft, who sells nations through her prostitution, and families through her witchcraft.
5
“Behold, I am against you,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.
6
I will throw abominable filth on you and make you vile, and will make you a spectacle.
7
It will happen that all those who look at you will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will mourn for her?’ Where will I seek comforters for you?”
8
Are you better than No-Amon,(a) who was situated among the rivers,(b) who had the waters around her, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?
9
Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength. Put and Libya were her helpers.
10
Yet was she carried away. She went into captivity. Her young children also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets, and they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
11
You also will be drunken. You will be hidden. You also will seek a stronghold because of the enemy.
12
All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs. If they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
13
Behold, your troops among you are women. The gates of your land are set wide open to your enemies. The fire has devoured your bars.
14
Draw water for the siege. Strengthen your fortresses. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar. Make the brick kiln strong.
15
There the fire will devour you. The sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the grasshopper. Multiply like grasshoppers. Multiply like the locust.
16
You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips and flees away.
17
Your guards are like the locusts, and your officials like the swarms of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day, but when the sun appears, they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
18
Your shepherds slumber, king of Assyria. Your nobles lie down. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.
19
There is no healing your wound, for your injury is fatal. All who hear the report of you clap their hands over you, for who hasn’t felt your endless cruelty?

Footnotes

(a)3:8 or, Thebes
(b)3:8 or, Nile
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