New American Standard Bible 1995

Nahum 2

The Overthrow of Nineveh

1 1The one who 2scatters has come up against 3you. Man the fortress, watch the road; 4Strengthen your back, 5summon all your strength.2For the Lord will restore the 6splendor of Jacob 7Like the splendor of Israel, Even though devastators have devastated them And 8destroyed their vine branches.

3The shields of 9his mighty men are colored red, The warriors are dressed in 10scarlet, The chariots are enveloped in 11flashing steel 12When he is prepared to march, And the cypress 13spears are brandished.4The 14chariots race madly in the streets, They rush wildly in the 15squares, Their appearance is like torches, They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.5He remembers his 16nobles; They 17stumble in their march, They hurry to her wall, And the 18mantelet is set up.6The gates of the rivers are opened And the palace is dissolved.7It is fixed: She is stripped, she is carried away, And her handmaids are 19moaning like the sound of doves, 20Beating on their 21breasts.

8Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But 22no one turns back.9Plunder the silver! Plunder the 23gold! For there is no limit to the treasure-- Wealth from every kind of desirable object.10She is 24emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! 25Hearts are melting and knees knocking! Also anguish is in 26the whole body And all their 27faces are grown pale!11Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the 28young lions, Where the lion, lioness and lion’s cub prowled, With nothing to disturb them?12The lion tore enough for his cubs, 29Killed enough for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh.

13“Behold, 30I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts. “I will 31burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions; I will 32cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”

Notes

1. Nahum 2:1 Ch 2:2 in Heb ↩
2. Nahum 2:1 Jer 51:20-23 ↩
3. Nahum 2:1 Lit your face ↩
4. Nahum 2:1 Lit Make strong your loins ↩
5. Nahum 2:1 Lit strengthen power greatly ↩
6. Nahum 2:2 Is 60:15 ↩
7. Nahum 2:2 Ezek 37:21-23 ↩
8. Nahum 2:2 Ps 80:12, 13 ↩
9. Nahum 2:3 I.e. those attacking Nineveh ↩
10. Nahum 2:3 Ezek 23:14, 15 ↩
11. Nahum 2:3 Lit fire of steel ↩
12. Nahum 2:3 Lit On the day of his preparation ↩
13. Nahum 2:3 Job 39:23 ↩
14. Nahum 2:4 Is 66:15; Jer 4:13; Ezek 26:10; Nah 3:2, 3 ↩
15. Nahum 2:4 Lit broad places ↩
16. Nahum 2:5 Nah 3:18 ↩
17. Nahum 2:5 Jer 46:12 ↩
18. Nahum 2:5 Lit covering used in a siege ↩
19. Nahum 2:7 Is 38:14; 59:11 ↩
20. Nahum 2:7 Is 32:12 ↩
21. Nahum 2:7 Lit hearts ↩
22. Nahum 2:8 Jer 46:5; 47:3 ↩
23. Nahum 2:9 Rev 18:12, 16 ↩
24. Nahum 2:10 Is 24:1; 34:10-13; Nah 2:2 ↩
25. Nahum 2:10 Ps 22:14; Is 13:7, 8; Ezek 21:7 ↩
26. Nahum 2:10 Lit all the loin ↩
27. Nahum 2:10 Joel 2:6 ↩
28. Nahum 2:11 Is 5:29 ↩
29. Nahum 2:12 Lit Strangled ↩
30. Nahum 2:13 Jer 21:13; Ezek 5:8; Nah 3:5 ↩
31. Nahum 2:13 Josh 11:6, 9; Ps 46:9 ↩
32. Nahum 2:13 Is 49:24, 25; Nah 3:1 ↩

The Overthrow of Nineveh

Notes

Commentaries on Nahum 2