מַשָּׂא נִינְוֵה סֵפֶר חֲזוֹן נַחוּם הָאֶלְקֹשִׁי

A prophecy of, concerning Nineveh, written in the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. This may mean that Nahum was from a place called Elkosh, but it is unclear that this was the name of a location, since it is not mentioned anywhere else.

אֵל קַנּוֹא וְנֹקֵם ה' נֹקֵם ה' וּבַעַל חֵמָה נֹקֵם ה' לְצָרָיו וְנוֹטֵר הוּא לְאֹיְבָיו

The Lord is a zealous and vengeful, punishing God, the Lord is vengeful and full of wrath; the Lord is vengeful to His foes, and bears a grudge to His enemies.

ה' אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וּגְדָל־כֹּחַ וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה ה'בְּסוּפָה וּבִשְׂעָרָה דַּרְכּוֹ וְעָנָן אֲבַק רַגְלָיו

The Lord is slow to anger, tolerant, and great of power to bear people’s sins, and yet He will not exonerate; rather, He waits for the right time to punish them. The Lord, in a storm and in a tempest is His way, and the dust of His feet is a cloud. God’s revelation, through which He exacts retribution from His enemies, is compared to a storm, or a warrior who kicks up the dust as he runs.

גּוֹעֵר בַּיָּם וַיַּבְּשֵׁהוּ וְכָל־הַנְּהָרוֹת הֶחֱרִיב אֻמְלַל בָּשָׁן וְכַרְמֶל וּפֶרַח לְבָנוֹן אֻמְלָל

He castigates the sea, and His reproach alone dries it, and all the rivers He has made dry, merely by willing it so; Bashan and likewise Carmel, both fertile and forested regions, are miserable, and the flower of Lebanon, a land rich in water and thick greenery, is likewise miserable.

הָרִים רָעֲשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְהַגְּבָעוֹת הִתְמֹגָגוּ וַתִּשָּׂא הָאָרֶץ מִפָּנָיו וְתֵבֵל וְכָל־יוֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ

When God appears, mountains quake from Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is raised up from before Him, and the world and all its inhabitants. Nothing can endure His might.

לִפְנֵי זַעְמוֹ מִי יַעֲמוֹד וּמִי יָקוּם בּחֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ חֲמָתוֹ נִתְּכָה כָאֵשׁ וְהַצֻּרִים נִתְּצוּ מִמֶּנּוּ

Who can stand before His fury, and who can withstand His enflamed wrath? His anger is poured speedily and in rage, like fire, and the rocks are shattered because of Him.

טוֹב ה' למָעוֹז בְּיוֹם צָרָה וְיֹדֵעַ חֹסֵי בוֹ

God’s stormy, destructive appearance when He punishes the wicked is only one aspect of His conduct; the Lord is also good, He is a secure stronghold on the day of trouble and knows, recognizes, loves, and pays attention, to those who take refuge in Him, trust in Him.

וּבְשֶׁטֶף עֹבֵר כָּלָה יַעֲשֶׂה מְקוֹמָהּ וְאֹיְבָיו יְרַדֶּף־חֹשֶׁךְ

He passes in a flood. He will go around the world and make its place a devastation of evil, specifically in Nineveh, and darkness will pursue His enemies.

מַה־תְּחַשְּׁבוּן אֶל ה'!כָּלָה הוּא עֹשֶׂה לֹא־תָקוּם פַּעֲמַיִם צָרָה

What will you Assyrians devise against the Lord? Why are you planning to fight against Him? He makes devastation of you, so that trouble will not arise twice. You will be destroyed once and you will never rise again.

כִּי עַד סִירִים סְבֻכִים וּכְסָבְאָם סְבוּאִים אֻכְּלוּ כְּקַשׁ יָבֵשׁ מָלֵא

For like tangled thorns, and like drunken drunks, who are so drunk that they cannot rise from their seats, also they, the Assyrians, will be consumed, burnt, as completely dry straw. They will be utterly destroyed in God’s retribution.

מִמֵּךְ יָצָא חֹשֵׁב עַל־ה' רָעָה יֹעֵץ בְּלִיָּעַל

From you, Nineveh, emerged one who devises evil against the Lord, a counselor of wickedness. Since the nation of Israel, especially Judah, are the people of God, anyone who fights them is considered as though he has risen up against God Himself.

כֹּה אָמַר ה'אִם־שְׁלֵמִים וְכֵן רַבִּים וְכֵן נָגוֹזּוּ וְעָבָר וְעִנִּתִךְ לֹא אֲעַנֵּךְ עוֹד

So said the Lord: Though they, the Assyrian army, are whole, and even though they are numerous, even so, they, each of them, will quickly disappear and pass away. I have afflicted you, Judah, with many troubles over the generations, but I will afflict you no longer. Your suffering will not continue forever.

וְעַתָּה אֶשְׁבֹּר מֹטֵהוּ מֵעָלָיִךְ ומוֹסְרֹתַיִךְ אֲנַתֵּק

Now I will break his, Assyria’s, yoke from upon you, and I will sever your bonds.

וְצִוָּה עָלֶיךָ ה' לֹא־יִזָּרַע מִשִּׁמְךָ עוֹד מִבֵּית אֱלֹהֶיךָ אַכְרִית פֶּסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה אָשִׂים קִבְרֶךָ כִּי קַלּוֹתָ

The Lord has decreed upon you, Assyria, or the Assyrian king, that nothing more will be sown in your name. Nothing will come of you. From the house of your god I will eliminate idols and cast images; I will make your grave, for you are worthless in the eyes of God.