הִנֵּה עַל־הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם חָגִּי יְהוּדָה חַגַּיִךְ שַׁלְּמִי נְדָרָיִךְ כִּי לֹא יוֹסִיף עוֹד לַעֲבָר־בָּךְ בְּלִיַּעַל כֻּלֹּה נִכְרָת

Behold the feet of the herald are upon the mountains, upon the horizon, announcing peace, saying: Celebrate your feasts, Judah, fulfill your vows. Bring your festival offerings and your vows to the Temple without concern, for the incorrigibly wicked will not continue to pass through you any longer; he is completely eliminated.

עָלָה מֵפִיץ עַל־פָּנַיִךְ נָצוֹר מְצוּרָה צַפֵּה־דֶרֶךְ חַזֵּק מָתְנַיִם אַמֵּץ כֹּחַ מְאֹד!

The prophet addresses the city: A disperser, an explosive, disseminating force, has risen against you, Nineveh; guard the rampart, the fortifications, watch the way, appoint watchmen to guard the roads, gird your loins, greatly fortify your power.

כִּי שָׁב ה' אֶת־גְּאוֹן יַעֲקֹב כִּגְאוֹן יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי בְקָקוּם בֹּקְקִים וזְמֹרֵיהֶם שִׁחֵתוּ

For the Lord is restoring the pride of Jacob to be like the pride and glory of Israel. The name Jacob, which reflects the people’s situation in exile, will become Israel. The name Israel symbolizes the dominance of the nation over its rivals. For until now, the plunderers have emptied them and destroyed their vine branches. In its exile, Israel is compared to an empty, broken vine.

מָגֵן גִּבֹּרֵיהוּ מְאָדָּם אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מְתֻלָּעִים בְּאֵשׁ־פְּלָדֹת הָרֶכֶב בְּיוֹם הֲכִינוֹ והַבְּרוֹשִׁים הָרְעָלוּ

Nahum describes the war: His, Assyria’s, heroes’ shields are reddened, perhaps dyed red in order to scare the enemy. Similarly, mighty ones are colored scarlet. Although there are insufficient archaeological artifacts to support this claim, it is possible that red was the official color of Assyria. The chariots are moving with the fire of steel, probably a reference to the sparks caused by the steel of the chariot rubbing against stone, on the day of its preparation for war. The spears of junipers are poisoned.

בַּחוּצוֹת יִתְהוֹלְלוּ הָרֶכֶב יִשְׁתַּקְשְׁקוּן בָּרְחֹבוֹת מַרְאֵיהֶן כַּלַּפִּידִים כַּבְּרָקִים יְרוֹצֵצוּ

In the streets, the chariots go wild, they rattle in the squares; their appearance is like torches, they romp like lightning, shiny and fiery in appearance.

יִזְכֹּר אַדִּירָיו יִכָּשְׁלוּ בַּהֲלִיכָתָם יְמַהֲרוּ חוֹמָתָהּ והֻכַן הַסֹּכֵךְ

He, the king of Assyria, will recall, oversee, his mighty ones, his warriors and ministers; but, in their speed, they will stumble as they go; they will hurry to take cover in its wall, the wall of the city, and the covering, a type of military shelter, was prepared. A day will come when Nineveh will no longer send out soldiers to conquer other cities; rather, it will be under attack itself.

שַׁעֲרֵי הַנְּהָרוֹת נִפְתָּחוּ והַהֵיכָל נָמוֹג

The gates, dams, of the rivers, near the city are opened, broken down by the enemy in order to flood the city, and, as a result, the palace is dissolving.

וְהֻצַּב גֻּלְּתָה הֹעֲלָתָה וְאַמְהֹתֶיהָ מְנַהֲגוֹת כְּקוֹל יוֹנִים מְתֹפְפוֹת עַל־לִבְבֵהֶן

Her queen consort is placed on display by her captors, her handmaidens moaning like the sound of doves, beating upon their hearts in anguish and mourning, as was the common practice while reciting a dirge.

וְנִינְוֵה כִבְרֵכַת־מַיִם מִימֵי הִיא וְהֵמָּה נָסִים עִמְדוּ עֲמֹדוּ! וְאֵין מַפְנֶה

Nineveh is full of plenty like a pool of water from ancient days; they, its soldiers, flee; people shout at them: Stand, stand, but none turn about. Alternatively, the verse means that all the waters of Nineveh are washed away in its downfall.

בֹּזּוּ כֶסֶף בֹּזּוּ זָהָב וְאֵין קֵצֶה לַתְּכוּנָה כָּבֹד מִכֹּל כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה

Nahum calls to the enemies approaching Nineveh: Loot silver, loot gold; there is no limit to the amount in the treasuries, the wealth of all vessels of delight. Everything can be found there.

בּוּקָה וּמְבוּקָה וּמְבֻלָּקָה וְלֵב נָמֵס וּפִק בִּרְכַּיִם וְחַלְחָלָה בְּכָל־מָתְנַיִם וּפְנֵי כֻלָּם קִבְּצוּ פָארוּר

There is void and emptiness, chaos and melted heart, fear has buckled knees, and put trembling in all loins, and the faces of all of them have gathered blackness [parur] in fear. The word parur literally denotes a pot, the sides of which are usually blackened from the fire. There is a similar expression in rabbinic Hebrew: “His face blackened like the bottom of a pot.” An alternative interpretation is that their faces shriveled and lost their vigor, like a cooked dish.

אַיֵּה מְעוֹן אֲרָיוֹת וּמִרְעֶה הוּא לַכְּפִרִים אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ אַרְיֵה לָבִיא שָׁם גּוּר אַרְיֵה וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד

Where is the place that was the lions’ den, for the dignitaries and warriors of Nineveh, the pasture that is for young lions, where they felt secure, where the mature lion and also the lion cub walked, and there is none to frighten them? Where is the place which the lion feels is safe enough to bring its cubs?

אַרְיֵה טֹרֵף בְּדֵי גֹרוֹתָיו וּמְחַנֵּק לְלִבְאֹתָיו וַיְמַלֵּא טֶרֶף חֹרָיו וּמְעֹנֹתָיו טְרֵפָה

There the lion mauls enough for his cubs, and chokes his prey for his lionesses, and he filled his lairs with prey, and his dens with a mauled animal. The rulers of Nineveh peacefully traversed the city streets that they had filled with the loot of their conquered nations.

הִנְנִי אֵלַיִךְ נְאֻם ה' צְבָאוֹת וְהִבְעַרְתִּי בֶעָשָׁן רִכְבָּהּ וכְפִירַיִךְ תֹּאכַל חָרֶב וְהִכְרַתִּי מֵאֶרֶץ טַרְפֵּךְ וְלֹא־יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד קוֹל מַלְאָכֵכֵה

Behold, I am against you, Nineveh – the utterance of the Lord of hosts – and I will burn his chariots in smoke, and the sword will consume your young lions; I will eliminate your prey, the treasures you have plundered, from the earth, and the voice of your messengers, envoys, will be heard no longer.