The Prophecy Against Nineveh

1 The burden of the cup of cursing that Nineveh is to be made to drink.⁠a Earlier, Jonah son of Amittai from Gath Hepher prophesied against her, and she turned from her sins. Now that she has sinned again, Nahum from the house of Koshi prophesied against her again, as it is written in this record.

The Lord’s Vengeance

2 The Lord is a God who judges and avenges. The Lord is an avenger, and great power is with him. The Lord is ready to take vengeance on those who hate⁠b his people, and to take it in mighty anger on his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger, but great power is with him. The Lord is ready to take vengeance, but he⁠c forgives those who turn to the law, though he never fails to punish those who do not turn. The Lord leads in storm and wind, and casts clouds of darkness down before him.

4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel are desolate, and the trees of Lebanon droop. 5 The mountains tremble before him, and the hills are broken. The earth is wasted before him, the world and all who live in it.

6 When he⁠d reveals himself in mercy to give the law to his people, the world trembles before him. But when he reveals himself in anger to take vengeance on those who hate his people, who can stand before his vengeance, and who can endure the evil of his anger? His anger dissolves like fire, and the rocks are broken before him.

7 The Lord is good to⁠e Israel, a support in the time of distress, and those who trust in his word are revealed before him. 8 In mighty anger and in fierce fury he will utterly destroy the⁠f peoples who have arisen and laid waste the holy house of the Lord, and he will hand his enemies over to Gehenna.

Nineveh’s End and Jerusalem’s Relief

9 You peoples who have plundered Israel, what are you plotting against the Lord? He is about to destroy you utterly, and distress will not rise against the house of Israel twice. 10 For the⁠g rulers of the people who plundered the house of Israel led them astray, like people staggering with wine, and consumed them as fire consumes very dry stubble.

11 From you, Nineveh, comes a⁠h king who is plotting evil against the people of the Lord, who devises a wicked plan.

12 This is what the Lord says: “Even if the peoples who have gathered to afflict you,⁠i Jerusalem, are perfect in their planning and great in number, and they cross the Tigris and pass over the Euphrates and come to afflict you, though I have made you serve, I will not make you serve again. 13 And now I will shatter the yoke of the peoples from your necks, and tear off your chains.”

14 But the Lord will give a command concerning you,⁠j king of Assyria: “There will no longer be any remembrance of your name. From the house of your idols I will cut off carved image and cast image. There I will make your grave, because this is a very light thing for me.”