Nahum was a prophet from the place named Alqosh. People from that place were called Elkoshites. His prophecies are mostly about what will happen to the country of Assyria. The big city in Assyria was Nineveh.
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| Summary of the Book of Nahum by the Bible Project. |
Nahum 1
The Lord is powerful, and He punishes sinners.
This book is from the prophet named Nahum. He was an Elkoshite from tle place named Alqosh.
[1] The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
God gets angry. He takes revenge. He will take revenge on His enemies. He saves His anger for His enemies.
[2] God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
The Lord doesn't get angry fast. He is very powerful. He will not let wicked people get by with their sins. The Lord controls the winds and the storms. The clouds are like dust around His feet.
[3] The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
He punishes the sea, and He makes it dry up. He dries up all the rivers. The areas of Bashan and Carmel are too dry. Carmel is also called the Flower of Lebanon.
[4] He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
He makes the mountains shake and the hills melt. The earth and everyone that lives there burns up when He is close.
[5] The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Who can stand when He becomes upset about sin? Who can live when He becomes angry? His anger burns like fire. His anger throws down rocks.
[6] Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
The Lord is good. He is a strong place in times of trouble. He knows the people who trust Him.
[7] The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
The Lord will destroy His enemies.
He will destroy His enemies with a big flood and darkness.
[8] But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.
What are you thinking you can do against the Lord? He will totally destroy you. You won't get up.
[9] What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
His enemies will be folded together like thorns. They will be like drunk people, and they will be destroyed.
[10] For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
The leaders of Assyria will be destroyed.
Assyria has a leader who goes against God. No matter how many soldiers they have or how strong they are, the Assyrians will be cut down. Even though I have punished Judah, I will not punish them again.
[11] There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counseller.
[12] Thus saith the LORD: Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.
I will free the people of Judah from their enemies.
[13] For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
The Lord has given an order about you, Assryia. Your name will be gone. I will destroy your false god statues. You are evil.
[14] And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.
Juday, look up on the mountains. You will see a messenger who brings news of peace. Keep worshipping God. Wicked Assyria will not bother you again. They are cut off.
[15] Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.
Nahum 2
The Lord warns the city of Nineveh.
Nineveh, someone is coming to get you. Judah and Israel were broken like tree branches. But the Lord will make them strong again. Their soldiers will come with chariots and torches.
[1] He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.
[2] For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.
[3] The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.
The soldiers in the chariots will attack people in the streets. They will move fast like lightning and burn like fire.
[4] The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.
The leader will try to make them good soldiers. But they will stumble. They will hurry to the wall to try and keep themselves safe.
[5] He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make hast to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared.
The rivers will flood, and the palace will be destroyed.
[6] The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.
Huzzab (Ninevah) will be captured. Ninevah's young women will cry like doves. They will mourn by hitting themselves on their chests.
[7] And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.
Nineveh is like a pond with water leaking out. The people will run away. People yell for others to stop leaving. But no one stops and looks back.
[8] But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.
Ninevah had a lot of silver and gold treasures. The enemy soldiers will steal it all.
[9] Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.
Ninevah will be empty and destroyed. The people will be surprised and grieving. They won't understand. They thought they were as safe as lion cubs with their strong parents. In the past, the lion parents protected their babies and brought them enough food. The Lord says to Nineveh, "I am against you. I will burn your chariots. You will be killed like the young lions. You will not have enough to eat. You won't send any more messages to other places.
[10] She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.
[11] Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?
[12] The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.
[13] Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.
Nahum 3
More warnings to Ninevah.
Ninevah will have big trouble! It is a bloody city full of lies and thieves.
[1] Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
You can hear the noise of the horses and chariots. You can hear the whips and the wheels turning. The soldiers in the chariots are holding up swords and shiny spears. There are many, many dead people.
[2] The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
[3] The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:
Nineveh will be destroyed because she was like witches and prostitutes. The Lord says He is against her. He will show the other countries how evil she is.
[4] Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
[5] Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
He says He will throw trash on her and make her dirty. Other countries will see how dirty she is.
[6] And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.
Everyone who sees her will run away. They will say that Nineveh is destroyed. Who will mourn for her?
[7] And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
The Lord reminds Nineveh that He has destroyed other places, and He will destroy her.
Nineveh, do you think you are better than the city of Thebes? They had the Nile River around them for protection. They were also protected by the seas. Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Lubim were her helpers.
[8] Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?
[9] Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
But Thebes was carried away. The people were captured. The children were killed in the streets. The strong men were put in chains. The royal men were auctioned off.
[10] Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
Nineveh, your time is coming. You will try to be drunk and hide. You will try to find help. Your strong buildings will be like fig trees that fall. The fruit will fall into the mouths of the people who capture her.
[11] Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.
[12] All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.
Your army is not strong. Your gates are wide open so that your enemies can come in. Fire will burn in your cities. Bring water, and make your walls stronger with bricks.
[13] Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.
[14] Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.
Fire will destroy you. You will be cut off with swords. Your city will be destroyed the same as a cankerworm destroys the plants.
[15] There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.
You have many merchants in your city. There are as many as the stars in the sky. But the cankerworm will destroy it all, then they will fly away.
[16] Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.
Your leaders who wear crowns and the captains of your army are like locusts and grasshoppers. They sit around when it's cold. But when it warms up, they fly away.
[17] Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
King of Assyria, your leaders sleep in the dust. Your people are scattered in the mountains. No one gathers them in.
[18] Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.
You have caused much pain that won't heal. Is there anyone that you haven't hurt? When people hear that you are destroyed, they will be happy and clap their hands.
[19] There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
Ninevah will have big trouble! It is a bloody city full of lies and thieves.
[1] Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;
You can hear the noise of the horses and chariots. You can hear the whips and the wheels turning. The soldiers in the chariots are holding up swords and shiny spears. There are many, many dead people.
[2] The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots.
[3] The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:
Nineveh will be destroyed because she was like witches and prostitutes. The Lord says He is against her. He will show the other countries how evil she is.
[4] Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
[5] Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
He says He will throw trash on her and make her dirty. Other countries will see how dirty she is.
[6] And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.
Everyone who sees her will run away. They will say that Nineveh is destroyed. Who will mourn for her?
[7] And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
The Lord reminds Nineveh that He has destroyed other places, and He will destroy her.
Nineveh, do you think you are better than the city of Thebes? They had the Nile River around them for protection. They were also protected by the seas. Ethiopia, Egypt, Put, and Lubim were her helpers.
[8] Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?
[9] Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
But Thebes was carried away. The people were captured. The children were killed in the streets. The strong men were put in chains. The royal men were auctioned off.
[10] Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
Nineveh, your time is coming. You will try to be drunk and hide. You will try to find help. Your strong buildings will be like fig trees that fall. The fruit will fall into the mouths of the people who capture her.
[11] Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.
[12] All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.
Your army is not strong. Your gates are wide open so that your enemies can come in. Fire will burn in your cities. Bring water, and make your walls stronger with bricks.
[13] Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.
[14] Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.
Fire will destroy you. You will be cut off with swords. Your city will be destroyed the same as a cankerworm destroys the plants.
[15] There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.
You have many merchants in your city. There are as many as the stars in the sky. But the cankerworm will destroy it all, then they will fly away.
[16] Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away.
Your leaders who wear crowns and the captains of your army are like locusts and grasshoppers. They sit around when it's cold. But when it warms up, they fly away.
[17] Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
King of Assyria, your leaders sleep in the dust. Your people are scattered in the mountains. No one gathers them in.
[18] Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.
You have caused much pain that won't heal. Is there anyone that you haven't hurt? When people hear that you are destroyed, they will be happy and clap their hands.
[19] There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?
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