Nahum 1
The full text of Nahum 1 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
2 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
the LORD is avenging and full of wrath.
The LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries
and reserves fury for his enemies.
3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power,
and the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry;
he dries up all the rivers.
Bashan and Carmel wither;
the bloom of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him;
the hills melt.
The earth heaves before him—
the world and all who dwell in it.
6 Who can stand before his indignation?
Who can endure the heat of his anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are shattered before him.
7 The LORD is good,
a stronghold in the day of trouble.
He knows those who take refuge in him.
8 But with an overwhelming flood
he will make a complete end of her place,
and he will pursue his enemies into darkness.
9 Whatever you plot against the LORD,
he will make a complete end;
trouble will not rise up a second time.
10 For they are entangled like thorns
and drunk as with their drink;
they are consumed like dry stubble, fully dried.
11 From you came one
who plotted evil against the LORD,
a worthless counselor.
12 Thus says the LORD:
"Though they are at full strength and many,
they will be cut down and pass away.
Though I have afflicted you,
I will afflict you no more.
13 And now I will break his yoke from upon you
and tear off your bonds."
14 The LORD has commanded concerning you:
"No more will your name be perpetuated.
From the house of your gods I will cut off
the carved image and the metal image.
I will make your grave,
for you are vile."
15 Look! On the mountains—the feet of one
who brings good news, who proclaims peace!
Celebrate your festivals, O Judah;
fulfill your vows,
for never again will the worthless one
pass through you.
He is completely cut off.
Translation notes (8)
- Nahum 1:1a The Hebrew word 'massa' refers to a weighty pronouncement or oracle. The location of Elkosh is uncertain.
- Nahum 1:2a The Hebrew word 'qanna' means jealous or zealous, referring not to petty jealousy but to a passionate commitment to the covenant.
- Nahum 1:3a Echoes Exod 34:6-7 but emphasizes the judgment side of God's character.
- Nahum 1:8a This is possibly referencing the actual flooding of Nineveh's walls during its fall in 612 BCE.
- Nahum 1:10a The Hebrew here is difficult; 'sebukim' means entangled or interwoven.
- Nahum 1:11a The Hebrew 'yo'ets beliyya'al' is possibly referring to Sennacherib or a general type of wicked counselor.
- Nahum 1:14a This is addressed to the king of Assyria, stating that his dynasty will end and his gods will not save him.
- Nahum 1:15a Heb. 2:1 in MT. Echoes Isa 52:7. Nineveh's fall means Judah's liberation.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is a new translation of the Bible prepared by Trinity Bible AI — rendered from the original Hebrew and faithful to the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Finished in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation you can read today, and it is available only through Trinity Bible. All 66 books, including Nahum, are free to read on this site.
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