Chapter 1

¹

The burden of Nineve: the book of the vision of Naum the Elkesite.

¹

ΛΗΜΜΑ Νινευή, βιβλίον ὁράσεως Ναοὺμ τοῦ ᾿Ελκεσαίου.

²

God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges with wrath; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he cuts off his enemies.

²

Θεὸς ζηλωτὴς καὶ ἐκδικῶν Κύριος, ἐκδικῶν Κύριος μετὰ θυμοῦ, ἐκδικῶν Κύριος τοὺς ὑπεναντίους αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξαίρων αὐτὸς τούς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ.

³

The Lord is long-suffering, and his power is great, and the Lord will not hold any guiltless: his way is in destruction and in the whirlwind, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

³

Κύριος μακρόθυμος, καὶ μεγάλη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀθῷον οὐκ ἀθῳώσει Κύριος. ἐν συντελείᾳ καὶ ἐν συσσεισμῷ ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ νεφέλαι κονιορτὸς ποδῶν αὐτοῦ.

⁴

He threatens the sea, and dries it up, and exhausts all the rivers: the land of Basan, and Carmel are brought low, and the flourishing trees of Libanus have come to nought.

⁴

ἀπειλῶν θαλάσσῃ καὶ ξηραίνων αὐτὴν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ποταμοὺς ἐξερημῶν· ὠλιγώθη ἡ Βασανῖτις καὶ ὁ Κάρμηλος, καὶ τὰ ἐξανθοῦντα τοῦ Λιβάνου ἐξέλιπε.

⁵

The mountains quake at him, and the hills are shaken, and the earth recoils at his presence, even the world, and all that dwell in it.

⁵

τὰ ὄρη ἐσείσθησαν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ βουνοὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν· καὶ ἀνεστάλη ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἡ σύμπασα καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ.

⁶

Who shall stand before his anger? and who shall withstand in the anger of his wrath? his wrath brings to nought kingdoms, and the rocks are burst asunder by him.

⁶

ἀπὸ προσώπου ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ τίς ὑποστήσεται; καὶ τίς ἀντιστήσεται ἐν ὀργῇ θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ; ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ τήκει ἀρχάς, καὶ αἱ πέτραι διεθρύβησαν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

⁷

The Lord is good to them that wait on him in the day of affliction; and he knows them that reverence him.

⁷

χρηστὸς Κύριος τοῖς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεως καὶ γινώσκων τοὺς εὐλαβουμένους αὐτόν·

⁸

But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end: darkness shall pursue those that rise up against him and his enemies.

⁸

καὶ ἐν κατακλυσμῷ πορείας συντέλειαν ποιήσεται τούς ἐπεγειρομένους, καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ διώξεται σκότος.

⁹

What do ye devise against the Lord? he will make a complete end: he will not take vengeance by affliction twice at the same time.

⁹

τί λογίζεσθε ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον; συντέλειαν αὐτὸς ποιήσεται, οὐκ ἐκδικήσει δὶς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐν θλίψει·

¹⁰

For the enemy shall be laid bare even to the foundation, and shall be devoured as twisted yew, and as stubble fully dry.

¹⁰

ὅτι ἕως θεμελίου αὐτοῦ χερσωθήσεται καὶ ὡς σμῖλαξ περιπλεκομένη βρωθήσεται καὶ ὡς καλάμη ξηρασίας μεστή.

¹¹

Out of thee shall proceed a device against the Lord, counselling evil things hostile to him.

¹¹

ἐκ σοῦ ἐξελεύσεται λογισμὸς κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου πονηρὰ βουλευόμενος ἐναντία.

¹²

Thus saith the Lord who rules over many waters, Even thus shall they be sent away, and the report of thee shall not be heard any more.

¹²

τάδε λέγει Κύριος κατάρχων ὑδάτων πολλῶν· καὶ οὕτως διασταλήσονται, καὶ ἡ ἀκοή σου οὐκ ἐνακουσθήσεται ἔτι.

¹³

And now will I break his rod from off thee, and will burst thy bonds.

¹³

καὶ νῦν συντρίψω τὴν ράβδον αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ τοὺς δεσμούς σου διαρρήξω·

¹⁴

And the Lord shall give a command concerning thee; there shall no more of thy name be scattered: I will utterly destroy the graven images out of the house of thy god, and the molten images: I will make thy grave; for they are swift.

¹⁴

καὶ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ Κύριος, οὐ σπαρήσεται ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ἔτι· ἐξ οἴκου Θεοῦ σου ἐξολοθρεύσω τὰ γλυπτὰ καὶ χωνευτά· θήσομαι ταφήν σου, ὅτι ταχεῖς.

Chapter 2

¹

Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that brings glad tidings, and publishes peace! O Juda, keep thy feasts, pay thy vows: for they shall no more pass through thee to thy decay.

¹

ΙΔΟΥ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντος εἰρήνην· ἑόρταζε, ᾿Ιούδα, τὰς ἑορτάς σου, ἀπόδος τὰς εὐχάς σου, διότι οὐ μὴ προσθήσωσιν ἔτι τοῦ διελθεῖν διὰ σοῦ εἰς παλαίωσιν. — Συντετέλεσται, ἐξῇρται.

²

It is all over with him, he has been removed, one who has been delivered from affliction has come up panting into thy presence, watch the way, strengthen thy loins, be very valiant in thy strength.

²

ἀνέβη ἐμφυσῶν εἰς πρόσωπόν σου ἐξαιρούμενος ἐκ θλίψεως· σκόπευσον ὁδόν, κράτησον ὀσφύος, ἄνδρισαι τῇ ἰσχύϊ σφόδρα,

³

For the Lord has turned aside the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel: for they have utterly rejected them, and have destroyed their branches.

³

διότι ἀπέστρεψε Κύριος τὴν ὕβριν ᾿Ιακώβ, καθὼς ὕβριν τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, διότι ἐκτινάσσοντες ἐξετίναξαν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ κλήματα αὐτῶν, διέφθειραν

⁴

They have destroyed the arms of their power from among men, their mighty men sporting with fire: the reins of their chariots shall be destroyed in the day of his preparation, and the horsemen shall be thrown into confusion

⁴

ὅπλα δυναστείας αὐτῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς ἐμπαίζοντας ἐν πυρί· αἱ ἡνίαι τῶν ἁρμάτων αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἑτοιμασίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἱππεῖς θορυβηθήσονται

⁵

in the ways, and the chariots shall clash together, and shall be entangled in each other in the broad ways: their appearance is as lamps of fire, and as gleaming lightnings.

⁵

ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, καὶ συγχυθήσονται τὰ ἅρματα καὶ συμπλακήσονται ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις· ἡ ὅρασις αὐτῶν ὡς λαμπάδες πυρὸς καὶ ὡς ἀστραπαὶ διατρέχουσαι.

⁶

And their mighty men shall bethink themselves and flee by day; and they shall be weak as they go; and they shall hasten to her walls, and shall prepare their defences.

⁶

καὶ μνησθήσονται οἱ μεγιστᾶνες αὐτῶν καὶ φεύξονται ἡμέρας καὶ ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν τῇ πορείᾳ αὐτῶν καὶ σπεύσουσιν ἐπὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς καὶ ἑτοιμάσουσι τὰς προφυλακὰς αὐτῶν.

⁷

The gates of the cities have been opened, and the palaces have fallen into ruin,

⁷

πύλαι τῶν ποταμῶν διηνοίχθησαν, καὶ τὰ βασίλεια διέπεσε,

⁸

and the foundation has been exposed; and she has gone up, and her maid-servants were led away as doves moaning in their hearts.

⁸

καὶ ἡ ὑπόστασις ἀπεκαλύφθη, καὶ αὕτη ἀνέβαινε, καὶ αἱ δοῦλαι αὐτῆς ἤγοντο καθὼς περιστεραὶ φθεγγόμεναι ἐν καρδίαις αὐτῶν.

⁹

And as for Nineve, her waters shall be as a pool of water: and they fled, and staid not, and there was none to look back.

⁹

καὶ Νινευή, ὡς κολυμβήθρα ὕδατος τὰ ὕδατα αὐτῆς, καὶ αὐτοὶ φεύγοντες οὐκ ἔστησαν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐπιβλέπων.

¹⁰

They plundered the silver, they plundered the gold, and there was no end of their adorning; they were loaded with it upon all their pleasant vessels.

¹⁰

διήρπαζον τὸ ἀργύριον, διήρπαζον τὸ χρυσίον, καὶ οὐκ ἦν πέρας τοῦ κόσμου αὐτῆς· βεβάρυνται ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ σκεύη τὰ ἐπιθυμητὰ αὐτῆς.

¹¹

There is thrusting forth, and shaking, and tumult, and heart-breaking, and loosing of knees, and pangs on all loins; and the faces of all are as the blackening of a pot.

¹¹

ἐκτιναγμὸς καὶ ἀνατιναγμὸς καὶ ἐκβρασμὸς καὶ καρδίας θραυσμὸς καί ὑπόλυσις γονάτων καὶ ὠδῖνες ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ὀσφύν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον πάντων ὡς πρόσκαυμα χύτρας.

¹²

Where is the dwelling-place of the lions, and the pasture that belonged to the whelps? where did the lion go, that the lion's whelp should enter in there, and there was none to scare him away?

¹²

ποῦ ἐστι τὸ κατοικητήριον τῶν λεόντων καὶ ἡ νομὴ ἡ οὖσα τοῖς σκύμνοις, οὗ ἐπορεύθη λέων τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν ἐκεῖ, σκύμνος λέοντος καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐκφοβῶν;

¹³

The lion seized enough prey for his whelps, and strangled for his young lions, and filled his lair with prey, and his dwelling-place with spoil.

¹³

λέων ἥρπασε τὰ ἱκανὰ τοῖς σκύμνοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέπνιξε τοῖς λέουσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔπλησε θήρας νοσσιὰν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ κατοικητήριον αὐτοῦ ἁρπαγῆς.

¹⁴

Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord Almighty, and I will burn up thy multitude in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy lions; and I will utterly destroy thy prey from off the land, and thy deeds shall no more at all be heard of.

¹⁴

ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπὶ σέ, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ, καὶ ἐκκαύσω ἐν καπνῷ πλῆθός σου, καὶ τοὺς λέοντάς σου καταφάγεται ρομφαία, καὶ ἐξολοθρεύσω ἐκ τῆς γῆς τὴν θήραν σου, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ οὐκέτι τὰ ἔργα σου.

Chapter 3

¹

O city of blood, wholly false, full of unrighteousness; the prey shall not be handled.

¹

Ω πόλις αἱμάτων, ὅλη ψευδής, ἀδικίας πλήρης, οὐ ψηλαφηθήσεται θήρα.

²

The noise of whips, and the noise of the rumbling of wheels, and of the pursuing horse, and of the bounding chariot,

²

φωνὴ μαστίγων καὶ φωνὴ σεισμοῦ τροχῶν καὶ ἵππου διώκοντος καὶ ἅρματος ἀναβράσσοντος

³

and of the mounting rider, and of the glittering sword, and of the gleaming arms, and of a multitude of slain, and of heavy falling: and there was no end to her nations, but they shall be weak in their bodies

³

καὶ ἱππέως ἀναβαίνοντος καὶ στιλβούσης ρομφαίας καὶ ἐξαστραπτόντων ὅπλων καὶ πλήθους τραυματιῶν καὶ βαρείας πτώσεως· καὶ οὐκ ἦν πέρας τοῖς ἔθνεσιν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν αὐτῶν ἀπὸ πλήθους πορνείας.

⁴

because of the abundance of fornication: she is a fair harlot, and well-favoured, skilled in sorcery, that sells the nations by her fornication, and peoples by her sorceries.

⁴

πόρνη καλὴ καὶ ἐπίχαρις ἡγουμένη φαρμάκων, ἡ πωλοῦσα ἔθνη ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς καὶ λαοὺς ἐν τοῖς φαρμάκοις αὐτῆς.

⁵

Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord God Almighty, and I will uncover thy skirts in thy presence, and I will shew the nations thy shame, and the kingdoms thy disgrace.

⁵

ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπὶ σέ, λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, καὶ ἀποκαλύψω τὰ ὀπίσω σου ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου καὶ δείξω ἔθνεσι τὴν αἰσχύνην σου καὶ βασιλείαις τὴν ἀτιμίαν σου.

⁶

And I will cast abominable filth upon thee according to thine unclean ways, and will make thee a public example.

⁶

καὶ ἐπιρρίψω ἐπὶ σὲ βδελυγμὸν κατὰ τὰς ἀκαθαρσίας σου καὶ θήσομαί σε εἰς παράδειγμα,

⁷

And it shall be that every one that sees thee shall go down from thee, and shall say, Wretched Nineve! who shall lament for her? whence shall I seek comfort for her?

⁷

καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ ὁρῶν σε καταβήσεται ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ ἐρεῖ· δειλαία Νινευή· τίς στενάξει αὐτήν; πόθεν ζητήσω παράκλησιν αὐτῇ;

⁸

Prepare thee a portion, tune the chord, prepare a portion for Ammon: she that dwells among the rivers, water is round about her, whose dominion is the sea, and whose walls are water.

⁸

ἑτοίμασαι μερίδα, ἅρμοσαι χορδήν, ἑτοίμασαι μερίδα, ᾿Αμμὼν ἡ κατοικοῦσα ἐν ποταμοῖς, ὕδωρ κύκλῳ αὐτῆς, ἧς ἡ ἀρχὴ θάλασσα καὶ ὕδωρ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς,

⁹

And Ethiopia is her strength, and Egypt; and there was no limit of the flight of her enemies; and the Libyans became her helpers.

⁹

καὶ Αἰθιοπία ἰσχὺς αὐτῆς καὶ Αἴγυπτος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστη πέρας τῆς φυγῆς, καὶ Λίβυες ἐγένοντο βοηθοὶ αὐτῆς.

¹⁰

Yet she shall go as a prisoner into captivity, and they shall dash her infants against the ground at the top of all her ways: and they shall cast lots upon all her glorious possessions, and all her nobles shall be bound in chains.

¹⁰

καὶ αὐτὴ εἰς μετοικεσίαν πορεύσεται αἰχμάλωτος, καὶ τὰ νήπια αὐτῆς ἐδαφιοῦσιν ἐπ᾿ ἀρχὰς πασῶν τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔνδοξα αὐτῆς βαλοῦσι κλήρους, καὶ πάντες οἱ μεγιστᾶνες αὐτῆς δεθήσονται χειροπέδαις.

¹¹

And thou shalt be drunken, and shalt be overlooked; and thou shalt seek for thyself strength because of thine enemies.

¹¹

καὶ σὺ μεθυσθήσῃ καὶ ἔσῃ ὐπερεωραμένη, καὶ σὺ ζητήσεις σεαυτῇ στάσιν ἐξ ἐχθρῶν.

¹²

All thy strong-holds are as fig-trees having watchers: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.

¹²

πάντα τὰ ὀχυρώματά σου συκαῖ σκοποὺς ἔχουσαι· ἐὰν σαλευθῶσι, καὶ πεσοῦνται εἰς στόμα ἔσθοντος.

¹³

Behold, thy people within thee are as women: the gates of thy land shall surely be opened to thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.

¹³

ἰδοὺ ὁ λαός σου ὡς γυναῖκες ἐν σοί· τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου ἀνοιγόμεναι ἀνοιχθήσονται πύλαι τῆς γῆς σου, καὶ καταφάγεται πῦρ τοὺς μοχλούς σου.

¹⁴

Draw thee water for a siege, and well secure thy strong-holds: enter into the clay, and be thou trodden in the chaff, make the fortifications stronger than brick.

¹⁴

ὕδωρ περιοχῆς ἐπίσπασαι σεαυτῇ καὶ κατακράτησον τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων σου, ἔμβηθι εἰς πηλὸν καὶ συμπατήθητι ἐν ἀχύροις, κατακράτησον ὑπὲρ πλίνθον·

¹⁵

There the fire shall devour thee; the sword shall utterly destroy thee, it shall devour thee as the locust, and thou shalt be pressed down as a palmerworm.

¹⁵

ἐκεῖ καταφάγεταί σε πῦρ, ἐξολοθρεύσει σε ρομφαία, καταφάγεταί σε ὡς ἀκρίς, καὶ βαρυνθήσῃ ὡς βροῦχος.

¹⁶

Thou hast multiplied thy merchandise beyond the stars of heaven: the palmerworm has attacked it, and has flown away.

¹⁶

ἐπλήθυνας τὰς ἐμπορίας σου ὑπὲρ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· βροῦχος ὥρμησε καὶ ἐξεπετάσθη.

¹⁷

Thy mixed multitude has suddenly departed as the grasshopper, as the locust perched on a hedge in a frosty day; the sun arises, and it flies off, and knows not its place: woe to them!

¹⁷

ἐξήλατο ὡς ἀττέλεβος ὁ σύμμεικτός σου, ὡς ἀκρὶς ἐπιβεβηκυῖα ἐπὶ φραγμὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πάγους· ὁ ἥλιος ἀνέτειλε, καὶ ἀφήλατο, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς· οὐαὶ αὐτοῖς.

¹⁸

Thy shepherds have slumbered, the Assyrian king has laid low thy mighty men: thy people departed to the mountains, and there was none to receive them.

¹⁸

ἐνύσταξαν οἱ ποιμένες σου, βασιλεὺς ᾿Ασσύριος ἐκοίμισε τοὺς δυνάστας σου· ἀπῇρεν ὁ λαός σου ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐκδεχόμενος.

¹⁹

There is no healing for thy bruise; thy wound has rankled: all that hear the report of thee shall clap their hands against thee; for upon whom has not thy wickedness passed continually?

¹⁹

οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις τῇ συντριβῇ σου, ἐφλέγμανεν ἡ πληγή σου· πάντες οἱ ἀκούοντες τὴν ἀγγελίαν σου κροτήσουσι χεῖρας ἐπὶ σέ· διότι ἐπὶ τίνα οὐκ ἐπῆλθεν ἡ κακία σου διαπαντός;