The mountains tremble before him, the hills convulse; the earth is laid waste before him, the world and all its inhabitants are laid waste.

The oracle against Nineveh; the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

He shouts a battle cry against the sea and makes it dry up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither; the blossom of Lebanon withers.

From you, O Nineveh, one has marched forth who plots evil against the Lord, a wicked military strategist.

The Lord has issued a decree against you: “Your dynasty will come to an end. I will destroy the idols and images in the temples of your gods. I will desecrate your grave – because you are accursed!”

(2:1) Look! A herald is running on the mountains! A messenger is proclaiming deliverance: “Celebrate your sacred festivals, O Judah! Fulfill your sacred vows to praise God! For never again will the wicked Assyrians invade you, they have been completely destroyed.”

The commander orders his officers; they stumble as they advance; they rush to the city wall and they set up the covered siege tower.

“Because you have acted like a wanton prostitute – a seductive mistress who practices sorcery, who enslaves nations by her harlotry, and entices peoples by her sorcery –

I will pelt you with filth; I will treat you with contempt; I will make you a public spectacle.

Draw yourselves water for a siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Trample the mud and tread the clay! Make mud bricks to strengthen your walls!

There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down; it will devour you like the young locust would.Multiply yourself like the young locust; multiply yourself like the flying locust!