TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Nahum - Chapter 3
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1Ah, city of crime, Utterly treacherous, Full of violence, Where killing never stops!
אהוֹי עִיר דָּמִים כֻּלָּהּ כַּחַשׁ פֶּרֶק מְלֵאָה לֹא יָמִישׁ טָרֶף׃
2Crack of whip And rattle of wheel, Galloping steed And bounding chariot!
בקוֹל שׁוֹט וְקוֹל רַעַשׁ אוֹפָן וְסוּס דֹּהֵר וּמֶרְכָּבָה מְרַקֵּדָה׃
3Charging horsemen, Flashing swords, And glittering spears! Hosts of slain And heaps of corpses, Dead bodies without number— They stumble over bodies.
גפָּרָשׁ מַעֲלֶה וְלַהַב חֶרֶב וּבְרַק חֲנִית וְרֹב חָלָל וְכֹבֶד פָּגֶר וְאֵין קֵצֶה לַגְּוִיָּה יכשלו [וְכָשְׁלוּ] בִּגְוִיָּתָם׃
4Because of the countless harlotries of the harlot, The winsome mistress of sorcery, Who ensnared nations with her harlotries And peoples with her sorcery,
דמֵרֹב זְנוּנֵי זוֹנָה טוֹבַת חֵן בַּעֲלַת כְּשָׁפִים הַמֹּכֶרֶת גּוֹיִם בִּזְנוּנֶיהָ וּמִשְׁפָּחוֹת בִּכְשָׁפֶיהָ׃
5I am going to deal with you —declares the lord of Hosts. I will lift up your skirts over your face And display your nakedness to the nations And your shame to kingdoms.
hi-n'-NEE ay-LA-yikh n'-UM a-do-NAI tz'-va-OT v'-gi-lay-TEE shu-LA-yikh al pa-NA-yikh v'-har-ay-TEE go-YIM ma-RAYKH u-mam-la-KHOT k'-lo-NAYKH
ההִנְנִי אֵלַיִךְ נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת וְגִלֵּיתִי שׁוּלַיִךְ עַל־פָּנָיִךְ וְהַרְאֵיתִי גוֹיִם מַעְרֵךְ וּמַמְלָכוֹת קְלוֹנֵךְ׃
3:5 I am going to deal with you—declares God of Hosts
In Nachum’s final prophecy against Nineveh, Hashem addresses Assyria directly. The statement “I am going to deal with you” testifies that the nations set to fight against Assyria are only the agents of God, Who is ultimately controlling global events. The punishment of uncovering the nakedness of Assyria mirrors the punishment traditionally given to unfaithful spouses (Hosea 2:5). Assyria gained power by “seducing” smaller nations, enticing them into alliances and then breaking their word and enslaving them. Assyria acted unfaithfully, and will therefore receive the punishment of the unfaithful. Those who were humiliated by Assyria will now witness its downfall.
6I will throw loathsome things over you And disfigure you And make a spectacle of you.
ווְהִשְׁלַכְתִּי עָלַיִךְ שִׁקֻּצִים וְנִבַּלְתִּיךְ וְשַׂמְתִּיךְ כְּרֹאִי׃
7All who see you will recoil from you And will say, “Nineveh has been ravaged!” Who will console her? Where shall I look for Anyone to comfort you?
זוְהָיָה כָל־רֹאַיִךְ יִדּוֹד מִמֵּךְ וְאָמַר שָׁדְּדָה נִינְוֵה מִי יָנוּד לָהּ מֵאַיִן אֲבַקֵּשׁ מְנַחֲמִים לָךְ׃
8Were you any better than No-amon, Which sat by the Nile, Surrounded by water— Its rampart a river, Its wall consisting of sea?
חהֲתֵיטְבִי מִנֹּא אָמוֹן הַיֹּשְׁבָה בַּיְאֹרִים מַיִם סָבִיב לָהּ אֲשֶׁר־חֵיל יָם מִיָּם חוֹמָתָהּ׃
9Populous Nubia And teeming Egypt, Put and the Libyans— They were her helpers.
טכּוּשׁ עָצְמָה וּמִצְרַיִם וְאֵין קֵצֶה פּוּט וְלוּבִים הָיוּ בְּעֶזְרָתֵךְ׃
10Yet even she was exiled, She went into captivity. Her babes, too, were dashed in pieces At every street corner. Lots were cast for her honored men, And all her nobles were bound in chains.
יגַּם־הִיא לַגֹּלָה הָלְכָה בַשֶּׁבִי גַּם עֹלָלֶיהָ יְרֻטְּשׁוּ בְּרֹאשׁ כָּל־חוּצוֹת וְעַל־נִכְבַּדֶּיהָ יַדּוּ גוֹרָל וְכָל־גְּדוֹלֶיהָ רֻתְּקוּ בַזִּקִּים׃
11You too shall be drunk And utterly overcome; You too shall seek A refuge from the enemy.
יאגַּם־אַתְּ תִּשְׁכְּרִי תְּהִי נַעֲלָמָה גַּם־אַתְּ תְּבַקְשִׁי מָעוֹז מֵאוֹיֵב׃
12All your forts are fig trees With ripe fruit; If shaken they will fall Into the mouths of devourers.
יבכָּל־מִבְצָרַיִךְ תְּאֵנִים עִם־בִּכּוּרִים אִם־יִנּוֹעוּ וְנָפְלוּ עַל־פִּי אוֹכֵל׃
13Truly, the troops within you are women; The gates of your land have opened themselves To your enemies; Fire has consumed your gate bars.
יגהִנֵּה עַמֵּךְ נָשִׁים בְּקִרְבֵּךְ לְאֹיְבַיִךְ פָּתוֹחַ נִפְתְּחוּ שַׁעֲרֵי אַרְצֵךְ אָכְלָה אֵשׁ בְּרִיחָיִך׃
14Draw water for the siege, Strengthen your forts; Tread the clay, Trample the mud, Grasp the brick mold!
ידמֵי מָצוֹר שַׁאֲבִי־לָךְ חַזְּקִי מִבְצָרָיִךְ בֹּאִי בַטִּיט וְרִמְסִי בַחֹמֶר הַחֲזִיקִי מַלְבֵּן׃
15There fire will devour you, The sword will put an end to you; It will devour you like the grub. Multiply like grubs, Multiply like locusts!
טושָׁם תֹּאכְלֵךְ אֵשׁ תַּכְרִיתֵךְ חֶרֶב תֹּאכְלֵךְ כַּיָּלֶק הִתְכַּבֵּד כַּיֶּלֶק הִתְכַּבְּדִי כָּאַרְבֶּה׃
16You had more traders Than the sky has stars— The grubs cast their skins and fly away.
טזהִרְבֵּית רֹכְלַיִךְ מִכּוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם יֶלֶק פָּשַׁט וַיָּעֹף׃
17Your guards were like locusts, Your marshals like piles of hoppers Which settle on the stone fences On a chilly day; When the sun comes out, they fly away, And where they are nobody knows.
יזמִנְּזָרַיִךְ כָּאַרְבֶּה וְטַפְסְרַיִךְ כְּגוֹב גֹּבָי הַחוֹנִים בַּגְּדֵרוֹת בְּיוֹם קָרָה שֶׁמֶשׁ זָרְחָה וְנוֹדַד וְלֹא־נוֹדַע מְקוֹמוֹ אַיָּם׃
18Your shepherds are slumbering, O king of Assyria; Your sheepmasters are lying inert; Your people are scattered over the hills, And there is none to gather them.
יחנָמוּ רֹעֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר יִשְׁכְּנוּ אַדִּירֶיךָ נָפֹשׁוּ עַמְּךָ עַל־הֶהָרִים וְאֵין מְקַבֵּץ׃
19There is no healing for your injury; Your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you ,Clap their hands over you. For who has not suffered From your constant malice?
יטאֵין־כֵּהָה לְשִׁבְרֶךָ נַחְלָה מַכָּתֶךָ כֹּל שֹׁמְעֵי שִׁמְעֲךָ תָּקְעוּ כַף עָלֶיךָ כִּי עַל־מִי לֹא־עָבְרָה רָעָתְךָ תָּמִיד׃