Nahum 2

 

הִנֵּה עַל־הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלֹום חָגִּי יְהוּדָה חַגַּיִךְ שַׁלְּמִי נְדָרָיִךְ כִּי לֹא יֹוסִיף עֹוד   2:1          לַעֲבֹור) [לַעֲבָר]־בָּךְ בְּלִיַּעַל כֻּלֹּה נִכְרָת׃

Nahu. 2:1   Behold the feet of the bearer of good news

                              proclaiming peace upon the mountains:

                     Hold your festivals, Judah, complete your vows!

                              For the wicked one shall be no more passing again through you;

                     he is totally cut off.

The prophecy regarding Nineveh and Assyria continues.  The word to the right of the left parenthesis is thought to be in error.  The correction in the brackets removes the vav.  For my part, I believe the spelling is acceptable for the word, and there is no error here.

עָלָה מֵפִיץ עַל־פָּנַיִךְ נָצֹור מְצֻרָה צַפֵּה־דֶרֶךְ חַזֵּק מָתְנַיִם אַמֵּץ כֹּחַ מְאֹד׃   2:2

Nahu. 2:2   A disperser comes up around your face.

                               Guard the rampart!

                     Watch the way,

                                strengthen the loins,

                      secure mighty power!

כִּי שָׁב יְהוָה אֶת־גְּאֹון יַעֲקֹב כִּגְאֹון יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי בְקָקוּם בֹּקְקִים וּזְמֹרֵיהֶם שִׁחֵתוּ׃   2:3

Nahu. 2:3   For the Lord restores the pride of Jacob,

                                as the pride of Israel,

                     because the devastators have emptied them out

                                and spoiled their shoots.

מָגֵן גִּבֹּרֵיהוּ מְאָדָּם אַנְשֵׁי־חַיִל מְתֻלָּעִים בְּאֵשׁ־פְּלָדֹות הָרֶכֶב בְּיֹום הֲכִינֹו וְהַבְּרֹשִׁים הָרְעָלוּ׃   2:4

Nahu. 2:4   The shield of his brave men becomes red;

                                the men of might are in scarlet;

                      the chariots are in a fire of steel

                                in the day of his preparation,

                      as the cypresses are made to quiver.

בַּחוּצֹות יִתְהֹולְלוּ הָרֶכֶב יִשְׁתַּקְשְׁקוּן בָּרְחֹבֹות מַרְאֵיהֶן כַּלַּפִּידִם כַּבְּרָקִים יְרֹוצֵצוּ׃   2:5

Nahu. 2:5   In the streets the chariots might move madly,

                               might run back and forth in the open spaces,

                     their appearance like that of torches;

                                they could dash about like lightning flashes.

יִזְכֹּר אַדִּירָיו יִכָּשְׁלוּ (בַהֲלִכֹותָם) [בַּהֲלִיכָתָם] יְמַהֲרוּ חֹומָתָהּ וְהֻכַן הַסֹּךֵךְ׃   2:6

Nahu. 2:6   He can remember his great ones,

                                they may stumble in their marchings,

                      they may quickly prepare its wall,

                                and the screen may be ready.

The word in parentheses is spelled in the plural, but is thought to be singular.  Color me ignorant, but I don’t understand why it shouldn’t remain plural (other than the word doesn’t exist in English).  As I see it, this is also no error.

שַׁעֲרֵי הַנְּהָרֹות נִפְתָּחוּ וְהַהֵיכָל נָמֹוג׃   2:7

Nahu. 2:7   The gates of the rivers have been opened,

                                and the palace melts away.

וְהֻצַּב גֻּלְּתָה הֹעֲלָתָה וְאַמְהֹתֶיהָ מְנַהֲגֹות כְּקֹול יֹונִים מְתֹפְפֹת עַל־לִבְבֵהֶן׃   2:8

Nahu. 2:8   And her uncovering is established,

                               her being carried away,

                      as her handmaids are lamenting

                               as if it were the sound of doves hooting with their breasts.

וְנִינְוֵה כִבְרֵכַת־מַיִם מִימֵי הִיא וְהֵמָּה נָסִים עִמְדוּ עֲמֹדוּ וְאֵין מַפְנֶה׃   2:9

Nahu. 2:9   Now Nineveh, she is like a pool of water from days of old,

                               and they are fleeing.

                     Stand, stand!

                               But no one is looking back.

בֹּזּוּ כֶסֶף בֹּזּוּ זָהָב וְאֵין קֵצֶה לַתְּכוּנָה כָּבֹד מִכֹּל כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה׃   2:10

Nahu. 2:10   Plunder the silver!

                               Plunder the gold!

                       As there is no limit to the property,

                               more abundant than all the implements of desire.

בּוּקָה וּמְבוּקָה וּמְבֻלָּקָה וְלֵב נָמֵס וּפִק בִּרְכַּיִם וְחַלְחָלָה בְּכָל־מָתְנַיִם וּפְנֵי כֻלָּם קִבְּצוּ פָארוּר׃   2:11

Nahu. 2:11   Empty and void and wasted!

                               And the heart is melted,

                       with crumbling of the knees,

                               and writhing in all the loins,

                        and the faces of all of them gather gloom.

אַיֵּה מְעֹון אֲרָיֹות וּמִרְעֶה הוּא לַכְּפִרִים אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ אַרְיֵה לָבִיא שָׁם גּוּר אַרְיֵה וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד׃   2:12

Nahu. 2:12   Where is the dwelling place of lions,

                                and the feeding grounds that is for the young lions,

                         that the lion moves, the lioness, there,

                                 the cub lion, and none is afraid?

אַרְיֵה טֹרֵף בְּדֵי גֹרֹותָיו וּמְחַנֵּק לְלִבְאֹתָיו וַיְמַלֵּא־טֶרֶף חֹרָיו וּמְעֹנֹתָיו טְרֵפָה׃   2:13

Nahu. 2:13   A lion, rending according to the needs of his cubs,

                                 and strangling for his lionesses,

                        that prey fills his caves,

                                 and torn carcass his dwelling places!

הִנְנִי אֵלַיִךְ נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאֹות וְהִבְעַרְתִּי בֶעָשָׁן רִכְבָּהּ וּכְפִירַיִךְ תֹּאכַל חָרֶב וְהִכְרַתִּי מֵאֶרֶץ טַרְפֵּךְ   2:14 וְלֹא־יִשָּׁמַע עֹוד קֹול מַלְאָכֵכֵה׃

Nahu. 2:14   “Behold, I am against you,”

                                 declares the Lord of hosts,

                        “and I will burn her chariot in smoke,

                                 and sword shall devour your young lions,

                        as I cut off your prey from the earth.

                                 Then the voice of her messengers will not be heard again.”

 

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