Los profetas

The Fall of Nineveh and the Downfall of the Lion

A powerful prophetic account of how the Lord restores the glory of Jacob and Israel while destroying Nineveh. Chariots rage through the streets like flaming torches, the gates of the rivers open, and the palace melts away. The city is plundered for silver and gold, and the lion's den—symbol of Assyrian power—is left empty. Finally, the Lord, God of Hosts, speaks: He comes against Nineveh; the sword will devour the lion cubs, and the voice of messengers will never be heard again.

Nahúm 2,1-14

1Look! On the mountains, the feet of one bringing good news, proclaiming peace! Keep your festivals, Judah; fulfill your vows. Never again will the worthless one march through you; he is utterly cut off.
הִנֵּ֨ה עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֤י מְבַשֵּׂר֙ מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ שָׁל֔וֹם חָגִּ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה חַגַּ֖יִךְ שַׁלְּמִ֣י נְדָרָ֑יִךְ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יוֹסִ֥יף ע֛וֹד *לעבור־**לַֽעֲבָר־בָּ֥ךְ בְּלִיַּ֖עַל כֻּלֹּ֥ה נִכְרָֽת׃ ‬
2A destroyer advances against you. Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourself, muster all your strength.
עָלָ֥ה מֵפִ֛יץ עַל־פָּנַ֖יִךְ נָצ֣וֹר מְצֻרָ֑ה צַפֵּה־דֶ֙רֶךְ֙ חַזֵּ֣ק מָתְנַ֔יִם אַמֵּ֥ץ כֹּ֖חַ מְאֹֽד׃ ‬
3For the LORD is restoring the splendor of Jacob, like the splendor of Israel, though plunderers have stripped them bare and ruined their vines.
כִּ֣י שָׁ֤ב יְהוָה֙ אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּגְא֖וֹן יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֤י בְקָקוּם֙ בֹּֽקְקִ֔ים וּזְמֹרֵיהֶ֖ם שִׁחֵֽתוּ׃ ‬
4The shields of his warriors gleam red, his soldiers are clothed in scarlet. The chariots flash like fire of steel on the day they are readied, and the spears are brandished.
מָגֵ֨ן גִּבֹּרֵ֜יהוּ מְאָדָּ֗ם אַנְשֵׁי־חַ֙יִל֙ מְתֻלָּעִ֔ים בְּאֵשׁ־פְּלָד֥וֹת הָרֶ֖כֶב בְּי֣וֹם הֲכִינ֑וֹ וְהַבְּרֹשִׁ֖ים הָרְעָֽלוּ׃ ‬
5The chariots storm through the streets, rattling back and forth across the squares. They look like blazing torches; they dart like lightning.
בַּֽחוּצוֹת֙ יִתְהוֹלְל֣וּ הָרֶ֔כֶב יִֽשְׁתַּקְשְׁק֖וּן בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת מַרְאֵיהֶן֙ כַּלַּפִּידִ֔ם כַּבְּרָקִ֖ים יְרוֹצֵֽצוּ׃ ‬
6He summons his officers; they stumble as they advance. They rush to the wall, and the siege shelter is set in place.
יִזְכֹּר֙ אַדִּירָ֔יו יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ *בהלכותם **בַּהֲלִֽיכָתָ֑ם יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙ חֽוֹמָתָ֔הּ וְהֻכַ֖ן הַסֹּכֵֽךְ׃ ‬
7The river gates are thrown open, and the palace collapses.
שַׁעֲרֵ֥י הַנְּהָר֖וֹת נִפְתָּ֑חוּ וְהַֽהֵיכָ֖ל נָמֽוֹג׃ ‬
8It is decreed: she is stripped bare and led away. Her servant women moan like doves and beat their breasts.
וְהֻצַּ֖ב גֻּלְּתָ֣ה הֹֽעֲלָ֑תָה וְאַמְהֹתֶ֗יהָ מְנַֽהֲגוֹת֙ כְּק֣וֹל יוֹנִ֔ים מְתֹפְפֹ֖ת עַל־לִבְבֵהֶֽן׃ ‬
9Nineveh has been like a pool of water from her earliest days, but now they are fleeing! "Stop! Stop!" but no one turns back.
וְנִינְוֵ֥ה כִבְרֵֽכַת־מַ֖יִם מִ֣ימֵי הִ֑יא וְהֵ֣מָּה נָסִ֔ים עִמְד֥וּ עֲמֹ֖דוּ וְאֵ֥ין מַפְנֶֽה׃ ‬
10Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! There is no end to the hoard, the wealth of every precious thing.
בֹּ֥זּוּ כֶ֖סֶף בֹּ֣זּוּ זָהָ֑ב וְאֵ֥ין קֵ֙צֶה֙ לַתְּכוּנָ֔ה כָּבֹ֕ד מִכֹּ֖ל כְּלִ֥י חֶמְדָּֽה׃ ‬
11Emptied, stripped, laid waste! Hearts melt, knees buckle, every body trembles, and every face turns pale.
בּוּקָ֥ה וּמְבוּקָ֖ה וּמְבֻלָּקָ֑ה וְלֵ֨ב נָמֵ֜ס וּפִ֣ק בִּרְכַּ֗יִם וְחַלְחָלָה֙ בְּכָל־מָתְנַ֔יִם וּפְנֵ֥י כֻלָּ֖ם קִבְּצ֥וּ פָארֽוּר׃ ‬
12Where now is the lions' den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked with their cubs and nothing made them afraid?
אַיֵּה֙ מְע֣וֹן אֲרָי֔וֹת וּמִרְעֶ֥ה ה֖וּא לַכְּפִרִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָלַךְ֩ אַרְיֵ֨ה לָבִ֥יא שָׁ֛ם גּ֥וּר אַרְיֵ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃ ‬
13The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his lairs with the kill and his dens with torn flesh.
אַרְיֵ֤ה טֹרֵף֙ בְּדֵ֣י גֹֽרוֹתָ֔יו וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק לְלִבְאֹתָ֑יו וַיְמַלֵּא־טֶ֣רֶף חֹרָ֔יו וּמְעֹֽנֹתָ֖יו טְרֵפָֽה׃ ‬
14I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts. I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers will never be heard again.
הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֗יִךְ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְהִבְעַרְתִּ֤י בֶֽעָשָׁן֙ רִכְבָּ֔הּ וּכְפִירַ֖יִךְ תֹּ֣אכַל חָ֑רֶב וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ טַרְפֵּ֔ךְ וְלֹֽא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע ע֖וֹד ק֥וֹל מַלְאָכֵֽכֵה׃ ס ‬