Nahum Chapter 1

The majesty of God, his goodness to his people, and severity to his enemies.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 The burden of Ninive. The book of the vision of Nahum, the Elcesite.

2 The Lord is a jealous God, and a revenger: the Lord is a revenger, and hath wrath: the Lord taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he is angry with his enemies.
3 The Lord is patient, and great in power, and will not cleanse and acquit the guilty. The Lord's ways are in a tempest, and a whirlwind, and clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebuketh the sea and drieth it up: and bringeth all the rivers to be a desert. Basan languisheth and Carmel: and the flower of Libanus fadeth away.
5 The mountains tremble at him, and the hills are made desolate: and the earth hath quaked at his presence, and the world, and all that dwell therein.
6 Who can stand before the face of his indignation? and who shall resist in the fierceness of his anger? his indignation is poured out like fire: and the rocks are melted by him.
7 The Lord is good, and giveth strength in the day of trouble: and knoweth them that hope in him.
8 But with a flood that passeth by, he will make an utter end of the place thereof: and darkness shall pursue his enemies. Of the place thereof... Viz., of Ninive.
9 What do ye devise against the Lord? he will make an utter end: there shall not rise a double affliction.
10 For as thorns embrace one another: so while they are feasting and drinking together, they shall be consumed as stubble that is fully dry.
11 Out of thee shall come forth one that imagineth evil against the Lord, contriving treachery in his mind. Shall come forth one, etc... Some understand this of Sennacherib. But as his attempt against the people seems to have been prior to the prophecy of Nahum, we may better understand it of Holofernes.
12 Thus saith the Lord: Though they were perfect: and many of them so, yet thus shall they be cut off, and he shall pass: I have afflicted thee, and I will afflict thee no more. Though they were perfect, etc... That is, however strong or numerous their forces may be, they shall be cut off; and their prince or leader shall pass away and disappear.
13 And now I will break in pieces his rod with which he struck thy back, and I will burst thy bonds asunder.
14 And the Lord will give a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name shall be sown: I will destroy the graven and molten thing out of the house of thy God, I will make it thy grave, for thou art disgraced. Will give a commandment... That is, a decree, concerning thee, O king of Ninive, thy seed shall fail, etc.
15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, and that preacheth peace: O Juda, keep thy festivals, and pay thy vows: for Belial shall no more pass through thee again, he is utterly cut off. Belial... The wicked one, viz., the Assyrian.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Onus Ninive. Liber visionis Nahum Elcesæi.

2 Deus æmulator, et ulciscens Dominus:
ulciscens Dominus, et habens furorem:
ulciscens Dominus in hostes suos,
et irascens ipse inimicis suis.
3 Dominus patiens, et magnus fortitudine,
et mundans non faciet innocentem.
Dominus in tempestate et turbine viæ ejus,
et nebulæ pulvis pedum ejus.
4 Increpans mare, et exsiccans illud,
et omnia flumina ad desertum deducens.
Infirmatus est Basan et Carmelus,
et flos Libani elanguit.
5 Montes commoti sunt ab eo,
et colles desolati sunt:
et contremuit terra a facie ejus,
et orbis, et omnes habitantes in eo.
6 Ante faciem indignationis ejus quis stabit?
et quis resistet in ira furoris ejus?
Indignatio ejus effusa est ut ignis,
et petræ dissolutæ sunt ab eo.
7 Bonus Dominus,
et confortans in die tribulationis,
et sciens sperantes in se.
8 Et in diluvio prætereunte consummationem faciet loci ejus,
et inimicos ejus persequentur tenebræ.
9 Quid cogitatis contra Dominum?
Consummationem ipse faciet:
non consurget duplex tribulatio,
10 quia sicut spinæ se invicem complectuntur,
sic convivium eorum pariter potantium;
consumentur quasi stipula ariditate plena.
11 Ex te exibit cogitans contra Dominum malitiam,
mente pertractans prævaricationem.
12 Hæc dicit Dominus:
Si perfecti fuerint, et ita plures,
sic quoque attondentur, et pertransibit:
afflixi te, et non affligam te ultra.
13 Et nunc conteram virgam ejus de dorso tuo,
et vincula tua disrumpam.
14 Et præcipiet super te Dominus;
non seminabitur ex nomine tuo amplius:
de domo Dei tui interficiam sculptile, et conflatile;
ponam sepulchrum tuum, quia inhonoratus es.
15 Ecce super montes pedes evangelizantis,
et annuntiantis pacem.
Celebra, Juda, festivitates tuas,
et redde vota tua,
quia non adjiciet ultra ut pertranseat in te Belial:
universus interiit.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition