Nahum Chapter 2

God sends his armies against Niniveh to destroy it.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 He is come up that shall destroy before thy face, that shall keep the siege: watch the way, fortify thy loins, strengthen thy power exceedingly.
2 For the Lord hath rendered the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel: because the spoilers have laid them waste, and have marred their vine branches. Hath rendered the pride of Jacob, etc... He hath punished Jacob for his pride; and therefore Ninive must not expect to escape. Or else, rendering the pride of Jacob means rewarding, that is, punishing Ninive for the pride they exercised against Jacob.
3 The shield of his mighty men is like fire, the men of the army are clad in scarlet, the reins of the chariot are flaming in the day of his preparation, and the drivers are stupefied. Of his mighty men, etc... He speaks of the Chaldeans and Medes sent to destroy Ninive. -- Ibid. Stupefied... consopiti. That is, they drive on furiously like men intoxicated with wine.
4 They are in confusion in the ways, the chariots jostle one against another in the streets: their looks are like torches, like lightning running to and fro.
5 He will muster up his valiant men, they shall stumble in their march: they shall quickly get upon the walls thereof: and a covering shall be prepared. Stumble in their march... By running hastily on.
6 The gates of the rivers are opened, and the temple is thrown down to the ground.
7 And the soldier is led away captive: and her bondwomen were led away mourning as doves, murmuring in their hearts.
8 And as for Ninive, her waters are like a great pool: but the men flee away. They cry: Stand, stand, but there is none that will return back.
9 Take ye the spoil of the silver, take the spoil of the gold: for there is no end of the riches of all the precious furniture.
10 She is destroyed, and rent, and torn: the heart melteth, and the knees fail, and all the loins lose their strength: and the faces of them all are as the blackness of a kettle.
11 Where is now the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, to which the lion went, to enter in thither, the young lion, and there was none to make them afraid?
12 The lion caught enough for his whelps, and killed for his lionesses: and he filled his holes with prey, and his den with rapine.
13 Behold I come against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn thy chariots even to smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey out of the land, and the voice of thy messengers shall be heard no more.

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 Ascendit qui dispergat coram te,
qui custodiat obsidionem:
contemplare viam, conforta lumbos,
robora virtutem valde.
2 Quia reddidit Dominus superbiam Jacob,
sicut superbiam Israël;
quia vastatores dissipaverunt eos,
et propagines eorum corruperunt.
3 Clypeus fortium ejus ignitus,
viri exercitus in coccineis;
igneæ habenæ currus in die præparationis ejus,
et agitatores consopiti sunt.
4 In itineribus conturbati sunt;
quadrigæ collisæ sunt in plateis:
aspectus eorum quasi lampades,
quasi fulgura discurrentia.
5 Recordabitur fortium suorum;
ruent in itineribus suis:
velociter ascendent muros ejus,
et præparabitur umbraculum.
6 Portæ fluviorum apertæ sunt,
et templum ad solum dirutum.
7 Et miles captivus abductus est,
et ancillæ ejus minabantur gementes ut columbæ,
murmurantes in cordibus suis.
8 Et Ninive quasi piscina aquarum aquæ ejus;
ipsi vero fugerunt. State, state!
et non est qui revertatur.
9 Diripite argentum, diripite aurum:
et non est finis divitiarum ex omnibus vasis desiderabilibus.
10 Dissipata est, et scissa, et dilacerata;
et cor tabescens, et dissolutio geniculorum,
et defectio in cunctis renibus,
et facies omnium eorum sicut nigredo ollæ.
11 Ubi est habitaculum leonum,
et pascua catulorum leonum,
ad quam ivit leo ut ingrederetur illuc catulus leonis,
et non est qui exterreat?
12 Leo cepit sufficienter catulis suis,
et necavit leænis suis,
et implevit præda speluncas suas,
et cubile suum rapina.
13 Ecce ego ad te, dicit Dominus exercituum,
et succendam usque ad fumum quadrigas tuas,
et leunculos tuos comedet gladius,
et exterminabo de terra prædam tuam,
et non audietur ultra vox nuntiorum tuorum.

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