unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
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| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum, the Elkoshite. | I am Nahum, from {the village of} Elkosh. This is a message about {the city of} Nineveh, a message {that Yahweh gave me} in a vision. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Yahweh {is} a jealous and avenging God; Yahweh {is} an avenger and master of wrath; Yahweh takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he maintains against his enemies. | Yahweh our God tolerates no rival gods to himself. Yahweh is very angry with those who worship other gods, and he punishes them. He continues to be angry with those who oppose him. |
Yahweh is full of wrath.
Yahweh takes vengeance on his adversaries.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Yahweh {is} long of nostrils and great in power; and to acquit he will not acquit. Yahweh—in whirlwind and storm {is} his way, and cloud {is} the dust of his feet. | Yahweh does not quickly become angry; but he is very powerful, and he will certainly punish {those who have done evil things}. Wherever Yahweh walks, there are whirlwinds and storms, and the clouds are like dust around his feet. |
Yahweh makes his way in the whirlwind and the storm.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and all the rivers he dries up. Bashan withers, also Carmel; and the flowers of Lebanon wither. | When he commands oceans and rivers to become dry, they dry up. He causes the grass to wither in the fields in the region of Bashan and on the slopes of Mount Carmel, and he causes the flowers in Lebanon to fade. |
The flowers of Lebanon wither.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Mountains shake before him, and the hills melt; and the earth heaves before his face; and the world and all the dwellers in it. | When he appears, it is as though the mountains quake and the hills melt; the earth quakes before him, and all the people on the earth {tremble}. |
The earth heaves in Yahweh’s presence.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| To the face of his indignation, who can stand? And who can arise against the burning of his nose? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken apart before him. | There is no one who can resist him when he becomes extremely angry; there is no one who can survive when Yahweh is angry with him. When he is very angry, it is as though fire blazes out from him; it is as though mountains explode into pieces before him. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Yahweh {is} good, for a stronghold in a day of trouble, and knowing those taking refuge in him. | Yahweh is good; he protects us, his people, when we experience troubles. He takes care of those who trust in him. |
Yahweh is a stronghold in the day of trouble.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| But he will make a complete end to its place with an overwhelming flood; darkness will pursue his enemies. | But he will completely destroy Nineveh with an overwhelming flood. Wherever his enemies go, terrible things will happen to them. |
Yahweh will pursue his enemies with darkness, meaning “terrible things.”
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| What are you plotting against Yahweh? He will make a complete end {to it}; trouble will not rise up a second time. | So it is useless for you people of Nineveh to plot against Yahweh. He will destroy your plan quickly; he will not need to strike you two times. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For like tangled thorn-bushes and like their drink being drunk, they are devoured—like dried stubble—fully. | The Ninevites will be like tangled thorn-bushes or dry stubble {in a fire}; they will be like the wine in their own cups. All of those things disappear quickly and completely. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| From you came out a plotter of evil against Yahweh, an advisor of wickedness. | Yes, in the city of Nineveh there are people who advise and plan evil deeds against Yahweh. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Thus says Yahweh: “{Even} if they are full and likewise numerous, also likewise they have been sheared, and he has passed away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. | But this is what Yahweh says {to the people of Judah}: “Although the nation of Assyria has very many people and {its army} is very powerful, Nevertheless I will shear them {like helpless sheep} and destroy those who plan evil deeds. Although I have punished you, I will not punish you again. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And now I will break his yoke from upon you, and your shackles I will tear off.” | Now I will cause the people of Assyria to no longer enslave you; it will be as though I will break off the chains on your hands and feet.” |
He will break the people’s yoke from upon them.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| And Yahweh has commanded concerning you: “One will not be sown from your name any more. I will cut off the carved figures and the cast metal figures from the house of your gods. I will prepare your graves, for you are worthless.” | And this is what Yahweh also declares about the people of Nineveh: “The people of Nineveh will not have any descendants who will continue to have their family names. And I will destroy all the wooden and metal idols that are in their temples. I will cause them to be killed and sent to their graves, because they are vile!” |
He will dig their graves because they are worthless.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Behold, on the mountains, the feet of a herald, announcing peace! Celebrate your celebrations, O Judah, and keep your vows, for the wicked will not repeat to invade you again; he is completely cut off. | You people of Judah, look to the mountains! A messenger will come from there, and he will bring good news to you. He will declare that you will now have peace. So keep your festivals, and do what you solemnly promised Yahweh that you would do. You can do this because your wicked enemies will not invade your country again, because I will destroy them completely. |
On the mountains are the feet of the herald who brings good news.
Judah should celebrate its festivals and keep vows because the wicked one will invade them no more.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| A scatterer has come up against your face. Guard the city walls, watch the road, strengthen {your} loins, greatly fortify {your} power! | You people of Nineveh, your enemies are coming to attack you. So place guards on the tops of the walls around the city! Guard the roads into the city! Get ready to fight! Gather all of your troops together! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| For Yahweh has restored the majesty of Jacob, indeed, the majesty of Israel, although the plunderers plundered them and destroyed their vine branches. | Even though soldiers have pillaged the people of Jacob and destroyed their vineyards, Yahweh will cause other nations to honor them again. Yes, Jacob and Israel will be majestic again. |
Yahweh has restored the majesty of Jacob.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The shields of his mighty men are red; the men of valor are clothed in scarlet; the chariot {flashes} with fire of metal on the day of preparing it, and the cypresses quiver. | The shields of Yahweh’s soldiers are red, and they will wear bright red uniforms. The metal of their chariot wheels will flash like fire when they prepare them for battle. The spears will look like {a forest of} quivering cypress trees {as the soldiers raise them}. |
The shields of his mighty men are red.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush back and forth in the squares. Their appearance {is} like torches; they run like lightning. | Their chariots dash through the streets of Nineveh and rush furiously through the plazas. Appearing to move as quickly as lightning, they look like flaming torches. |
The chariots speed through the streets.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| He calls his officers; they stumble in their advance; they hurry to her city wall. The siege-shelter is prepared. | The {attacking} commander calls to his officers and they come to him so quickly that they stumble. They run up to the city wall {to attack it}; they set up a large wooden shield {above the soldiers to protect them}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The gates of the rivers have been opened, and the palace has melted away. | Soldiers open the floodgates that hold back the rivers, and the palace collapses. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| It is established: she is taken into exile; she is led away, and her female servants moan like the sound of doves, beating on their hearts. | Yahweh decrees that soldiers will take the inhabitants of Nineveh away as captives. The women of Nineveh moan like doves and beat their breasts {to show that they are very sad}. |
It has been decreed: the queen is taken away into exile; her female servants moan like doves, beating their breasts.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Though Nineveh {was} like a pool of water throughout her days, now they are fleeing away. “Stop, stop!” But there is no turning back. | The people of Nineveh used to be as calm as a pool of water, but now they are running away. {The officials shout,} “Stop! Stop!” But the people will not even look back {as they run away}. |
They will flee away without turning back.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Plunder silver, plunder gold, for there is no end to the supply; a wealth of all things of delight. | {The attackers say to each other,} “Seize the silver! Grab the gold! There is a huge amount {of very valuable things in the city}; there are many wonderful things of all kinds!” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Empty and desolate and ruined! And the heart is melted, and a shaking of knees, and anguish {is} in all loins, and all of their faces gather beauty. | Soldiers have completely looted and destroyed {the city of Nineveh}. The people of Nineveh are afraid, trembling, and deeply sorrowful. Their faces have all become pale {with fear}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Where {now} {is} the lions’ den and that feeding place for the young lions, where the lion walked, the lioness there, the cubs of the lion, and nothing made {them} afraid? | {After that happens, people will say,} “Nineveh used to be full of great and powerful people! It was like a den full of lions, where the male and female lions lived with their cubs, where they fed the young ones, where the inhabitants were afraid of nothing. |
They were afraid of nothing.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The lion, tearing enough for his cubs and strangling for his lionesses, he filled his caves with prey, his dens with torn carcasses. | The officials in Nineveh were like lions that killed animals for their cubs, strangled others for their lionesses, and kept killing more to fill their dens with prey.” |
The lion filled his cave with victims and his dens with carcasses.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| “Behold me, against you—the declaration of Yahweh of armies— I will burn her chariot in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from your land, and the voices of your messengers will be heard no more.” | Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, says to the people of Nineveh, “I am your enemy; I will burn up your chariots. I will cause soldiers to kill your young men. I will make sure that your soldiers will never again conquer other nations and seize their valuable possessions. Your messengers will never again disturb the people of other nations.” |
Yahweh will burn their chariots in the smoke, devour their young lions, and cut off their prey from the land.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Woe to the city of bloodshed! All of it {is} lies, full of plunder; the prey never departs. | Terrible things will happen to Nineveh, that city that is full of people who continually murder {people} and lie {to others} and steal {valuable things from people in other countries}. Their armies constantly bring to the city the people and things that they have stolen. |
The city is full of blood, lies and stolen property.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| The sound of a whip and the sound of a rattling wheel and a galloping horse and a bounding chariot! | {But now listen as the enemy soldiers come to attack Nineveh!} Listen to them cracking their whips, and listen to the rattle of their {chariot} wheels! Listen to their galloping horses and their chariots as they bounce along! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| A charging horseman and a flash of a sword and a gleam of a spear and many slain and heaps of corpses. There is no end to the dead bodies; they stumble over their dead bodies. | Look at their flashing swords and glittering spears as the horsemen race forward! The enemy soldiers will kill many people of Nineveh. There will be piles of corpses, so many dead bodies that people will stumble over them. |
There will be heaps of corpses, a great pile of bodies, and no end of the bodies.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| From the many harlotries of the prostitute, pleasing in beauty, the mistress of witchcraft, the seller of nations through her prostitution, and peoples through her witchcraft. | All of that will happen because Nineveh is like a beautiful prostitute who attracts many men and destroys them, and who practices witchcraft. The people of Nineveh teach people of other nations to worship Nineveh’s idols. They control other people through witchcraft and cause them to become their slaves. |
This is happening because of the harlotries of the beautiful prostitute.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| “Behold me, against you—the declaration of Yahweh of armies—I will remove your skirt over your face and show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. | So Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, says to the people of Nineveh: “I am your enemy, and I will completely humiliate you in the sight of the people of other nations, just as people humiliate a woman who has committed adultery by lifting her skirt over her head so that people can see her naked body. People of other nations will be ashamed of you. |
Yahweh will raise up her skirt over her face and show her private parts to the nations and her shame to the kingdoms. He will throw disgusting filth on her and make her vile. He will make her someone that everyone will look at.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| I will throw filth on you and regard you as vile; I will set you up as a spectacle. | It will be as though I am throwing garbage on you; I will show others that I despise you very much, and I will cause everyone to publicly ridicule you. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| It will come about that everyone looking at you will flee from you and say, ‘Nineveh is destroyed; who will sympathize with her?’ From where can I find a comforter for you?” | All those who see you will run away from you and say, ‘Nineveh lies in ruins, but absolutely no one will mourn for it.’ People of Nineveh, no one will want to comfort you.” |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile River, water all around her, whose defense {was} the sea, water her wall? | Nineveh is not stronger than the city of Thebes was. Thebes was an important city beside the Nile River; deep water protected Thebes on all sides. |
Thebes’ wall was the sea.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Cush and Egypt {were} her strength, and there was no end; Put and Libya were among your allies. | The rulers of Cush and Egypt helped Thebes; together they were very strong. The governments of the nearby countries of Put and Libya were also allies of Thebes. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Yet she as an exile went into captivity; also her young children were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; and for her honored ones they cast lots, and all her great ones were bound in chains. | Nevertheless, enemies conquered Thebes and took its people as captives. The enemies smashed the babies of Thebes to death in the streets. The enemies used marked stones to choose which officials they would take as slaves. The enemies led all of the leaders of Thebes away in chains. |
Thebes’ enemies threw lots for her honorable men.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| You also will become drunk; you will be hidden; you also will seek a refuge from your enemy. | You people of Nineveh will similarly become confused. You will search for places to hide from your enemies as they did. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| All of your fortresses {are} fig trees with first fruits: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. | When people want to eat the first figs, all they have to do is shake the fig tree and the figs fall into their mouths. Your enemies will capture your fortresses that quickly and easily. |
If Nineveh’s fortresses are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Behold, your people {are} women in your midst; the gates of your land opening have been opened to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars. | Look at your soldiers! They are as weak as women! The gates of your cities will be wide open to allow your enemies to enter them, and your enemies will burn the beams {of those gates}. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Draw siege water for yourself; strengthen your fortresses; go into the clay and tread in the mortar; pick up the brick mold. | {People of Nineveh,} store up water now to use when your enemies surround the city! Make your defensive buildings stronger! Dig up clay and trample it {to make it soft}; put it into molds to make bricks {to strengthen the walls}! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Fire will devour you there, and the sword will cut you off. It will devour you as the creeping locust. Multiply yourself as the creeping locust; multiply yourself as the swarming locust! | Nevertheless, your enemies will burn your city; they will kill you with their swords; they will kill you as locusts destroy crops. Increase your population like grasshoppers and swarms of locusts! |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the heavens; a locust stripped and flew away. | In your city there are now very many merchants; almost more than one could count. But {when your city is being destroyed,} they will take all the valuable things and quickly leave, like locusts that strip the leaves from plants and then fly away. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| Your guards {are} like the locust, and your generals, like a swarm of locusts, the ones settling on the walls on a cold day. The sun shines and it flies away and its place is not known where they are. | Your leaders are also like a swarm of locusts that crowd together on the stone walls on a cold day. When the sun shines, they fly away, and no one knows where they have gone. |
The guards and generals are as many as a swarm of locusts.
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| King of Assyria, your shepherds are asleep; your nobles are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one gathering {them}. | King of Assyria, all of your important people will die. Your people will scatter to many different places in the mountains, and there will be no one to gather them together. |
| ULT | UST |
|---|---|
| There is no relief for your destruction. Your wound is severe. Everyone hearing the news of you will clap {their} hands over you. For upon whom has not come your endless evil? | Nothing can help you now. You are like someone who has a fatal wound. All of those who hear about what has happened to you will {joyfully} clap their hands about it. They will do this because all of them have suffered from your continual evil actions. |
Everyone who hears the news about you will clap their hands in joy over you.