Nineve's Shame Exposed

Nahum 3

Nineve is denounced as a city of blood and a harlot skilled in sorcery who sold the nations, and the Lord declares that he will uncover her shame before the nations and make her a public spectacle. Naum compares her fate to that of No-Ammon, warns that her fortresses will fall like ripe figs and her people flee like locusts before the sun, and closes lamenting that her wound is incurable and all who hear of her ruin will clap their hands.

About these editions

The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.

Thomson 1808Septuagint

Brenton 1851Septuagint

Greek · BrentonSeptuagint

KJV 1769Masoretic

JPS 1917Masoretic

ThomsonO BLOODY city, wholly perfidious and full of lies! shall not thy prey be handled?

BrentonO city of blood, wholly false, full of unrighteousness; the prey shall not be handled.

GreekὮ πόλις αἱμάτων, ὅλη ψευδὴς, ἀδικίας πλήρης, οὐ ψηλαφηθήσεται θήρα.

KJVWoe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;

JPSWoe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and rapine; The prey departeth not.

ThomsonA sound of whips! and the sound of the rumbling of wheels, and of the pursuing horse! and bounding chariot!

BrentonThe noise of whips, and the noise of the rumbling of wheels, and of the pursuing horse, and of the bounding chariot,

GreekΦωνὴ μαστίγων, καὶ φωνὴ σεισμοῦ τροχῶν, καὶ ἵππου διώκοντος, καὶ ἅρματος ἀναβράσσοντος,

KJV—

JPS—

Thomsonand of the cavalry advancing! and of the glittering sword and gleamy arms! and of the multitude of wounded! and of the hideous crash! Though there was no bound to her nations, they shall be weak of body by reason of great fornication.

Brentonand of the mounting rider, and of the glittering sword, and of the gleaming arms, and of a multitude of slain, and of heavy falling: and there was no end to her nations, but they shall be weak in their bodies

Greekκαὶ ἱππέως ἀναβαίνοντος, καὶ στιλβούσης ῥομφαίας, καὶ ἐξαστραπτόντων ὅπλων, καὶ πλήθους τραυματιῶν, καὶ βαρείας πτώσεως, καὶ οὐκ ἦν πέρας τοῖς ἔθνεσιν αὐτῆς· καὶ ἀσθενήσουσιν ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν αὐτῶν ἀπὸ πλήθους πορνείας·

KJVThe horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses:

JPSThe horseman charging, And the flashing sword, and the glittering spear; And a multitude of slain, and a heap of carcases; And there is no end of the corpses, and they stumble upon their corpses;

ThomsonO fair harlot and bewitching mistress of sorceries, who sellest nations by thy whoredom, and peoples by thy sorceries!

Brentonbecause of the abundance of fornication: she is a fair harlot, and well-favoured, skilled in sorcery, that sells the nations by her fornication, and peoples by her sorceries.

Greekπόρνη καλὴ, καὶ ἐπίχαρις ἡγουμένη φαρμάκων, ἡ πωλοῦσα ἔθνη ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς, καὶ λαοὺς ἐν τοῖς φαρμάκοις αὐτῆς.

KJV—

JPSBecause of the multitude of the harlotries of the well-favoured harlot, The mistress of witchcrafts, That selleth nations through her harlotries, And families through her witchcrafts.

Thomsonbehold I am against thee, saith the Lord God Almighty, and I will expose thy skirts to view; and shew nations thy shame; and kingdoms, thy dishonour;

BrentonBehold, I am against thee, saith the Lord God Almighty, and I will uncover thy skirts in thy presence, and I will shew the nations thy shame, and the kingdoms thy disgrace.

GreekἸδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπὶ σὲ, λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, καὶ ἀποκαλύψω τὰ ὀπίσω σου ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, καὶ δείξω ἔθνεσι τὴν αἰσχύνην σου, καὶ βασιλείαις τὴν ἀτιμίαν σου.

KJVBehold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

JPSBehold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, And I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face, And I will shew the nations thy nakedness, And the kingdoms thy shame.

Thomsonand cast abomination on thee according to thine impurities; and make thee a public example,

BrentonAnd I will cast abominable filth upon thee according to thine unclean ways, and will make thee a public example.

GreekΚαὶ ἐπιῤῥίψω ἐπὶ σὲ βδελυγμὸν κατὰ τὰς ἀκαθαρσίας σου, καὶ θήσομαί σε εἰς παράδειγμα.

KJVAnd I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock.

JPSAnd I will cast detestable things upon thee, and make thee vile, And will make thee as dung.

Thomsonso that everyone who seeth thee shall go down from thee, and say, Wretched Ninive! who can bemoan her? Whence can I find comfort for her?

BrentonAnd it shall be that every one that sees thee shall go down from thee, and shall say, Wretched Nineve! who shall lament for her? whence shall I seek comfort for her?

GreekΚαὶ ἔσται, πᾶς ὁ ὁρῶν σε καταβήσεται ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ ἐρεῖ, δειλαία Νινευή· τίς στενάξει αὐτήν; πόθεν ζητήσω παράκλησιν αὐτῇ;

KJVAnd it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?

JPSAnd it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee Shall flee from thee, And say: ‘Nineveh is laid waste; Who will bemoan her? Whence shall I seek comforters for thee?’

ThomsonPrepare a funeral cake! attune the lyre! prepare the funeral cake of Ammon! she dwelt among rivers; water was around her. The sea was her dominions, and water, her walls,

BrentonPrepare thee a portion, tune the chord, prepare a portion for Ammon: she that dwells among the rivers, water is round about her, whose dominion is the sea, and whose walls are water.

GreekἙτοιμασὰι μερίδα, ἁρμόσαι χορδὴν, ἑτοιμάσαι μερίδα Ἀμμών· ἡ κατοικοῦσα ἐν ποταμοῖς, ὕδωρ κύκλῳ αὐτῆς, ἧς ἡ ἀρχὴ θάλασσα, καὶ ὕδωρ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς,

KJVArt thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea?

JPSArt thou better than No-amon, That was situate among the rivers, That had the waters round about her; Whose rampart was the sea, and of the sea her wall?

Thomsonand Ethiopia and Egypt, her strength; and the end of her flight was not stopped and the Lybians were her auxiliaries.

BrentonAnd Ethiopia is her strength, and Egypt; and there was no limit of the flight of her enemies; and the Libyans became her helpers.

Greekκαὶ Αἰθιοπία ἰσχὺς αὐτῆς, καὶ Αἴγυπτος· καὶ οὐκ ἔστη πέρας τῆς φυγῆς· καὶ Λίβυες ἐγένοντο βοηθοὶ αὐτῆς.

KJVEthiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

JPSEthiopia and Egypt were thy strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

ThomsonYet she is to go captive into banishment; and her infants shall be dashed to the ground at the head of all the streets; and for all her splendid treasures lots shall be cast; and all her grandees shall be bound with fetters.

BrentonYet she shall go as a prisoner into captivity, and they shall dash her infants against the ground at the top of all her ways: and they shall cast lots upon all her glorious possessions, and all her nobles shall be bound in chains.

GreekΚαὶ αὐτὴ εἰς μετοικεσίαν πορεύσεται αἰχμάλωτος καὶ τὰ νήπια αὐτῆς ἐδαφιοῦσιν ἐπʼ ἀρχὰς πασῶν τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔνδοξα αὐτῆς βαλοῦσι κλήρους· καὶ πάντες οἱ μεγιστᾶνες αὐτῆς δεθήσονται χειροπέδαις.

KJVYet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

JPSYet was she carried away, She went into captivity; Her young children also were dashed in pieces At the head of all the streets; And they cast lots for her honourable men, And all her great men were bound in chains.

ThomsonAnd as for thee thou shalt be made drunk and be despised, and shalt seek for thyself a resting place from enemies.

BrentonAnd thou shalt be drunken, and shalt be overlooked; and thou shalt seek for thyself strength because of thine enemies.

GreekΚαὶ σὺ μεθυσθήσῃ, καὶ ἔσῃ ὑπερεωραμένη, καὶ σὺ ζητήσεις σεαυτῇ στάσιν ἐξ ἐχθρῶν.

KJVThou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy.

JPSThou also shalt be drunken, Thou shalt swoon; Thou also shalt seek a refuge Because of the enemy.

ThomsonAll thy fortresses are like figs which have watchers; when shaken they will fall into the mouth of the eater.

BrentonAll thy strong-holds are as fig-trees having watchers: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.

GreekΠάντα τὰ ὀχυρώματά σου συκαῖ σκοποὺς ἔχουσαι· ἐὰν σαλευθῶσι, πεσοῦνται εἰς στόμα ἔσθοντος.

KJVAll thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

JPSAll thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: If they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.

ThomsonBehold thy people in thee are like women; the gates of thy land shall be opened wide to thine enemies; a fire shall utterly devour thy bars.

BrentonBehold, thy people within thee are as women: the gates of thy land shall surely be opened to thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.

GreekἸδοὺ ὁ λαός σου ὡς γυναῖκες ἐν σοὶ, τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου ἀνοιγόμεναι ἀνοιχθήσονται πύλαι τῆς γῆς σου, καταφάγεται πῦρ τοὺς μοχλούς σου.

KJVBehold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.

JPSBehold, thy people in the midst of thee are women; The gates of thy land are set wide open unto thine enemies; The fire hath devoured thy bars.

ThomsonDraw thee water for a siege, and fortify thy bulwarks. Go down into the clay, and let it be trampled with straw. Make it harder than any brick.

BrentonDraw thee water for a siege, and well secure thy strong-holds: enter into the clay, and be thou trodden in the chaff, make the fortifications stronger than brick.

GreekὝδωρ περιοχῆς ἐπίσπασαι σεαυτῇ, καὶ κατακράτησον τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων σου· ἔμβηθι εἰς πηλὸν, καὶ συμπατήθητι ἐν ἀχύροις, κατακράτησον ὑπὲρ πλίνθον.

KJVDraw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.

JPSDraw thee water for the siege, Strengthen thy fortresses; Go into the clay, and tread the mortar, Lay hold of the brickmould.

ThomsonThere a fire shall devour thee; a sword shall cut thee off. Like a locust it will devour thee; and like a cankerworm thou shalt be stamped out.

BrentonThere the fire shall devour thee; the sword shall utterly destroy thee, it shall devour thee as the locust, and thou shalt be pressed down as a palmerworm.

GreekἘκεῖ καταφάγεταί σε πῦρ, ἐξολοθρεύσει σε ῥομφαία, καταφάγεταί σε ὡς ἀκρὶς, καὶ βαρυνθήσῃ ὡς βροῦχος.

KJVThere shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts.

JPSThere shall the fire devour thee; The sword shall cut thee off, It shall devour thee like the canker-worm; Make thyself many as the canker-worm, Make thyself many as the locusts.

ThomsonThou hast multiplied thy merchandise above the stars of heaven; the cankerworm came rushing on, and is flown.

BrentonThou hast multiplied thy merchandise beyond the stars of heaven: the palmerworm has attacked it, and has flown away.

GreekἘπλήθυνας τὰς ἐμπορίας σου ὑπὲρ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· βροῦχος ὥρμησε, καὶ ἐξεπετάσθη.

KJVThou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and fleeth away.

JPSThou hast multiplied thy merchants Above the stars of heaven; The canker-worm spreadeth itself, and flieth away.

Thomson—

BrentonThy mixed multitude has suddenly departed as the grasshopper, as the locust perched on a hedge in a frosty day; the sun arises, and it flies off, and knows not its place: woe to them!

GreekἘξήλατο ὡς ἀττέλεβος ὁ σύμμικτός σου, ὡς ἀκρὶς ἐπιβεβηκυῖα ἐπὶ φραγμὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πάγους· ὁ ἥλιος ἀνέτειλε, καὶ ἀφήλατο, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς· οὐαὶ αὐτοῖς.

KJV—

JPS—

Thomsonthy shepherds slumbered, an Assyrian king lulled to sleep thy mighty men; thy people fled to the mountains and there was none to rally them.

BrentonThy shepherds have slumbered, the Assyrian king has laid low thy mighty men: thy people departed to the mountains, and there was none to receive them.

GreekἘνύσταξαν οἱ ποιμένες σου, βασιλεὺς Ἀσσύριος ἐκοίμισε τοὺς δυνάστας σου, ἀπῇρεν ὁ λαός σου ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐκδεχόμενος.

KJVThy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.

JPSThy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria, Thy worthies are at rest; Thy people are scattered upon the mountains, And there is none to gather them.

ThomsonThere is no cure for thy bruise. Thy wound is festered. All that hear the news of thee will clap their hands at thee. For upon whom hath not thy wickedness come continually?

BrentonThere is no healing for thy bruise; thy wound has rankled: all that hear the report of thee shall clap their hands against thee; for upon whom has not thy wickedness passed continually?

GreekΟὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις τῇ συντριβῇ σου, ἐφλέγμανεν ἡ πληγή σου, πάντες οἱ ἀκούοντες τὴν ἀγγελίαν σου κροτήσουσι χεῖρας ἐπὶ σέ· διότι ἐπὶ τίνα οὐκ ἐπῆλθεν ἡ κακία σου διαπαντός;

KJVThere is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?

JPSThere is no assuaging of thy hurt, Thy wound is grievous; All that hear the report of thee Clap the hands over thee; For upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?