Onus Ninive. Liber visionis Nahum Elcesæi.

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

What burden for Nineve? Here is matter revealed to Nahum the Elcesite.

Deus æmulator, et ulciscens Dominus: ulciscens Dominus, et habens furorem: ulciscens Dominus in hostes suos, et irascens ipse inimicis suis.

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.

A jealous lover the Lord is, and takes full vengeance; full vengeance the Lord takes, no stranger, he, to indignation; nor spares rebel, nor forgets the wrong.

Dominus patiens, et magnus fortitudine, et mundans non faciet innocentem. Dominus in tempestate et turbine viæ ejus, et nebulæ pulvis pedum ejus.

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.

Bide his time he may, but power lacks not; guilty is guilty still. Storm and whirlwind are the path he treads, cloud-wrack the dust he spurns;

Increpans mare, et exsiccans illud, et omnia flumina ad desertum deducens. Infirmatus est Basan et Carmelus, et flos Libani elanguit.

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.

the sea at his rebuke dries up, streams turn into a desert, Basan withers away, and Carmel; all the leaf of Lebanon fades.

Montes commoti sunt ab eo, et colles desolati sunt: et contremuit terra a facie ejus, et orbis, et omnes habitantes in eo.

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.

Shrink and shrivel they, mountain-top and hill-side, before him; quakes earth at his coming, and all the world of men with it.

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.

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.

Alas, when the blow of his resentment falls, who may confront that fierce anger unmoved? Here is vengeance poured out like fire, to melt the hard rock!

Bonus Dominus, et confortans in die tribulationis, et sciens sperantes in se.

The Lord is good and giveth strength in the day of trouble: and knoweth them that hope in him.

None so gracious as the Lord, no strength like his in the hour of distress; do but trust him, and he will keep thee in his care …

Et in diluvio prætereunte consummationem faciet loci ejus, et inimicos ejus persequentur tenebræ.

But with a flood that passeth by, he will make an utter end of the place thereof: and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

… Flood-tide shall overwhelm the site of it; ever his enemies find darkness at their heels.

Quid cogitatis contra Dominum? Consummationem ipse faciet: non consurget duplex tribulatio,

What do ye devise against the Lord? he will make an utter end: there shall not rise a double affliction.

Think not, by shifts of yours, to thwart the Lord’s will; believe me, he will take full toll, there shall be no second visitation.

quia sicut spinæ se invicem complectuntur, sic convivium eorum pariter potantium; consumentur quasi stipula ariditate plena.

For as thorns embrace one another: so while they are feasting and drinking together, they shall be consumed as stubble that is fully dry.

Close be it as thicket of thorns, yonder conspiracy over the cups, all at once, like scorched stubble, they shall be consumed.

Ex te exibit cogitans contra Dominum malitiam, mente pertractans prævaricationem.

Out of thee shall come forth one that imagineth evil against the Lord, contriving treachery in his mind.

Here is one of thy number devising rebellion against the Lord, folly’s counsellor.

Hæc dicit Dominus: Si perfecti fuerint, et ita plures, sic quoque attondentur, et pertransibit: afflixi te, et non affligam te ultra.

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.

But thus the Lord says: Are they in full muster? At least there are over-many of them; they must be shorn of their strength. It will pass; once chastened is chastened enough,

Et nunc conteram virgam ejus de dorso tuo, et vincula tua disrumpam.

And now I will break in pieces his rod with which he struck thy back, and Iwill burst thy bonds asunder.

and now I mean to shatter that yoke of his that lies on thy back, tear thy chains asunder …

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.

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.

For thee, this doom the Lord has; race shall never spring from thee to bear thy name, nor in the temple of thy god any images be left, cast or carven; and I will write it on thy tomb-stone, thou wast nothing worth.

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.

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.

See where they bring good news on the mountain heights, proclaiming that all is well! Now, Juda, keep holiday; paid be thy vows; mocking enemy shall pass through thee no more; never a one left.