Introduction to Nahum (Pioneer Bible Translators)

(Pioneer Bible Translators and The Word for the World use the following introduction in many of their translation projects around the world.)

This book contains the vision of Nahum. Nahum’s message was against Assyria. He calls this nation “Nineveh,” which is the name of its capital city. Assyria was the kingdom that conquered and took the people of the northern kingdom of Israel into captivity. Because Nahum mentions the fall of the city Thebes (3:8), we can know that he prophesied sometime between 663 B.C., when Thebes fell, and 612 B.C., when Nineveh fell.

Nahum’s message is that God will punish the guilty. Although God does not easily become angry, he is powerful (1:3). He said that Nineveh and Assyria would fall and that their people would be taken into captivity. To the people of Judah, this was certainly very good news (1:15).

Outline:

1. Chapter 1:1-8 describes God as just and vengeful.
2. Chapters 1:9-3 pronounce judgement on Nineveh and Assyria.

This work is owned by Pioneer Bible Translators International and The World for the World International and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License .

Translation: French

Introduction au livre de Nahum

Ce livre contient la vision de Nahum, dont le message s’opposait à l’Assyrie. Nahum traitait cette nation de “Ninive”, nom de sa capitale. L’Assyrie était le royaume qui a bien conquis le royaume d’Israël du nord et a amené son peuple en captivité. Vu que Nahum fait allusion à la chute de la cité de Thèbes (No-Amon) (3.8), on sait que Nahum a prophétisé entre 663 ans avant Jésus Christ, date de la chute de Thèbes, et 612, date de la chute de Ninive.

Le message de Nahum, c’est que Dieu punira les coupables. Quoique Dieu soit lent à la colère, il est tout-puissant (1.3). Dieu a dit que Ninive et l’Assyrie tomberaient et qu’on emmènerait leur peuple en captivité. Pour le peuple de Juda, voilà bien sûr une très bonne nouvelle. (1.15)

Résumé de Nahum

1. Chapitre 1.1-8 décrit Dieu: Il est juste et vengeur
2. Chapitre 1.9 au chapitre 3 prononcent le jugement sur Ninive et l’Assyrie

Translation: Swahili

Utangulizi wa Nahumu

Kitabu hiki kina maono ya Nahumu. Ujumbe wa Nahumu ulikuwa dhidi ya Ashuru. Anaita taifa hili "Ninawi", ambalo ni jina la mji mkuu wake. Ashuru ndio ufalme ulioshinda na kuwachukua watu wa ufalme wa kaskazini wa Israeli utumwani. Kwa sababu Nahumu anataja anguko la mji wa Thebes (3: 8), tunaweza kujua kwamba alitabiri wakati fulani kati ya 663 K.K.(kabla ya Kristo), wakati Thebes ilipoanguka, na 612 K.K.(kabla ya Kristo), wakati Ninawi ilianguka.

Ujumbe wa Nahumu ni kwamba Mungu atawaadhibu wenye hatia. Ingawa Mungu hakasiriki kwa urahisi, yeye ana nguvu (1:3). Alisema kuwa Ninawi na Ashuru ingeanguka na kwamba watu wao wangechukuliwa mateka kwa watu wa Yuda, hii ilikuwa habari njema sana (1:15).

Muhtasari:

1. Sura ya 1: 1-8 inaelezea Mungu kama mwenye haki na mwenye kulipiza kisasi.
2. Sura 1: 9-3 inafafanua juu ya hukumu ya Ninawi na Ashuru.

Introduction to Nahum (Christian Community Bible)

(The Catholic Christian Community Bible [first English edition 1997, other translations into Indonesian, Chinese, Cebuano, Chavacano, French, Ilonggo, Korean, Quechuan, Spanish, and Tagalog] “for the Christian Communities of the Third World” uses the following introduction.)

Nahum prophesied when the Assyrian power was collapsing, at the death of Ashurbanipal, the last king in 626. In 612 the Medes and Babylonian allies attacked and destroyed Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrians. Even before that, however, the Assyrians were losing their control over the people whom they had enslaved and who thoroughly hated them. The Jews were among them. Nahum’s poems show the heart of a patriot who believes that the Lord governs the history of the nations.

Down below are the introductions in the Mandarin Chinese, Tagalog, Cebuano, and Spanish editions.

Translation: Mandarin Chinese

纳鸿在亚述面临灭亡，也就是在末代君王亚述巴尼帕耳（公元前626年）过世时作出预言。公元前612年玛待和巴比伦联军攻打并摧毁了亚述人的首都尼尼微。但是早在被毁灭之前，亚述人已经不再能控制他们所奴役的人民，这些人也都恨透了亚述人，其中也有犹太人。纳鸿的诗歌表现出一位爱国主义者的内心，他相信天主统治着子民的历史。

Translation: Tagalog

Nagpropesiya si Nahum habang pabagsak na ang kapangyarihang Asirio, sa pagkamatay ni Asurbanipal na pinakahuling hari nila sa taong 626. Sa taong 612 naman, nilusob ng mag-kakamping mga Babilonio at mga Medo ang Ninive na kapitolyo ng mga Asirio, at winasak iyon. Pero bago pa man ito nangyari, unti-unti nang nawawala ang paghahari ng mga Asirio sa mga bayang kanilang inalipin at may matinding galit sa kanila. Kasama sa mga bayang ito ang mga Judio. Masasalamin sa mga tula ni Nahum ang puso ng isang makabayan na naniniwalang ang Panginoon ang namamahala sa kasaysayan ng mga bayan.

Translation: Cebuano

Si Nahum nanagna diha nga ang gahom sa Asiria nagkahugno, sa kamatayon ni Ashurbanipal, ang kataposang hari sa tuig 626. Sa tuig 612, ang alyansa sa taga Media ug taga Babilonia misulong ug miguba sa Ninive, ang kapital sa Asiria. Hinuon, bisan sa wala pa ni moabot, ang mga Asirio nawad-an na sa gahom pagkontrolar sa mga tawo nga ilang giulipon, ug nasilag nila pag-ayo. Ang mga Judio usa nila. Ang mga balak ni Nahum nagpakita sa kasingkasing sa bayani nga nagtoo nga ang Diyos ang nagmando sa kasaysayan sa katawhan.

Translation: Spanish

Nahúm profetizó cuando el poderío asirio se venía abajo, a la muerte de Asurbanipal, su último rey, el año 626. En el año 612 los aliados medos y babilonios atacaron y destruyeron a Nínive, capital de los asirios. Pero ya antes de esa fecha los asirios habían ido perdiendo su dominio sobre los pueblos que esclavizaban y que les tenían odio profundo. Entre esos pueblos estaban los judíos. Los poemas de Nahúm reflejan el corazón de un patriota que cree que el Señor gobierna la historia de los pueblos.