WEBVTT

00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.700
Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740
taking this journey together to read the Bible

00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.099
in a year. Today's reading is the entire book

00:00:09.099 --> 00:00:12.080
of Nahum, and we'll be reading chapters 1 through

00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:16.920
3. Chapter 1. The Burden Against Nineveh, the

00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.539
book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. God

00:00:20.539 --> 00:00:23.660
is jealous, and the Lord avenges. The Lord avenges

00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:25.739
and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance

00:00:25.739 --> 00:00:28.640
on his adversaries, and he reserves wrath for

00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:31.140
his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great

00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:34.039
in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.

00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:37.259
The Lord has his way in the whirlwind and in

00:00:37.259 --> 00:00:39.619
the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his

00:00:39.619 --> 00:00:42.780
feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and

00:00:42.780 --> 00:00:45.799
dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither,

00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:48.780
and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains

00:00:48.780 --> 00:00:51.700
quake before him, the hills melt, and the earth

00:00:51.700 --> 00:00:54.840
heaves at his presence. Yes, the world and all

00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.359
who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation?

00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:00.799
and who can endure the fierceness of his anger.

00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:03.859
His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks

00:01:03.859 --> 00:01:07.420
are thrown down by him. The Lord is good, a stronghold

00:01:07.420 --> 00:01:09.579
in the day of trouble, and he knows those who

00:01:09.579 --> 00:01:12.480
trust in him. But with an overflowing flood he

00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:15.159
will make an utter end of its place, and darkness

00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:18.040
will pursue his enemies. What do you conspire

00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:20.540
against the Lord? He will make an utter end of

00:01:20.540 --> 00:01:23.159
it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.

00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:26.099
For while tangled like thorns, and while drunken

00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:29.260
like drunkards, they shall be devoured like stubble

00:01:29.260 --> 00:01:32.579
fully dried. From you comes forth one who plots

00:01:32.579 --> 00:01:35.719
evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor. Thus

00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:38.099
says the Lord, Though they are safe and likewise

00:01:38.099 --> 00:01:40.840
many, yet in this manner they will be cut down

00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:43.719
when he passes through. Though I have afflicted

00:01:43.719 --> 00:01:46.560
you, I will afflict you no more. For now I will

00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:49.140
break off his yoke from you and burst your bonds

00:01:49.140 --> 00:01:51.920
apart. The Lord has given a command concerning

00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:54.769
you. Your name shall be perpetuated no longer.

00:01:54.930 --> 00:01:57.450
Out of the house of your gods I will cut off

00:01:57.450 --> 00:01:59.870
the carved image and the molded image. I will

00:01:59.870 --> 00:02:03.049
dig your grave, for you are vile. Behold on the

00:02:03.049 --> 00:02:05.530
mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings,

00:02:05.590 --> 00:02:08.930
who proclaims peace. O Judah, keep your appointed

00:02:08.930 --> 00:02:11.710
feasts. Perform your vows, for the wicked one

00:02:11.710 --> 00:02:14.330
shall no more pass through you. He is utterly

00:02:14.330 --> 00:02:19.849
cut off. Chapter 2 He who scatters has come up

00:02:19.849 --> 00:02:22.969
before your face. Man the fort. Watch the road.

00:02:23.310 --> 00:02:26.349
Strengthen your flanks. Fortify your power mightily.

00:02:26.389 --> 00:02:28.889
For the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob

00:02:28.889 --> 00:02:31.849
like the excellence of Israel. For the emptiers

00:02:31.849 --> 00:02:34.590
have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches.

00:02:34.870 --> 00:02:37.789
The shields of his mighty men are made red. The

00:02:37.789 --> 00:02:41.150
valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots come

00:02:41.150 --> 00:02:43.710
with flaming torches in the day of his preparation.

00:02:44.090 --> 00:02:47.050
And the spears are brandished. The chariots rage

00:02:47.050 --> 00:02:49.810
in the streets. They jostle one another in the

00:02:49.810 --> 00:02:52.430
broad roads. They seem like torches. They run

00:02:52.430 --> 00:02:55.129
like lightning. He remembers his nobles. They

00:02:55.129 --> 00:02:58.009
stumble in their walk. They make haste to her

00:02:58.009 --> 00:03:01.229
walls, and a defense is prepared. The gates of

00:03:01.229 --> 00:03:03.770
the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.

00:03:04.090 --> 00:03:06.810
It is decreed, she shall be led away captive.

00:03:07.069 --> 00:03:09.370
She shall be brought up, and her maidservants

00:03:09.370 --> 00:03:12.370
shall lead her, as with the voice of doves beating

00:03:12.370 --> 00:03:15.509
their breasts. Though Nineveh of old was like

00:03:15.509 --> 00:03:18.780
a pool of water, now they flee away. Halt, halt,

00:03:18.900 --> 00:03:22.280
they cry, but no one turns back. Take spoil of

00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:25.180
silver, take spoil of gold. There is no end of

00:03:25.180 --> 00:03:27.800
treasure, or wealth of every desirable prize.

00:03:28.219 --> 00:03:31.240
She is empty, desolate, and waste. The heart

00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:34.659
melts, and the knees shake. Much pain is in every

00:03:34.659 --> 00:03:37.599
side, and all their faces are drained of color.

00:03:37.979 --> 00:03:40.460
Where is the dwelling of the lions? Where is

00:03:40.460 --> 00:03:42.780
the feeding place of the young lions? Where the

00:03:42.780 --> 00:03:44.960
lion walked, and the lioness and lion's cub?

00:03:45.219 --> 00:03:48.310
And no one made them afraid. The lion tore in

00:03:48.310 --> 00:03:51.270
pieces enough for his cubs, killed for his lionesses,

00:03:51.469 --> 00:03:54.310
filled his caves with prey and his dens with

00:03:54.310 --> 00:03:57.389
flesh. Behold, I am against you, says the Lord

00:03:57.389 --> 00:03:59.789
of hosts. I will burn your chariots in smoke,

00:03:59.990 --> 00:04:02.189
and the sword shall devour your young lions.

00:04:02.389 --> 00:04:04.909
I will cut off your prey from the earth, and

00:04:04.909 --> 00:04:07.469
the voice of your messengers shall be heard no

00:04:07.469 --> 00:04:12.330
more. Chapter 3 Woe to the bloody city! It is

00:04:12.330 --> 00:04:15.229
all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never

00:04:15.229 --> 00:04:17.829
departs. the noise of a whip, and the noise of

00:04:17.829 --> 00:04:20.730
rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering

00:04:20.730 --> 00:04:23.329
chariots, horsemen charged with bright sword

00:04:23.329 --> 00:04:26.329
and glittering spear. There is a multitude of

00:04:26.329 --> 00:04:29.370
slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses.

00:04:29.529 --> 00:04:32.290
They stumble over the corpses because of the

00:04:32.290 --> 00:04:35.230
multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot,

00:04:35.389 --> 00:04:38.170
the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations

00:04:38.170 --> 00:04:40.970
through her harlotries and families through her

00:04:40.970 --> 00:04:43.870
sorceries. Behold, I am against you, says the

00:04:43.870 --> 00:04:46.329
Lord of hosts. I will lift your skirts over your

00:04:46.329 --> 00:04:48.670
face. I will show the nations your nakedness

00:04:48.670 --> 00:04:51.870
and the kingdoms your shame. I will cast abominable

00:04:51.870 --> 00:04:54.949
filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a

00:04:54.949 --> 00:04:57.290
spectacle. It shall come to pass that all who

00:04:57.290 --> 00:05:00.209
look upon you will flee from you and say, Nineveh

00:05:00.209 --> 00:05:03.490
is laid waste. Who will bemoan her? Where shall

00:05:03.490 --> 00:05:06.189
I seek comforters for you? Are you better than

00:05:06.189 --> 00:05:09.110
no Ammon that was situated by the river, that

00:05:09.110 --> 00:05:11.829
had the waters around her? whose rampart was

00:05:11.829 --> 00:05:15.310
the sea, whose wall was the sea. Ethiopia and

00:05:15.310 --> 00:05:18.089
Egypt were her strength, and it was boundless.

00:05:18.610 --> 00:05:21.509
Put and Lubim were your helpers. Yet she was

00:05:21.509 --> 00:05:24.290
carried away. She went into captivity. Her young

00:05:24.290 --> 00:05:27.589
children also were dashed to pieces at the head

00:05:27.589 --> 00:05:30.709
of every street. They cast lots for her honorable

00:05:30.709 --> 00:05:33.470
men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

00:05:33.870 --> 00:05:36.930
You also will be drunk. You will be hidden. You

00:05:36.930 --> 00:05:39.829
also will seek refuge from the enemy. All your

00:05:39.829 --> 00:05:42.610
strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs.

00:05:42.610 --> 00:05:45.290
If they are shaken, they fall into the mouth

00:05:45.290 --> 00:05:48.110
of the eater. Surely your people in your midst

00:05:48.110 --> 00:05:51.250
are women. The gates of your land are wide open

00:05:51.250 --> 00:05:54.189
for your enemies. Fire shall devour the bars

00:05:54.189 --> 00:05:56.930
of your gates. Draw your water for the siege.

00:05:57.209 --> 00:05:59.970
Fortify your strongholds. Go into the clay and

00:05:59.970 --> 00:06:02.470
shred the mortar. Make strong the brick kiln.

00:06:02.990 --> 00:06:05.430
There the fire will devour you, the sword will

00:06:05.430 --> 00:06:08.269
cut you off, it will eat you up like a locust.

00:06:08.410 --> 00:06:11.170
Make yourself many like the locust, make yourself

00:06:11.170 --> 00:06:14.149
many like the swarming locusts. You have multiplied

00:06:14.149 --> 00:06:16.490
your merchants more than the stars of heaven.

00:06:16.670 --> 00:06:19.769
The locust plunders and flies away. Your commanders

00:06:19.769 --> 00:06:22.230
are like swarming locusts, and your generals

00:06:22.230 --> 00:06:25.170
like great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges

00:06:25.170 --> 00:06:27.970
on a cold day. When the sun rises they flee away,

00:06:28.209 --> 00:06:31.100
and the place where they are is not known. Your

00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:34.139
shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria. Your nobles

00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:36.759
rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on

00:06:36.759 --> 00:06:39.360
the mountains, and no one gathers them. Your

00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:42.180
injury has no healing. Your wound is severe.

00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:45.000
All who hear news of you will clap their hands

00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:48.480
over you. For upon whom has not your wickedness

00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:56.540
passed continually? I hope you enjoyed today's

00:06:56.540 --> 00:06:58.699
reading as much as I did. And I look forward

00:06:58.699 --> 00:07:00.759
to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our

00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:02.860
journey. God bless you and have a great day.