Di Fall of Nineveh

Di crack of whip. Di rumble of chariot wheels. Horses dey raise dem front legs, swords dey flash. For one hundred years, na dis sound be Assyria wey dey come. And then one prophet stand up and talk: dat sound don near to come inside Nineveh own streets.

You remember Nineveh, di big city where Jonah preach? Im people turn to God, and God spare dem. But dat change no last. For di hundred years wey follow, Assyria become di empire wey people fear pass for di whole world. Im armies destroy Samaria, di capital of Israel, and carry im people go. Dem surround Jerusalem. Assyrian kings dey boast for dem own carved writings about di cities wey dem burn and di people wey dem make suffer. All around di region, nations dey live inside fear. Inside dat kind world, one prophet come wey dem dey call Nahum, from one village wey dem dey call Elkosh. Im name mean comfort. And im whole short book na message about Nineveh.

Nahum start by describing who God be. God get jealousy for im people, and e no go allow evil to win for di end. Di Lord no dey quick vex, and im power big, and e no go ever free di wicked. E no dey quick vex. E don dey patient with Nineveh for long time. But to dey patient no mean say e no care. Di Lord get im way inside whirlwind and inside storm, and di clouds na di dust of im feet. When e talk, di sea go dry. Di big forests of Lebanon go wither. Mountains go shake, and hills go melt. Who fit stand before im anger? No empire, no matter how strong e be, strong pass am.

And then, right for di middle of all dat thunder, one quiet verse come, like hand wey reach down inside storm. Di Lord good, e be strong place for di day of trouble; and e know di people wey trust am. Stronghold na fortress, one safe place high for top di rocks where people dey run go when enemies come. For all di small nations wey Assyria crush, for di people of Judah wey dey live inside fear, na dis be di message: God see you. E know you. Na im be your safe place. Di same power wey go bring Nineveh down na di power wey dey protect di people wey trust am. But for Nineveh, Nahum talk, God go finish am, like flood wey dey overflow.

Later for di book, Nahum describe di attack on Nineveh like say e dey watch am as e dey happen. Woe to di city of blood! Lies and robbery full am finish. City wey no ever stop to take. Now di sounds of war don come reach im gates: di crack of whip, di rumble of wheels, horses wey dey gallop and chariots wey dey jump, swords wey dey flash and spears wey dey shine. Then heaps of people wey dem kill, dead bodies wey no get end, so plenty say people dey stumble on top dem. Di city wey don do dis to so many other people, now e dey see am for im own walls. And God talk to Nineveh, See, I dey against you. I go lift your skirt cover your face, and show di nations your nakedness and di kingdoms your shame. I go throw dirt on top you, treat you with contempt, and make you something wey people go dey look. Di proud city wey shame so many people go carry shame in front of di whole world. And everybody wey see am go run from you and talk say, Nineveh don scatter: who go mourn for am? Who go cry for you? Where I go find anybody wey go comfort you? Di book end as e talk say everybody wey hear di news go clap hand, because who never suffer from Nineveh wickedness?

Nahum words come true. For six hundred and twelve years before Christ, di armies of Babylon and di Medes surround Nineveh and capture am. One clay tablet wey dey di British Museum now, part of di Babylonian Chronicles, record di siege inside di Babylonian king own records, and e talk say dem turn di city to heaps of ruin. Dem no ever build di big capital of Assyria again.

You go find Nahum message for Nahum chapter one, verse one reach eight, and chapter three, verse one reach seven. One wicked empire wey fall, and one God wey no dey quick vex, but e dey just, and e be strong place for everybody wey trust am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When di world be like say e no fair, how e dey help to know say God na safe place and say evil no go get di last word?