Nahum 3:17 net — Your courtiers are like locusts, your officials are like a swarm of locusts! They encamp in the walls on a cold day, ye…

NET Bible

"Your courtiers are like locusts, your officials are like a swarm of locusts! They encamp in the walls on a cold day, yet when the sun rises, they fly away; and no one knows where they are."

— Nahum 3:17, NET Bible

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

Nahum 3:17 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations

Nahum 3 — Context

14

Draw yourselves water for a siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Trample the mud and tread the clay! Make mud bricks to strengthen your walls!

15

There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down; it will devour you like the young locust would.The Assyrian Defenders Will Flee Multiply yourself like the young locust; multiply yourself like the flying locust!

16

Increase your merchants more than the stars of heaven! They are like the young locust which sheds its skin and flies away.

17

Your courtiers are like locusts, your officials are like a swarm of locusts! They encamp in the walls on a cold day, yet when the sun rises, they fly away; and no one knows where they are.

18

Concluding Dirge Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria! Your officers are slumbering! Your people are scattered like sheep on the mountains and there is no one to regather them!

19

Your destruction is like an incurable wound; your demise is like a fatal injury! All who hear what has happened to you will clap their hands for joy, for no one ever escaped your endless cruelty!

Nahum 3:17 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Nahum 3:17 say?
Nahum 3:17 in the NET Bible reads: “Your courtiers are like locusts, your officials are like a swarm of locusts! They encamp in the walls on a cold day, yet when the sun rises, they fly away; and no one knows where they are.”
Where is Nahum 3:17 in the Bible?
Nahum 3:17 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Nahum, chapter 3, verse 17.
Who wrote Nahum?
Nahum is traditionally attributed to Nahum the Elkoshite. It was written c. 663–612 BC.
What is the book of Nahum about?
A century after Jonah, Nineveh has returned to brutality. Nahum announces the certain, well-deserved fall of the Assyrian empire — a sobering reminder that God is slow to anger, but not slack about justice forever.
What are the major themes of Nahum?
Nahum explores themes including Judgment on Nineveh, God's Wrath, God's Goodness, Sovereignty. These themes shape the meaning and context of Nahum 3:17.
What translation should I read Nahum 3:17 in?
Nahum 3:17 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Nahum 3:17?
Nahum 3:17 reads (NET): “Your courtiers are like locusts, your officials are like a swarm of locusts! They encamp in the walls on a cold day, yet when the sun rises, they fly away; and no one knows where they are.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
GodsGoodBook logo

GodsGoodBook

Making God's Word accessible to everyone

Experience the Bible like never before with multiple translations, powerful search tools, and features to make God's Word personal to you. Completely free, forever.

Features

15+ Bible Translations
Powerful Search Tools
Highlight & Annotate
Share Verses
100% Free Forever
© 2025 GodsGoodBookVersion 1.8.2