King James Bible
"God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies."
God's jealousy refers to His protective zeal for His covenant people and His intolerance of idolatry and injustice. In the context of Nahum's prophecy against Nineveh, this introduces God as the righteous judge who will not allow Assyria's cruelty against His people to go unpunished. The repetition of 'revengeth' emphasizes the certainty of divine justice, while 'furious' conveys the intensity of God's righteous anger. This fury is not capricious but directed specifically at those who have oppressed His people and defied His authority. The future tense shifts from describing God's character to promising specific action against those who oppose Him. 'Reserveth wrath' suggests God's patient storing up of judgment—He does not forget injustices but waits for the appointed time to execute perfect justice.