Cable does look slightly long but it is the right way round.
My Dax cable looks like your does in picture 3. You just wind the nut back up the thread until it meets the lever. You don't need a nut the other side on this thread as the tension will hold it in place. SOunds like you have tried this though and it's still too long.
Failing that you could do as Richard said and make a spacer tube for the diff end. A small piece of tube with a slot cut down the side would slip over the cable then hold the cable nipple further back from the lever.
Failing that, Get a shorter cable from GD
Craig.