< Nahum 3 >

1 Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and rapine. The prey departs not.
Woe to the city of blood! it is all full of lies and robbery; never ceaseth the preying;
2 The noise of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of wheels, and prancing horses, and bounding chariots,
The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of wheels, and of prancing horses, and of the skipping chariots.
3 the horseman mounting, and the flashing sword, and the glittering spear, and a multitude of slain, and a great heap of corpses, and there is no end of the bodies. They stumble upon their bodies,
Horsemen mount, and there are the flaming sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and heaps of carcasses; and without end are the corpses; they stumble on their corpses;
4 because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, who sells nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.
Because of the multitude of the lewd deeds of the harlot, that is rich in gracefulness, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her lewd deeds, and families through her witchcrafts.
5 Behold, I am against thee, says Jehovah of hosts, and I will uncover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.
Behold, I will be against thee, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will lay thy skirts open over thy face, and I will let nations see thy nakedness, and kingdoms thy shame.
6 And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazing-stock.
And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and defile thee, and will render thee a dirt-heap.
7 And it shall come to pass, that all those who look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste. Who will bemoan her? From where shall I seek comforters for thee?
And it shall come to pass, that all they that see thee shall flee from thee, and say, Laid waste is Nineveh: who will condole with her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
8 Are thou better than No-amon, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters round about her, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?
Art thou better than No-amon, that was situated on the rivers, that had water round about her, the rampart of which was the sea, and the walls of which rose out of the sea?
9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite. Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
Ethiopia the numerous, and Egypt that was without end, Put and Lubim were thy helpers.
10 Yet she was carried away. She went into captivity. Her young sons also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets. And they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.
Yet also she was exiled, was carried away into captivity; also her young children were dashed in pieces at the corners of all streets: and for her honorable men they cast lots, and all her great ones were bound with chains.
11 Thou also shall be drunken. Thou shall be hid. Thou also shall seek a stronghold because of the enemy.
Thou also shalt be made drunken, thou shalt be hidden from view: thou also shalt seek refuge because of the enemy.
12 All thy fortresses shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs. If they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
All thy strong-holds shall be like fig-trees with the first ripe figs, which, if they be shaken, will fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women. The gates of thy land are set wide open to thine enemies. The fire has devoured thy bars.
Behold, thy people are become women in the midst of thee: unto thy enemies are the gates of thy land set wide open; the fire hath devoured thy bars.
14 Draw thee water for the siege. Strengthen thy fortresses. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar. Make strong the brick kiln.
Water for the siege draw for thyself, fortify thy strongholds: go into the clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brick-kiln.
15 There the fire shall devour thee. The sword shall cut thee off. It shall devour thee like the canker-worm. Make thyself many as the canker-worm. Make thyself many as the locust.
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall devour thee up like the cankerworm: [though] thou make thyself many as the cankerworm; make thyself many as the locusts.
16 Thou have multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven. The canker-worm ravages, and flees away.
[Though] thou hadst multiplied thy merchants more than the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spreadeth itself out, and flieth away.
17 Thy rulers are as the locusts, and thy marshals as the swarms of grasshoppers, which encamp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun arises they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
Thy crowned ones are like the locusts, and thy leaders like the swarms of locusts, which camp in the hedges on a cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.
18 Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria. Thy nobles are at rest. Thy people are scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.
Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; thy valiant men are at rest: scattered are thy people upon the mountains, and there is none that gathereth them.
19 There is no assuaging of thy hurt. Thy wound is grievous. All who hear the report of thee clap their hands over thee, for upon whom has not thy wickedness passed continually?
There is no healing for thy breach; fatal is thy wound: all that hear the report of thee will clap their hands over thee; for over whom did not thy wickedness pass continually?

< Nahum 3 >