Nahum 2
1 He that breaketh in pieces hath come up over thy face, Keep the keeps, —watch the way, brace the loins, make vigour very firm.
The ravager cometh up against thee, [[O Nineveh!]] Guard the fortress; watch the way; Gird up the loins; confirm the strength.
2 For Yahweh hath restored the excellency of Jacob, like the excellency of Israel, —for the plunderers have plundered them, and, their vine branches, have they marred.
For Jehovah restoreth the glory of Jacob, As the glory of Israel; For the wasters have wasted them, And destroyed their branches.
3 The shield of his heroes, is made red, the men of war, are clad in crimson, on fire, are the chariot-steels, on the day he maketh ready, —and, the lances, are put in motion.
The shields of his mighty men are red; His warriors are clothed in crimson; His chariots glitter with the fire of steel in the day of his preparation, And the spears are brandished.
4 In the streets, madly go the chariots, they rush along in the broadways, —their appearance, is like torches, as lightnings, hither and thither do they run.
The chariots rave in the streets; They run to and fro in the broad ways; Their appearance is like torches; They run like lightnings.
5 Let him call to mind his nobles, they shall stumble as they go—let them hasten to her wall, yet the storming cover, is prepared.
He calleth for his mighty men; They stumble on their way; They hasten to the wall; But the mantelet is prepared,
6 The gates of the rivers, have been opened, —and, the palace, doth quake.
The gates of rivers are opened, And the palace melteth away.
7 And, Huzzab, hath been taken captive—hath been led up, —and, her handmaids, are making a moan like the sound of doves, as they taber upon their heart.
Huzzab is uncovered; she is carried away captive, Her maidservants sigh with the voice of doves, And smite their breasts.
8 Yet, as for Nineveh, like a reservoir of waters, are her waters, —but, those men, are in flight! Stand! stand! but no one is turning.
Nineveh was like a pool full of water of old; Yet shall they flee away; Stand! stand! shall they cry; But none shall look back.
9 Plunder silver, plunder gold, —and there is no end to the costly furnishing, rich with every article of delight.
Seize the silver; seize the gold; There is no end to the treasures; There is abundance of all precious furniture.
10 Emptiness, yea turned to emptiness, aye deserted [is she]! with, heart, unnerved, and, a tottering, of knees, and, anguish, in all loins, and, the faces of them all, have withdrawn their colour.
She hath become void, and empty, and desolate; The heart melteth, and the knees smite together; Pangs are in all their loins, And the faces of all gather blackness.
11 Where is the lair of the lions? Yea the very feeding-place of the young lions, —where walked the lion, the lioness, the lion’s whelp, with none to make them afraid?
Where now is the dwelling of the lions, And the feeding-place of the young lions, Where the lion and the lioness walked, And the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?
12 The lion, used to tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and to strangle for his lionesses, —and then fill with prey his holes, and his lairs with what he had torn.
The lion tore in pieces for his whelps, And strangled for his lionesses, And filled his dens with prey, And his lairs with ravin.
13 Behold me! against thee, Declareth Yahweh of hosts, Therefore will I burn up in smoke her chariots, and, thy young lions, shall be devoured by the sword, —so will I cut off, out of the earth, thy prey, nor shall be heard any more, the voice of thine envoy.
Behold! I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts, And I will burn thy chariots into smoke, And the sword shall devour thy young lions. And I will cut off thy prey from the earth, And the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.
