1 W oe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and booty and no end to the plunder!

It is bad for the city of blood, full of lies and stolen riches! There is no end of her prizes of war!

2 T he cracking of the whip, the noise of the rattling of wheels, and prancing horses and chariots rumbling and bounding,

The noise of the whip, the noise of the wheel, running horses and rolling war-wagons!

3 H orsemen mounting and charging, the flashing sword, the gleaming spear, a multitude of slain and a great number of corpses, no end of corpses! stumble over the corpses!

Horsemen rushing to battle, swords and spears shining, many dead, too many dead bodies to number! They fall over the dead bodies!

4 A ll because of the multitude of the harlotries, the well-favored harlot, the mistress of deadly charms who betrays and sells nations through her whoredoms and peoples through her enchantments.

All this is because of the many sins of the woman who sells the use of her body. She tempts with her beauty and uses witchcraft. She sells nations by her sinful acts, and families by her witchcraft.

5 B ehold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will lift up your skirts over your face, and I will let the nations look on your nakedness and the kingdoms on your shame.

“I am against you,” says the Lord of All. “I will lift up your clothing over your face and let the nations see your body. The nations will see your shame.

6 I will cast abominable things at you and make you filthy, treat you with contempt, and make you a gazingstock.

I will throw dirt on you and make you unclean. People will look at you and see how bad you are.

7 A nd all who look on you will shrink and flee from you and say, Nineveh is laid waste; who will pity and bemoan her? Where shall I seek comforters for you?

All who see you will leave you and say, ‘Nineveh is destroyed! Who will have sorrow for her?’ Where can I find anyone to comfort you?”

8 A re you better than No-amon, that dwelt by the rivers or canals, that had the waters round about her, whose rampart was a sea and water her wall?

Are you better than Thebes, which is by the Nile River? Water was all around her. The sea kept her safe, for the water was her wall.

9 E thiopia and Egypt were her strength, and that without limit. Put and the Libyans were her helpers.

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, with too many to number. Put and Lubim were among her helpers.

10 Y et she was carried away; she went into captivity. Her young children also were dashed in pieces at all the street corners; lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were bound with chains.

Yet she was taken away to a strange land. She was taken away in chains. Her small children were beaten to death at every street corner. They drew names to see who would get her men of honor. And all her great men were put in chains.

11 Y ou will be drunk; you will be dazed. You will seek and require a refuge because of the enemy.

You also will become drunk. You will be hidden. You will look for a safe place from those who hate you.

12 A ll your fortresses are fig trees with early figs; if they are shaken they will fall into the mouth of the eater.

All your strong towers are like fig trees with first-fruits. When they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the one who eats them.

13 B ehold, your troops in the midst of you are women; the gates of your land are set wide open to your enemies; fire consumes your bars.

Your soldiers are all women. The gates of your land are opened wide to those who hate you. Fire destroys your gates.

14 D raw for yourself the water for a siege, make strong your fortresses! Go down into the clay pits and trample the mortar; make ready the brickkiln!

Store up water to drink when you are shut in by armies! Make your walls stronger! Go into the clay to make more clay blocks for building!

15 t here will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off; it will destroy you as the locusts. Multiply yourselves like the licking locusts; make yourselves many like the swarming locusts!

There the fire will destroy you. The sword will kill you. It will destroy you like the locust. Make yourselves as many as the locusts, as many as the flying locusts.

16 Y ou increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The swarming locust spreads itself and destroys, and then flies away.

You have more traders than the stars of heaven. The locust destroys everything from the land and flies away.

17 Y our princes are like the grasshoppers and your marshals like the swarms of locusts which encamp in the hedges on a cold day—but when the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where they are.

Your watchmen are like the flying locusts. Your leaders are like clouds of locusts. They stay in the stone walls on a cold day. When the sun rises they fly away and no one knows where they are.

18 Y our shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles are lying still. Your people are scattered on the mountains and there is no one to gather them.

Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria. Your leaders are lying down. Your people have gone everywhere on the mountains. And there is no one to gather them together again.

19 T here is no healing of your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not your evil come continually?

Nothing can heal your hurt. Your sore cannot be cured. All who hear about you will clap their hands over you. For who has not suffered under your sinful ways again and again?