1 H e that dasheth in pieces is come up against thee: keep the fortress, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.

The one who destroys has come against you, O Nineveh. Put men on the battle-walls. Watch the road. Be strong. Be ready for battle.

2 F or Jehovah restoreth the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out, and destroyed their vine-branches.

For the Lord will make Jacob great again, like the greatness of Israel, even when destroyers have destroyed them and their vine branches.

3 T he shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots flash with steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress spears are brandished.

The battle-coverings of his strong men are red. His men of war are dressed in red. The war-wagons shine like fire when they are made ready. The cypress spears are waved.

4 T he chariots rage in the streets; they rush to and fro in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches; they run like the lightnings.

The war-wagons race in the streets. They rush through the city. They look like fire and move like lightning.

5 H e remembereth his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared.

The leaders are called. They lose their step as they go, and hurry to the wall. The battle-covering is set up.

6 T he gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.

The river gates are opened, and the king’s house falls down.

7 A nd it is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.

The city is laid waste and the people are carried away. Her women servants are crying like doves, beating on their breasts.

8 B ut Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. Stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back.

Nineveh is like a pool, where water runs away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry. But no one turns back.

9 T ake ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is no end of the store, the glory of all goodly furniture.

Take the silver! Take the gold! For there is no end of the riches, every kind of thing of great worth.

10 S he is empty, and void, and waste; and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and anguish is in all loins, and the faces of them all are waxed pale.

Everything has been taken from her! Yes, she is an empty waste! Hearts are melting in fear and knees are knocking! All bodies suffer, and all their faces turn white!

11 W here is the den of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked, the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?

Where is the home of the lions, the place where they feed their young, where the male and female and young lions went, with nothing to be afraid of?

12 T he lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with prey, and his dens with ravin.

The lion killed enough for his young, and for his female lions. He filled his home with food, with torn flesh.

13 B ehold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the 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.

“I am against you,” says the Lord of All. “I will burn up your war-wagons in smoke. A sword will destroy your young lions. I will cut off your food from the land. And the voice of your men who came with news will never be heard again.”