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

He who dashes in pieces is come up before your face. Keep the fortress and ramparts manned, watch the road, gird your loins, collect and fortify all your strength and power mightily.

2 F or Jehovah hath brought again the glory of Jacob, as the glory of Israel; for the wasters have wasted them, and marred their vine-branches.

For the Lord restores the excellency of Jacob as the excellency of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and emptied them out and destroyed their vine branches.

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

The shields of the mighty men are red; the valiant men are in dyed scarlet. The chariots blaze with fire of steel on the day of his preparation, and the officers’ horses prance like a cypress forest.

4 T he chariots rush madly in the streets, they justle one against another in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches, they run like lightnings.

The chariots rage in confusion in the streets; they run to and fro in the broad ways. They flash with steel; they rush like forked lightnings.

5 H e bethinketh him of his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the shelter is prepared.

remembers and summons his bravest men; they stumble in their march. They hasten to the city’s wall, and their movable defense shelter is prepared and set up.

6 T he gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace melteth away.

The gates or dams of the rivers are opened and the palace is dissolved and is in dismay.

7 A nd it is decreed: she shall be uncovered, she shall be led away, and her maids shall moan as with the voice of doves, drumming upon their breasts.

It is decreed. She is stripped and removed, and her maids are lamenting and moaning like doves, beating upon their breasts.

8 N ineveh hath been like a pool of water, since the day she existed, yet they flee away. … Stand! Stand! But none looketh back.

And Nineveh, like a standing pool are her waters and are fleeing away! Stand! Stand, but no one looks back or causes them to return.

9 P lunder the silver, plunder the gold; for there is no end of the splendid store of all precious vessels.

Take the spoil of silver; take the spoil of gold! For there is no end of the treasure, the glory and wealth of all the precious furnishings.

10 S he is empty, and void, and waste; and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and writhing pain is in all loins, and all their faces grow pale.

Emptiness! Desolation! Utter waste! Hearts faint and knees smite together, and anguish is in all loins, and the faces of all grow pale!

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

Where is the den of the lions which was 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 T he lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

The lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps and strangled for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with what he had seized and carried off.

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

Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. And I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard.