1 ¶ The destroyer is risen up against thee: keep the fortress, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.

The one who scatters has come up against you. Man the fortress, watch the road; Strengthen your back, summon all your strength.

2 F or the LORD shall restore the glory of Jacob as the glory of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out and marred their vine branches.

For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob Like the splendor of Israel, Even though devastators have devastated them And destroyed their vine branches.

3 T he shield of his valiant ones shall be red, the men of his army are in scarlet, the chariot as fire of torches in the day which shall be made ready; the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

The shields of his mighty men are colored red, The warriors are dressed in scarlet, The chariots are enveloped in flashing steel When he is prepared to march, And the cypress spears are brandished.

4 T he chariots shall rage in the streets; they shall flow through the streets, their faces like torches; they shall run like the lightnings.

The chariots race madly in the streets, They rush wildly in the squares, Their appearance is like torches, They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.

5 H e shall remember his valiant ones; they shall stumble in their walk when they make haste to their wall, and the covering shall be prepared.

He remembers his nobles; They stumble in their march, They hurry to her wall, And the mantelet is set up.

6 T he gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be destroyed.

The gates of the rivers are opened And the palace is dissolved.

7 A nd the queen shall be taken captive; they shall order her to go up, and her maids shall take her, mourning as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.

It is fixed: She is stripped, she is carried away, And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their breasts.

8 A nd Nineveh was of old like a pool of water; but now they flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but no one looks back.

Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But no one turns back.

9 T ake the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold, for there is no end of the riches; honour, more than all the desirable furniture.

Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! For there is no limit to the treasure— Wealth from every kind of desirable object.

10 S he is empty and worn out and is in pieces, and the heart melted, the knees smite together, and much pain is in the kidneys, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees knocking! Also anguish is in the whole body And all their faces are grown pale!

11 ¶ What of the dwelling of the lions and of the feeding place of the young lions where the lion and the lioness walked and the lion’s whelps, and no one made them afraid?

Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness and lion’s cub prowled, With nothing to disturb them ?

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 robbery.

The lion tore enough for his cubs, Killed enough for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh.

13 B ehold, I speak unto thee, saith the LORD of the hosts, and I will burn and reduce thy chariots into smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions; and I will cut off thy robbery from the earth, and the voice of thy ambassadors shall never be heard again.

“Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts. “I will burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”