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

He who dashes in pieces has come up against you. Keep the fortress! Watch the way! Strengthen your waist! Fortify your power mightily!

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

For Yahweh restores the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the destroyers have destroyed them, and ruined their vine branches.

3 T he 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.

The 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 pine spears are brandished.

4 T he 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.

The chariots rage in the streets. They rush back and forth in the wide ways. Their appearance is like torches. They run like the lightnings.

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

He summons his picked troops. They stumble on their way. They dash to its wall, and the protective shield is put in place.

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

The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.

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

It is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her servants moan as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.

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

But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water, yet they flee away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one looks back.

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

Take the plunder of silver. Take the plunder of gold, for there is no end of the store, the glory of all goodly furniture.

10 S he 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!

She is empty, void, and waste. The heart melts, the knees knock together, their bodies and faces have grown pale.

11 W here 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 ?

Where is the den of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked, the lion’s cubs, and no one made them afraid?

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

The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with the kill, and his dens with prey.

13 “ 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.”

“Behold, I am against you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions; and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.”