1 H e who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.

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

2 F or the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob Like the excellence of Israel, For the emptiers have emptied them out And ruined their vine branches.

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

3 T he shields of his mighty men are made red, The valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots come with flaming torches In the day of his preparation, And the spears are brandished.

The 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.

4 T he chariots rage in the streets, They jostle one another in the broad roads; They seem like torches, They run like lightning.

The 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.

5 H e remembers his nobles; They stumble in their walk; They make haste to her walls, And the defense is prepared.

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

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

The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace melteth away.

7 I t is decreed: She shall be led away captive, She shall be brought up; And her maidservants shall lead her as with the voice of doves, Beating their breasts.

And 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.

8 T hough Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, Now they flee away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry; But no one turns back.

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

9 T ake spoil of silver! Take spoil of gold! There is no end of treasure, Or wealth of every desirable prize.

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

10 S he is empty, desolate, and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; Much pain is in every side, And all their faces are drained of color.

She 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.

11 W here is the dwelling of the lions, And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s cub, And no one made them afraid?

Where 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?

12 T he lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, Killed for his lionesses, Filled his caves with prey, And his dens with flesh.

The lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

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

Behold, 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.