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 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 excellence of Jacob Like the excellence of Israel, For the emptiers have emptied them out And ruined 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 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 flash with steel in the day of his preparation, and the pine 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 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 walk; They make haste to her walls, And the defense is prepared.

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 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.

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 of old was like a pool of water, Now they flee away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry; 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 T ake spoil of silver! Take spoil of gold! There is no end of treasure, Or wealth of every desirable prize.

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 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, void, and waste. The heart melts, the knees knock together, their bodies and faces have grown 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 and the lioness walked, the lion’s cubs, and no one 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 cubs, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with the kill, and his dens with prey.

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 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.”