1 W oe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs.

It is bad for the city of blood, full of lies and stolen riches! There is no end of her prizes of war!

2 T he noise of a whip And the noise of rattling wheels, Of galloping horses, Of clattering chariots!

The noise of the whip, the noise of the wheel, running horses and rolling war-wagons!

3 H orsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, A great number of bodies, Countless corpses— They stumble over the corpses—

Horsemen rushing to battle, swords and spears shining, many dead, too many dead bodies to number! They fall over the dead bodies!

4 B ecause of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, The mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations through her harlotries, And families through her sorceries.

All this is because of the many sins of the woman who sells the use of her body. She tempts with her beauty and uses witchcraft. She sells nations by her sinful acts, and families by her witchcraft.

5 “ Behold, I am against you,” says the Lord of hosts; “I will lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your nakedness, And the kingdoms your shame.

“I am against you,” says the Lord of All. “I will lift up your clothing over your face and let the nations see your body. The nations will see your shame.

6 I will cast abominable filth upon you, Make you vile, And make you a spectacle.

I will throw dirt on you and make you unclean. People will look at you and see how bad you are.

7 I t shall come to pass that all who look upon you Will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”

All who see you will leave you and say, ‘Nineveh is destroyed! Who will have sorrow for her?’ Where can I find anyone to comfort you?”

8 A re you better than No Amon That was situated by the River, That had the waters around her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall was the sea?

Are you better than Thebes, which is by the Nile River? Water was all around her. The sea kept her safe, for the water was her wall.

9 E thiopia and Egypt were her strength, And it was boundless; Put and Lubim were your helpers.

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, with too many to number. Put and Lubim were among her helpers.

10 Y et she was carried away, She went into captivity; Her young children also were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound in chains.

Yet she was taken away to a strange land. She was taken away in chains. Her small children were beaten to death at every street corner. They drew names to see who would get her men of honor. And all her great men were put in chains.

11 Y ou also will be drunk; You will be hidden; You also will seek refuge from the enemy.

You also will become drunk. You will be hidden. You will look for a safe place from those who hate you.

12 A ll your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they are shaken, They fall into the mouth of the eater.

All your strong towers are like fig trees with first-fruits. When they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the one who eats them.

13 S urely, your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; Fire shall devour the bars of your gates.

Your soldiers are all women. The gates of your land are opened wide to those who hate you. Fire destroys your gates.

14 D raw your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln!

Store up water to drink when you are shut in by armies! Make your walls stronger! Go into the clay to make more clay blocks for building!

15 T here the fire will devour you, The sword will cut you off; It will eat you up like a locust. Make yourself many—like the locust! Make yourself many— like the swarming locusts!

There the fire will destroy you. The sword will kill you. It will destroy you like the locust. Make yourselves as many as the locusts, as many as the flying locusts.

16 Y ou have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust plunders and flies away.

You have more traders than the stars of heaven. The locust destroys everything from the land and flies away.

17 Y our commanders are like swarming locusts, And your generals like great grasshoppers, Which camp in the hedges on a cold day; When the sun rises they flee away, And the place where they are is not known.

Your watchmen are like the flying locusts. Your leaders are like clouds of locusts. They stay in the stone walls on a cold day. When the sun rises they fly away and no one knows where they are.

18 Y our shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; Your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, And no one gathers them.

Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria. Your leaders are lying down. Your people have gone everywhere on the mountains. And there is no one to gather them together again.

19 Y our injury has no healing, Your wound is severe. All who hear news of you Will clap their hands over you, For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?

Nothing can heal your hurt. Your sore cannot be cured. All who hear about you will clap their hands over you. For who has not suffered under your sinful ways again and again?