1 T he one who destroys has come against you, O Nineveh. Put men on the battle-walls. Watch the road. Be strong. Be ready for battle.

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 make Jacob great again, like the greatness of Israel, even when destroyers have destroyed them and 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 battle-coverings of his strong men are red. His men of war are dressed in red. The war-wagons shine like fire when they are made ready. The cypress spears are waved.

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 war-wagons race in the streets. They rush through the city. They look like fire and move 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 T he leaders are called. They lose their step as they go, and hurry to the wall. The battle-covering 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 river gates are opened, and the king’s house falls down.

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

7 T he city is laid waste and the people are carried away. Her women servants are crying like 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 N ineveh is like a pool, where water runs away. “Stop! Stop!” 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 the silver! Take the gold! For there is no end of the riches, every kind of thing of great worth.

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 E verything has been taken from her! Yes, she is an empty waste! Hearts are melting in fear and knees are knocking! All bodies suffer, and all their faces turn white!

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 home of the lions, the place where they feed their young, where the male and female and young lions went, with nothing to be afraid of?

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 killed enough for his young, and for his female lions. He filled his home with food, 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 “ I am against you,” says the Lord of All. “I will burn up your war-wagons in smoke. A sword will destroy your young lions. I will cut off your food from the land. And the voice of your men who came with news will never be heard again.”

“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.”