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

Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. The prey doesn’t depart.

2 T he noise of the whip, the noise of the wheel, running horses and rolling war-wagons!

The noise of the whip, the noise of the rattling of wheels, prancing horses, and bounding chariots,

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

the horseman mounting, and the flashing sword, the glittering spear, and a multitude of slain, and a great heap of corpses, and there is no end of the bodies. They stumble on their bodies,

4 A ll 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.

because of the multitude of the prostitution of the alluring prostitute, the mistress of witchcraft, who sells nations through her prostitution, and families through her witchcraft.

5 “ 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.

“Behold, I am against you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.

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

I will throw abominable filth on you, and make you vile, and will set you a spectacle.

7 A ll 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?”

It will happen that all those who look at you will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will mourn for her?’ Where will I seek comforters for you?”

8 A re 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.

Are you better than No-Amon, who was situated among the rivers, who had the waters around her; whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was of the sea?

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

Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength. Put and Libya were her helpers.

10 Y et 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.

Yet was she carried away. She went into captivity. Her young children also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets, and they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.

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

You also will be drunken. You will be hidden. You also will seek a stronghold because of the enemy.

12 A ll 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.

All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs: if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.

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

Behold, your troops among you are women. The gates of your land are set wide open to your enemies. The fire has devoured your bars.

14 S tore 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!

Draw water for the siege. Strengthen your fortresses. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar. Make the brick kiln strong.

15 T here 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.

There the fire will devour you. The sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the grasshopper. Multiply like grasshoppers. Multiply like the locust.

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

You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips, and flees away.

17 Y our 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.

Your guards are like the locusts, and your officials like the swarms of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day, but when the sun appears, they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

18 Y our 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.

Your shepherds slumber, king of Assyria. Your nobles lie down. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.

19 N othing 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?

There is no healing your wound, for your injury is fatal. All who hear the report of you clap their hands over you; for who hasn’t felt your endless cruelty?