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!

Wo the city of blood, She is all with lies -- burglary -- full, Prey doth not depart.

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

The sound of a whip, And the sound of the rattling of a wheel, And of a prancing horse, and of a bounding chariot, Of a horseman mounting.

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

And the flame of a sword, and the lightning of a spear, And the abundance of the wounded, And the weight of carcases, Yea, there is no end to the bodies, They stumble over 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 abundance of the fornications of an harlot, The goodness of the grace of the lady of witchcrafts, Who is selling nations by her fornications, And families by her witchcrafts.

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.

Lo, I against thee, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And have removed thy skirts before thy face, And have shewed nations thy nakedness, And kingdoms thy shame,

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

And I have cast upon thee abominations, And dishonoured thee, and made thee as a sight.

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?”

And it hath come to pass, Each of thy beholders fleeth from thee, And hath said: `Spoiled is Nineveh, Who doth bemoan for her?' Whence do I seek comforters for thee?

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.

Art thou better than No-Ammon, That is dwelling among brooks? Waters she hath round about her, Whose bulwark the sea, waters her wall.

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

Cush her might, and Egypt, and there is no end. Put and Lubim have been for thy help.

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.

Even she doth become an exile, She hath gone into captivity, Even her sucklings are dashed to pieces At the top of all out-places, And for her honoured ones they cast a lot, And all her great ones have been bound in fetters.

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

Even thou art drunken, thou art hidden, Even thou dost seek a strong place, because of an 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 thy fortresses fig-trees with first-fruits, If they are shaken, They have fallen 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.

Lo, thy people women in thy midst, To thine enemies thoroughly opened Have been the gates of thy land, Consumed hath fire thy 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!

Waters of a siege draw for thyself, Strengthen thy fortresses, Enter into mire, and tread on clay, Make strong a brick-kiln.

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 consume thee doth a fire, Cut thee off doth a sword, It doth consume thee as a cankerworm! Make thyself heavy as the cankerworm, Make thyself heavy as the locust.

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

Multiply thy merchants above the stars of the heavens, The cankerworm hath stripped off, and doth flee 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.

Thy crowned ones as a locust, And thy princes as great grasshoppers, That encamp in hedges in a day of cold, The sun hath risen, and it doth flee away, And not known is its place 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.

Slumbered have thy friends, king of Asshur, Rest do thine honourable ones, Scattered have been thy people on the mountains, And there is none gathering.

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 weakening of thy destruction, Grievous thy smiting, All hearing thy fame have clapped the hand at thee, For over whom did not thy wickedness pass continually?