1 H e who dashes in pieces has come up against you. Keep the fortress! Watch the way! Strengthen your waist! Fortify your power mightily!

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

2 F or Yahweh restores the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the destroyers have destroyed them, and ruined their vine branches.

For the Lord will make Jacob great again, like the greatness of Israel, even when destroyers have destroyed them and their vine branches.

3 T he 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.

The 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.

4 T he chariots rage in the streets. They rush back and forth in the wide ways. Their appearance is like torches. They run like the lightnings.

The war-wagons race in the streets. They rush through the city. They look like fire and move like lightning.

5 H e summons his picked troops. They stumble on their way. They dash to its wall, and the protective shield is put in place.

The leaders are called. They lose their step as they go, and hurry to the wall. The battle-covering is set up.

6 T he gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.

The river gates are opened, and the king’s house falls down.

7 I t is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her servants moan as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.

The city is laid waste and the people are carried away. Her women servants are crying like doves, beating on their breasts.

8 B ut Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water, yet they flee away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one looks back.

Nineveh is like a pool, where water runs away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry. But no one turns back.

9 T ake the plunder of silver. Take the plunder of gold, for there is no end of the store, the glory of all goodly furniture.

Take the silver! Take the gold! For there is no end of the riches, every kind of thing of great worth.

10 S he is empty, void, and waste. The heart melts, the knees knock together, their bodies and faces have grown pale.

Everything 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!

11 W here 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?

Where 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?

12 T he 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.

The lion killed enough for his young, and for his female lions. He filled his home with food, with torn flesh.

13 “ 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.”

“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.”