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

Woe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and booty and no end to the plunder!

2 T he noise of the whip, the noise of the rattling of wheels, prancing horses, and bounding chariots,

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

3 t he 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,

Horsemen mounting and charging, the flashing sword, the gleaming spear, a multitude of slain and a great number of corpses, no end of corpses! stumble over the corpses!

4 b ecause 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.

All because of the multitude of the harlotries, the well-favored harlot, the mistress of deadly charms who betrays and sells nations through her whoredoms and peoples through her enchantments.

5 “ 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.

Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will lift up your skirts over your face, and I will let the nations look on your nakedness and the kingdoms on your shame.

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

I will cast abominable things at you and make you filthy, treat you with contempt, and make you a gazingstock.

7 I t 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?”

And all who look on you will shrink and flee from you and say, Nineveh is laid waste; who will pity and bemoan her? Where shall I seek comforters for you?

8 A re 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?

Are you better than No-amon, that dwelt by the rivers or canals, that had the waters round about her, whose rampart was a sea and water her wall?

9 C ush and Egypt were her boundless strength. Put and Libya were her helpers.

Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and that without limit. Put and the Libyans were her helpers.

10 Y et 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.

Yet she was carried away; she went into captivity. Her young children also were dashed in pieces at all the street corners; lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were bound with chains.

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

You will be drunk; you will be dazed. You will seek and require a refuge because of the enemy.

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

All your fortresses are fig trees with early figs; if they are shaken they will fall into the mouth of the eater.

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

Behold, your troops in the midst of you are women; the gates of your land are set wide open to your enemies; fire consumes your bars.

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

Draw for yourself the water for a siege, make strong your fortresses! Go down into the clay pits and trample the mortar; make ready the brickkiln!

15 T here 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.

there will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off; it will destroy you as the locusts. Multiply yourselves like the licking locusts; make yourselves many like the swarming locusts!

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

You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The swarming locust spreads itself and destroys, and then flies away.

17 Y our 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.

Your princes are like the grasshoppers and your marshals like the swarms of locusts which encamp in the hedges on a cold day—but when the sun rises, they fly away, and no one knows where they are.

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

Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles are lying still. Your people are scattered on the mountains and there is no one to gather them.

19 T here 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?

There is no healing of your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not your evil come continually?