1 C ome up hath a scatterer to thy face, Keep the bulwark, watch the way, Strengthen the loins, strengthen power mightily.

The one who scatters has come up against you. Man the fortress, watch the road; Strengthen your back, summon all your strength.

2 F or turned back hath Jehovah to the excellency of Jacob, As the excellency of Israel, For emptied them out have emptiers, And their branches they have marred.

For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob Like the splendor of Israel, Even though devastators have devastated them And destroyed their vine branches.

3 T he shield of his mighty ones is become red, Men of might scarlet, With fiery torches the chariot in a day of his preparation, And the firs have been caused to tremble.

The shields of his mighty men are colored red, The warriors are dressed in scarlet, The chariots are enveloped in flashing steel When he is prepared to march, And the cypress spears are brandished.

4 I n out-places shine do the chariots, They go to and fro in broad places, Their appearances like torches, As lightnings they run.

The chariots race madly in the streets, They rush wildly in the squares, Their appearance is like torches, They dash to and fro like lightning flashes.

5 H e doth remember his honourable ones, They stumble in their goings, They hasten its wall, and prepared is the covering.

He remembers his nobles; They stumble in their march, They hurry to her wall, And the mantelet is set up.

6 G ates of the rivers have been opened, And the palace is dissolved.

The gates of the rivers are opened And the palace is dissolved.

7 A nd it is established -- she hath removed, She hath been brought up, And her handmaids are leading as the voice of doves, Tabering on their hearts.

It is fixed: She is stripped, she is carried away, And her handmaids are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their breasts.

8 A nd Nineveh as a pool of waters, From of old it -- and they are fleeing! `Stand ye, stand;' and none is turning!

Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But no one turns back.

9 S eize ye silver, seize ye gold, And there is no end to the prepared things, the abundance of all desirable vessels.

Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! For there is no limit to the treasure— Wealth from every kind of desirable object.

10 S he is empty, yea, emptiness and waste, And the heart hath melted, And the knees have smitten together, And great pain in all loins, And the faces of all of them have gathered paleness.

She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees knocking! Also anguish is in the whole body And all their faces are grown pale!

11 W here the habitation of lionesses? And a feeding-place it for young lions Where walked hath a lion, an old lion, A lion's whelp, and there is none troubling.

Where is the den of the lions And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion, lioness and lion’s cub prowled, With nothing to disturb them ?

12 T he lion is tearing parts his whelps, And is strangling for his lionesses, And he doth fill prey his holes, And his habitations rapine.

The lion tore enough for his cubs, Killed enough for his lionesses, And filled his lairs with prey And his dens with torn flesh.

13 L o, I against thee, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I have burned in smoke its chariot, And thy young lions consume doth a sword, And I have cut off from the land thy prey, And not heard any more is the voice of thy messengers!

“Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of hosts. “I will burn up her chariots in smoke, a sword will devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”