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

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

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

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

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

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.

The city is laid waste and the people are carried away. Her women servants are crying like 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!

Nineveh is like a pool, where water runs away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry. 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.

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, 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.

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

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

“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.”