1 Woe to Nineveh Woe to the city of 3:1Or blood, cf. Ezek 22:2; 24:6 bloodshed, completely full of deceptionandpillage;Herprey never departs.
2 The sound of the whip,And the sound of the rumbling of the wheel,Galloping horses,And 3:2 Lit skipping bounding chariots!
3 Horsemen charging,And swords flaming, and spears flashing,Many slain, a mass of corpses,And there is no end to dead bodies—They stumble over 3:3 Lit their the dead bodies!
4 Allbecause of the many harlotries of the harlot,The charming one, the mistress of sorceries,Who sells nations by her harlotriesAnd families by her sorceries.
5 “Behold, I am against you,” declares Yahweh of hosts;“And I will uncover your skirts over your faceAnd show to the nations your nakednessAnd to the kingdoms your disgrace.
6 “I will throw detestablefilthon youAnd display you as a wicked foolAnd set you up as a spectacle.
7 “And it will be that all who see youWill flee from you and say,‘Nineveh is devastated!Who will console her?’Where will I seek comforters for you?”
8 ¶Are you better than 3:8The city of Amon: Thebes No-amon,Which sits along the waters of the Nile,With water surrounding her,Whose rampartwas 3:8The Nile the sea,Whose wallconsistedof 3:8The Nile the sea?
9 3:9 Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6 Ethiopia washermight,And Egypt too, without end.Put and Lubim were among 3:9 Lit your her helpers.
10 Yet she became an exile;She went into captivity;Also her infants were dashed to piecesAt the head of every street;They cast lots for her honorable men,And all her great men were bound with fetters.
11 You too will become drunk;You will be hidden.You too will search for a strong defense from the enemy.
12 All your fortifications are fig trees with 3:12Lit first fruits ripe fruit—When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth.
13 Behold, your people are women in your midst!The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies;Fire consumes your gate bars.
14 Draw for yourself water for the siege!Strengthen your fortifications!Go into the clay and tread the mortar! 3:14Or strengthen, cf.3:14a Take hold of the brick mold!
15 There, fire will consume you;The sword will cut you down;It will consume you as the locustdoes.Multiply yourself like the creeping locust,Multiply yourself like the swarming locust.
16 You have increased your traders more than the stars of heaven—The creeping locust 3:16 Strips vegetation; or molts strips and flies away.
17 Your 3:17Or officials guardsmen are like the swarming locust.Your marshals are like a locust-swarmEncamping in the stone walls on a cold day.The sun rises, and they flee,And the place where they are is not known.
18 Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria;Your mighty ones are 3:18 Lit dwelling lying down.Your people are scattered on the mountains,And there is no one to regatherthem.
19 There is no relief for your breakdown,Your wound is incurable.All who hear the report about youWill claptheirhands over you,For on whom has not your evil passed continually?