1 'n Verwoester trek teen jou op; bewaak die vesting, kyk uit langs die weg, versterk die lendene, versterk jou met alle mag!
2 Want die HERE herstel die heerlikheid van Jakob net soos die heerlikheid van Israel; want plunderaars het hulle geplunder en hulle wingerdlote verniel.
3 Die skild van sy helde is rooi geverf, die dapper manne in skarlaken gekleed, die strydwaens skitter met die glans van staal op die dag as hy hom gereedmaak, en die spiese word geswaai.
4 Langs die paaie raas die strydwaens, hulle jaag rond oor die vlaktes; hulle voorkoms is soos fakkels, soos bliksemstrale skiet hulle heen en weer.
5 Hy dink aan sy vername manne; hulle struikel in hul vaart, hulle hardloop na die muur waar die stormdak opgerig staan.
6 Die poorte van die riviere word oopgemaak, en die paleis smelt weg.
7 En dit is beslis: die stad word ontbloot, sy word weggevoer, en haar slavinne klae soos die stem van duiwe en slaan op hulle bors.
8 En Ninev, is soos 'n vywer van waters, al die dae van haar bestaan. Maar hulle loop weg! Staan tog, staan! Maar daar is niemand wat omdraai nie.
9 Roof silwer, roof goud! En onuitputlik is die voorraad, 'n rykdom van allerhande kosbare dinge!
10 Leegheid, ontlediging, vernieling! En die hart versmelt, en knieë wankel, en in al die lendene is krampe, en die aangesig van hulle almal word bleek.
11 Waar is die lêplek van die leeus, wat die voedingsplek was van die jong leeus? Waar die leeu, die leeuin, die klein leeutjie rondgeloop het sonder dat iemand hulle skrikmaak?
12 Die leeu wat vir sy kleintjies geroof en vir sy leeuinne gewurg het, wat sy gate met roof gevul het en sy lêplekke met buit.
13 Kyk, Ek het dit teen jou, spreek die HERE van die leërskare, en Ek laat jou strydwaens in rook opgaan; en die swaard sal jou jong leeus verslind, en Ek sal jou roof van die aarde verdelg; en die stem van jou gesante sal nie meer gehoor word nie.
1 He that dasheth in pieces is come up against thee: keep the fortress, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily. 2 For Jehovah restoreth the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out, and destroyed their vine-branches. 3 The 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 cypress spears are brandished. 4 The chariots rage in the streets; they rush to and fro in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches; they run like the lightnings. 5 He remembereth his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared. 6 The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved. 7 And it is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.
8 But Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. Stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back. 9 Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is no end of the store, the glory of all goodly furniture. 10 She is empty, and void, and waste; and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and anguish is in all loins, and the faces of them all are waxed pale. 11 Where is the den of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked, the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid? 12 The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with prey, and his dens with ravin. 13 Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions; and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.