1 Wee die bloedstad wat louter bedrog, vol geweld is, terwyl rowery nie ophou nie!

2 Hoor, die sweep! En hoor, die gedreun van wiele! En perde wat jaag, en waens wat stamp!

3 Ruiters op 'n galop en geglinster van swaarde en geblits van spiese! En 'n menigte wat verslaan is, en hope dooies en geen einde aan die lyke nie -- 'n mens struikel oor hulle lyke!

4 Weens die veelheid van die hoererye van die hoer vol bevalligheid, 'n meesteres in towerkunste, wat nasies met haar hoererye verkoop het en volkstamme met haar towerkunste.

5 Kyk, Ek het dit teen jou, spreek die HERE van die leërskare, en Ek sal jou slippe optel oor jou aangesig en nasies jou naaktheid laat sien en koninkryke jou skande.

6 En Ek sal vuilgoed op jou gooi en jou aan minagting prysgee en van jou 'n skouspel maak,

7 sodat elkeen wat jou sien, van jou af sal wegvlug en sê: Verwoes is Ninev,! Wie sal met haar medelyde hê? Waar sal ek troosters vir jou gaan soek?

8 Is jy beter as No-Amon wat gelê het aan die Nylstrome, met waters rondom hom; wie se voorskans die groot water was, waters sy muur?

9 Kus was sy krag en Egiptenaars sonder getal, Put,ërs en L¡biërs was jou tot hulp.

10 Nogtans het dit as gevangene in ballingskap gegaan; nogtans is sy kinders by al die straathoeke verpletter, en oor sy edeles is die lot gewerp, en al sy groot manne is met kettings geboei.

11 Ook jy sal dronk word, beneweld wees, ook jy sal 'n toevlug soek teen die vyand.

12 Al jou vestings is vyebome met voorvye: as 'n mens skud, val hulle in die mond van die eter.

13 Kyk, jou volk binne-in jou is soos vroue, die poorte van jou land is wyd oopgemaak vir jou vyande, die vuur het jou grendels verteer.

14 Skep vir jou water vir die beleëring, versterk jou vestings, gaan in die modder en trap klei, gryp die steenvorm.

15 Daar sal die vuur jou verteer, die swaard jou uitroei, jou verslind net soos voetgangersprinkane. Al vermenigvuldig jy soos voetgangers, al vermenigvuldig jy soos treksprinkane;

16 al het jy jou koopmans meer gemaak as die sterre aan die hemel -- die voetgangers vervel en vlieg weg!

17 Jou wagters is soos treksprinkane, en jou amptenare is soos swerms sprinkane wat op 'n koue dag op die heining sit -- die son breek deur, en hulle vlieg weg, en niemand weet waar hulle beland het nie.

18 Jou herders sluimer, o koning van Assur, jou edeles lê daar, jou volk is op die berge verstrooi, en niemand versamel hulle nie.

19 Daar is geen herstel vir jou verbreking nie; jou wond is ongeneeslik; almal wat die tyding omtrent jou verneem, slaan hulle hande saam oor jou; want oor wie het jou boosheid nie voortdurend heengegaan nie?

1 A curse is on the town of blood; it is full of deceit and violent acts; and there is no end to the taking of life.

2 The noise of the whip, and the noise of thundering wheels; horses rushing and war-carriages jumping,

3 Horsemen driving forward, and the shining sword and the bright spear: and a great number of wounded, and masses of dead bodies; they are falling over the bodies of the dead:

4 Because of all the false ways of the loose woman, expert in attraction and wise in secret arts, who takes nations in the net of her false ways, and families through her secret arts.

5 See, I am against you, says the Lord of armies, and I will have your skirts pulled over your face, and let the nations see you unclothed, and the kingdoms your shame.

6 I will make you completely disgusting and full of shame, and will put you up to be looked at by all.

7 And it will come about that all who see you will go in flight from you and say, Nineveh is made waste: who will be weeping for her? where am I to get comforters for her?

8 Are you better than No-amon, seated on the Nile streams, with waters all round her; whose wall was the sea and her earthwork the waters?

9 Ethiopia was her strength and Egyptians without number; Put and Lubim were her helpers.

10 But even she has been taken away, she has gone away as a prisoner: even her young children are smashed to bits at the top of all the streets: the fate of her honoured men is put to the decision of chance, and all her great men are put in chains.

11 And you will be overcome with wine, you will become feeble; you will be looking for a safe place from those who are fighting against you.

12 All your walled places will be like fig-trees and your people like the first figs, falling at a shake into the mouth which is open for them.

13 See, the people who are in you are women; the doorways of your land are wide open to your attackers: the locks of your doors have been burned away in the fire.

14 Get water for the time when you are shut in, make strong your towns: go into the potter's earth, stamping it down with your feet, make strong the brickworks.

15 There the fire will make you waste; you will be cut off by the sword: make yourself as great in number as the worms, as great in number as the locusts.

16 Let your traders be increased more than the stars of heaven:

17 Your crowned ones are like the locusts, and your scribes like the clouds of insects which take cover in the walls on a cold day, but when the sun comes up they go in flight, and are seen no longer in their place.

18 Sorrow! how are the keepers of your flock sleeping, O king of Assyria! your strong men are at rest; your people are wandering on the mountains, and there is no one to get them together.

19 Your pain may not be made better; you are wounded to death: all those hearing the news about you will be waving their hands in joy over you: for who has not undergone the weight of your evil-doing again and again?