1 He who dashes in pieces has come up against you: keep the fortress, watch the way, make your loins strong, fortify your power mightily.

2 For Yahweh restores 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 are blazing 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 remembers his nobles: they stumble in their march; they hurry to her wall, and the mantelet is prepared.

6 The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.

7 And he is drawn up, she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her female slaves moan as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.

8 But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. Stand, stand, [they cry]; but none looks back.

9 Take{+} 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 melts, and the knees strike 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 tore in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with prey, and his dens with ravin.

13 Look, I am against you, says Yahweh of hosts, and I will burn your crowd in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions; and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers will be heard no more.