1 He who dashes in pieces has come up against you. Keep the fortress! Watch the way! Strengthen your waist! Fortify your power mightily!

2 For Yahweh restores the excellency of Jacob as the excellency of Israel, for the destroyers have destroyed them and ruined 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 pine spears are brandished. 4 The chariots rage in the streets. They rush back and forth in the wide ways. Their appearance is like torches. They run like the lightnings. 5 He summons his picked troops. They stumble on their way. They dash to its wall, and the protective shield is put in place. 6 The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved. 7 It is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her servants 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. "Stop! Stop!" they cry, but no one looks back. 9 Take the plunder of silver. Take the plunder of gold, for there is no end of treasure, an abundance of every precious thing. 10 She is empty, void, and waste. The heart melts, the knees knock together, their bodies and faces have grown pale. 11 Where is the den of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked with the lion’s cubs, and no one made them afraid? 12 The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, and strangled prey for his lionesses, and filled his caves with the kill and his dens with prey. 13 "Behold, I am against you," says Yahweh of Armies, "and I will burn her chariots 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 no longer be heard."

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.