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 The destroyer is risen up against thee: keep the fortress, watch the way, make [thy] loins strong, fortify [thy] power mightily.

2 For the LORD shall restore the glory of Jacob as the glory of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out and marred their vine branches.

3 The shield of his valiant ones shall be red, the men of [his] army [are] in scarlet, the chariot [as] fire of torches [in] the day which shall be made ready; the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

4 The chariots shall rage in the streets; they shall flow through the streets, their faces like torches; they shall run like the lightnings.

5 He shall remember his valiant ones; they shall stumble in their walk when they make haste to their wall, and the covering shall be prepared.

6 The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be destroyed.

7 And the queen shall be taken captive; they shall order her to go up, and her maids shall take [her], mourning as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.

8 And Nineveh was of old like a pool of water; but [now] they flee away. Stand, stand, [shall they cry]; but no one looks [back].

9 Take the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold, for [there is] no end of the riches; honour, more than all the desirable furniture.

10 She is empty and worn out and is in pieces, and the heart melted, the knees smite together, and much pain [is] in the kidneys, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

11 What of the dwelling of the lions and of the feeding place of the young lions where the lion and the lioness walked [and] the lion's whelps, and no one made [them] afraid?

12 The lion tore in pieces enough for his whelps and strangled for his lionesses and filled his holes with prey and his dens with robbery.

13 Behold, I [speak] unto thee, saith the LORD of the hosts, and I will burn and [reduce] thy chariots into smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions; and I will cut off thy robbery from the earth, and the voice of thy ambassadors shall never be heard again.: