Nahum 2
1 A crusher has come up before your face: keep a good look-out, let the way be watched, make yourself strong, let your power be greatly increased.
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 the Lord will make good the vine of Jacob, as well as the vine of Israel: for the wasters have made them waste and sent destruction on the branches of their vine.
For the LORD restores the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the destroyers have destroyed them, and ruined their vine branches.
3 The body-covers of his fighting men have been made red, the men of war are clothed in bright red: the war-carriages are like flames of fire in the day when he gets ready, the horses are shaking.
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 war-carriages are rushing through the streets, pushing against one another in the wide ways, looking like burning lights, running like thunder-flames.
The chariots rage in the streets. They rush back and forth in the broad ways. Their appearance is like torches. They run like the lightnings.
5 He takes the record of his great men: they go falling on their way; they go quickly to the wall, the cover is made ready.
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 river doorways are forced open, and the king's house is flowing away.
The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.
7 And the queen is uncovered, she is taken away and her servant-girls are weeping like the sound of doves, hammering on their breasts.
It is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.
8 But Nineveh is like a pool of water whose waters are flowing away; Keep your place, they say; but no one is turning back.
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 silver, take gold; for there is no end to the store; take for yourselves a weight of things to be desired.
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 Everything has been taken from her, all is gone, she has nothing more: the heart is turned to water, the knees are shaking, all are twisted in pain, and colour has gone from all faces.
She is empty, void, and waste. The heart melts, the knees knock together, their bodies and faces have grown pale.
11 Where is the lions' hole, the place where the young lions got their food, where the lion and the she-lion were walking with their young, without cause for fear?
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 cubs, and no one made them afraid?
12 Food enough for his young and for his she-lions was pulled down by the lion; his hole was full of flesh and his resting-place stored with meat.
The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with the kill, and his dens with prey.
13 See, I am against you, says the Lord of armies, and I will have your war-carriages burned in the smoke, and your young lions will be food for the sword: you will no longer get your food by force on the earth, and the voice of your she-lions will be stopped for ever.
"Look, I am against you," says the LORD of hosts, "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."
