The Woe of Nineveh
1 Woe to thebloody city!
Itisall full of liesandrobbery.
Itsvictim never departs.
2 The noise of a whip
And the noise of rattling wheels,
Of galloping horses,
Of clattering chariots!
3 Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear.
Thereisa multitude of slain,
A great number of bodies,
Countless corpses—
They stumble over the corpses—
4 Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot,
# The mistress of sorceries,
Who sells nations through her harlotries,
And families through her sorceries.
5 “Behold, Iamagainst you,” says theLordof hosts;
# “I will lift your skirts over your face,
I will show the nations your nakedness,
And the kingdoms your shame.
6 I will cast abominable filth upon you,
# Make youvile,
# And make youa spectacle.
7 It shall come to passthatall who look upon you
# Will flee from you, and say,
# ‘Nineveh is laid waste!
# Who will bemoan her?’
Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
8 Are you better thanNo Amon
Thatwassituated by the River,
That had the waters around her,
Whose rampartwasthe sea,
Whose wallwasthe sea?
9 Ethiopia and Egyptwereher strength,
Anditwasboundless;
# Put and Lubim were your helpers.
10 Yet shewascarried away,
She went into captivity;
# Her young children also were dashed to pieces
# At the head of every street;
# Theycast lots for her honorable men,
And all her great men were bound in chains.
11 You also will bedrunk;
You will be hidden;
You also will seek refuge from the enemy.
12 All your strongholdsarefig trees with ripened figs:
If they are shaken,
They fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Surely,your people in your midstarewomen!
The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies;
# Fire shall devour thebars of yourgates.
14 Draw your water for the siege!
# Fortify your strongholds!
Go into the clay and tread the mortar!
Make strong the brick kiln!
15 There the fire will devour you,
The sword will cut you off;
# It will eat you up like alocust.
Make yourself many—like the locust!
Make yourself many— like theswarminglocusts!
16 You have multiplied yourmerchants more than the stars of heaven.
The locust plunders and flies away.
17 Your commandersarelikeswarminglocusts,
And your generals like great grasshoppers,
Which camp in the hedges on a cold day;
When the sun rises they flee away,
And the place where theyareis not known.
18 Your shepherds slumber, Oking of Assyria;
Your nobles restinthedust.
# Your people arescattered on the mountains,
And no one gathers them.
19 Your injuryhasno healing,
# Your wound is severe.
# All who hear news of you
Will claptheirhands over you,
For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?