1Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!2The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots!3Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses –4all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft.5‘I am against you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.6I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.7All who see you will flee from you and say, “Nineveh is in ruins – who will mourn for her?” Where can I find anyone to comfort you?’8Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defence, the waters her wall.9Cush[1] and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies.10Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at every street corner. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains.11You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy.12All your fortresses are like fig-trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.13Look at your troops – they are all weaklings. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed the bars of your gates.14Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defences! Work the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork!15There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down – and it will devour you like a swarm of locusts. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts!16You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away.17Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day – but when the sun appears they fly away, and no-one knows where.18King of Assyria, your shepherds[2] slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no-one to gather them.19Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?
Nahum 3
English Standard Version
Woe to Nineveh
1Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey! (Eze 24:9; Na 2:12; Hab 2:12)2The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! (Jud 5:22; Joe 2:5; Na 2:4)3Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies! (2Ki 19:35; Hab 3:11)4And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. (Isa 47:9; Isa 47:12; Re 17:2; Re 18:3)5Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame. (Isa 3:17; Isa 47:3; Jer 13:22; Jer 13:26; Na 2:13; Hab 2:16)6I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. (Na 1:14; Mal 2:9; 1Co 4:9; Heb 10:33)7And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, “Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?” Where shall I seek comforters for you? (Isa 51:19; Jer 15:5; Jer 51:9; La 1:2; La 1:9; La 1:16; La 1:21; Na 1:1; Zep 2:13; Re 18:10)8Are you better than Thebes[1] that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall? (Jer 46:25; Eze 29:3; Am 6:2)9Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her[2] helpers. (Ge 10:6; 2Ch 12:3; Da 11:43)10Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains. (Ps 149:8; Isa 13:16; Isa 20:4; Joe 3:3; Ob 1:11)11You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy. (Ps 75:8; Isa 51:17; Jer 4:5; Jer 25:17; Jer 25:27; Ob 1:16)12All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. (Re 6:13)13Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars. (Isa 19:16; Jer 51:30)14Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold! (Isa 22:11; Na 3:11)15There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper! (Joe 1:4; Joe 1:6; Joe 2:3)16You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away. (Eze 27:23; Na 3:15)17Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes[3] like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are. (Isa 10:8; Jer 51:27; Na 3:15)18Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber. Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them. (1Ki 22:17; Ps 76:5; Na 2:5)19There is no easing your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil? (Isa 37:18; Jer 10:19; La 2:15; Mic 1:9; Zep 2:15)