 1 The one who dashes in pieces is coming against you. Be on guard. Watch the way. Make your bodies+ strong. Firm up your power mightily. 2 The Lord has turned away the glory of Jacob like the glory of Israel. For the plunderers have plundered them and have destroyed their vine branches. 3 The shield of his mighty ones has become red. The mighty men are in scarlet. The chariots flame like iron torches in the day of his preparation. The cypresses are made to quiver. 4 The chariots race madly in the streets. They run to and fro in the open squares. Their appearance is like torches. They dart about like lightnings. 5 He remembers his nobles. They stumble in their walking. They hasten to the wall and the covering is prepared. 6 The gates of the rivers are opened and the palace melts away. 7 Huzzab Queen of Nineveh will be led away captive. She will be brought up and her maids will lead her with moaning+ like doves beating+ on their breasts. 8 But Nineveh is like a pool of water draining+ away. Stop. Stop they cry out. But none look back. 9 Take the spoil of silver. Take the spoil of gold. For there is no end to the treasures+ from all the precious+ vessels. 10 She is empty, void, and waste. The heart melts. The knees knock+ together with pain in all the bodies+. Their faces all gather blackness. 11 Where is the den+ of the lions and the feeding place of the young lions? Where the lion and old lion walked and the lion's cub and no one made them afraid? 12 The lion tears in pieces enough for his cubs and strangles for his lionesses and fills his holes with prey and his dens with torn prey. 13 Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts. I will burn her chariots in the smoke and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth and the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.
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