 1 Woe to the bloody city. It is a lie and full of plunder. The prey is not withdrawn. 2 The sound of a whip and the noise of the rattling of a wheel and of a galloping horse and of a bounding chariot. 3 The horseman lifts up both the bright sword and the lightning of the spear. Many are slain and there is a mass of dead bodies and no end of corpses. They stumble on their dead bodies. 4 This because of the many harlotries of the favored harlot, the mistress of witchcraft who sells nations by her harlotries and families by her sorceries. 5 Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts. I will uncover your skirts upon your face. I will cause the nations to see your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. 6 I will cast filth upon you and dishonor you and set you as a gazing stock. 7 All those who look upon you will flee from you and say, Nineveh is laid waste. Who will weep for her? Where will I seek comforters for you? 8 Are you better than populous No Amon Thebes or Alexandria situated among the Nile branches. The sea is a wall all around her. 9 Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength without end. Put and Lubim Libya were among her allies+. 10 Yet she went into exile and captivity. Her young children were dashed to pieces at the head of all the streets. They cast lots for her honorable men. All her great men were bound in chains. 11 You also will be drunken and hidden. You also will seek strength because of the enemy. 12 All your strongholds will be like fig trees with the first fruits. If they are shaken, they will fall into the mouth of the eater. 13 Behold, your people in your midst are women. The gates of your land will surely be opened to your enemies. Fire will devour your bars. 14 Draw waters for the siege. Fortify your strongholds. Go into the clay and tread the mortar. Make the brick mold strong. 15 Fire will devour you. The sword will cut you off. It will eat you up like the locust. Make yourself as many as the larvae. Multiply yourself like the locusts. 16 You have multiplied your merchants above the stars of heaven. The locust larvae will strip off and fly away. 17 Your rulers are like the locusts and your officials are a swarm of locusts that camp in the hedges in the cold day. The sun rises and they flee. The place where they are is not known. 18 Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria. Your nobles are at rest. Your people are scattered upon the mountains and no one is gathering. 19 There is no healing for your fracture. Your wound is grievous. All who hear the news of you will clap the hands over you. For upon whom has your wickedness not passed continually?
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