Judgment on Nineveh

1  ה֖וֹי (Woe to) עִ֣יר (the city)! דָּמִ֑ים (Of bloodshed)

כֻּלָּ֗הּ (all of it) כַּ֤חַשׁ (is a lie)

פֶּ֙רֶק֙ (of plunder); מְלֵאָ֔ה (full)

לֹ֥א (not); יָמִ֖ישׁ (does depart) טָֽרֶף׃ (its prey).

2  ק֣וֹל (The voice) שׁ֔וֹט (of the whip),

וְק֖וֹל (the voice) רַ֣עַשׁ (of the rattling) אוֹפָ֑ן (of the wheel),

וְס֣וּס (horse), דֹּהֵ֔ר (galloping)

וּמֶרְכָּבָ֖ה (chariot) מְרַקֵּדָֽה׃ (and bounding).

3  פָּרָ֣שׁ (Horsemen) מַעֲלֶ֗ה (are ascending)

וְלַ֤הַב (and with a flame) חֶ֙רֶב֙ (of sword)

וּבְרַ֣ק (and flashing) חֲנִ֔ית (of spear);

וְרֹ֥ב (and the abundance) חָלָ֖ל (of the slain),

וְכֹ֣בֶד (and the mass) פָּ֑גֶר (of the corpse);

וְאֵ֥ין (and there is no) קֵ֙צֶה֙ (end) לַגְּוִיָּ֔ה (to the bodies);

יִכְשְׁלוּ (and they stumble) בִּגְוִיָּתָֽם׃ (over the bodies);

4  מֵרֹב֙ (from the abundance) זְנוּנֵ֣י (of prostitutions), זוֹנָ֔ה (of the prostitute)

ט֥וֹבַת (fine) חֵ֖ן (of favor) בַּעֲלַ֣ת (the mistress) כְּשָׁפִ֑ים (of sorcery),

הַמֹּכֶ֤רֶת (the one selling) גּוֹיִם֙ (nations) בִּזְנוּנֶ֔יהָ (by her prostitution)

וּמִשְׁפָּח֖וֹת (and families) בִּכְשָׁפֶֽיהָ׃ (by her sorcery).

5  הִנְנִ֣י (Behold, I am) אֵלַ֗יִךְ (against you)

נְאֻם֙ (a declaration) יְהוָ֣ה (of YHWH of) צְבָא֔וֹת (Hosts);

וְגִלֵּיתִ֥י (And I will uncover) שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ (your skirts) עַל־ (over) פָּנָ֑יִךְ (your face),

וְהַרְאֵיתִ֤י (and I will let see) גוֹיִם֙ (the nations) מַעְרֵ֔ךְ (your nakedness),

וּמַמְלָכ֖וֹת (and the kingdoms) קְלוֹנֵֽךְ׃ (your shame).

6  וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּ֥י (And I will cast) עָלַ֛יִךְ (upon you) שִׁקֻּצִ֖ים (abominations)

וְנִבַּלְתִּ֑יךְ (and I will treat you with contempt),

וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ (and I will set you) כְּרֹֽאִי׃ (as a spectacle).

7  וְהָיָ֤ה (And it will come to pass), כָל־ (that all) רֹאַ֙יִךְ֙ (seeing you)

יִדּ֣וֹד (will flee) מִמֵּ֔ךְ (from you) וְאָמַר֙ (and will say),

שָׁדְּדָ֣ה (Is devastated)! נִֽינְוֵ֔ה (Nineveh)

מִ֖י (Who) יָנ֣וּד (will bemoan) לָ֑הּ (for her)

מֵאַ֛יִן (From where) אֲבַקֵּ֥שׁ (should I seek)

מְנַחֲמִ֖ים (comforters) לָֽךְ׃ (for you).

8  הֲתֵֽיטְבִי֙ (Are you better) מִנֹּ֣א (than No-) אָמ֔וֹן (amon)

הַיֹּֽשְׁבָה֙ (the city setting) בַּיְאֹרִ֔ים (by the Nile), מַ֖יִם (with the waters) סָבִ֣יב (around) לָ֑הּ (for her)

אֲשֶׁר־ (whose) חֵ֣יל (rampart was) יָ֔ם (the sea),

מִיָּ֖ם (and from the sea) חוֹמָתָֽהּ׃ (her wall)?

9  כּ֥וּשׁ (Cush) עָצְמָ֛ה (was her strength), וּמִצְרַ֖יִם (and Egypt) וְאֵ֣ין (and there was no) קֵ֑צֶה (end);

פּ֣וּט (Libya) וְלוּבִ֔ים (and Lubim) הָי֖וּ (came to be) בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ׃ (for your help).

10  גַּם־ (Yet) הִ֗יא (she was) לַגֹּלָה֙ (as an exile),

הָלְכָ֣ה (she went) בַשֶּׁ֔בִי (into captivity);

גַּ֧ם (even) עֹלָלֶ֛יהָ (her infants) יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ (were dashed to pieces)

בְּרֹ֣אשׁ (at the head) כָּל־ (of every) חוּצ֑וֹת (street);

וְעַל־ (and over) נִכְבַּדֶּ֙יהָ֙ (her honored ones), יַדּ֣וּ (they cast) גוֹרָ֔ל (lots)

וְכָל־ (and all) גְּדוֹלֶ֖יהָ (her great ones) רֻתְּק֥וּ (were bound) בַזִּקִּֽים׃ (in chains).

11  גַּם־ (Even) אַ֣תְּ (you) תִּשְׁכְּרִ֔י (will become drunk);

תְּהִ֖י (you will be) נַֽעֲלָמָ֑ה (hidden),

גַּם־ (even) אַ֛תְּ (you) תְּבַקְשִׁ֥י (will seek) מָע֖וֹז (refuge) מֵאוֹיֵֽב׃ (from the enemy).

12  כָּ֨ל־ (All) מִבְצָרַ֔יִךְ (your fortresses) תְּאֵנִ֖ים (are fig trees)

עִם־ (with) בִּכּוּרִ֑ים (the first ripe figs);

אִם־ (if) יִנּ֕וֹעוּ (they are shaken),

וְנָפְל֖וּ (and they fall) עַל־ (into) פִּ֥י (the mouth) אוֹכֵֽל׃ (of the one eating).

13  הִנֵּ֨ה (Behold), עַמֵּ֤ךְ (your people)

נָשִׁים֙ (are women); בְּקִרְבֵּ֔ךְ (in your midst)

לְאֹ֣יְבַ֔יִךְ (to your enemies); פָּת֥וֹחַ (being open) נִפְתְּח֖וּ (are open) שַׁעֲרֵ֣י (the gates) אַרְצֵ֑ךְ (of your land)

אָכְלָ֥ה (has devoured) אֵ֖שׁ (fire) בְּרִיחָֽיִך׃ (your bars).

14  מֵ֤י (Water) מָצוֹר֙ (for the siege), שַֽׁאֲבִי־ (draw) לָ֔ךְ (for yourself)

חַזְּקִ֖י (strengthen) מִבְצָרָ֑יִךְ (your fortresses)!

בֹּ֧אִי (Go) בַטִּ֛יט (into the clay), וְרִמְסִ֥י (and tread) בַחֹ֖מֶר (on the mortar),

הַחֲזִ֥יקִי (take hold) מַלְבֵּֽן׃ (or the brick kiln).

15  שָׁ֚ם (There) תֹּאכְלֵ֣ךְ (will devour you) אֵ֔שׁ (the fire)

תַּכְרִיתֵ֣ךְ (will cut you down), חֶ֔רֶב (the sword)

תֹּאכְלֵ֖ךְ (it will eat you up) כַּיָּ֑לֶק (like the locust);

הִתְכַּבֵּ֣ד (Make yourself many) כַּיֶּ֔לֶק (like the young locust),

הִֽתְכַּבְּדִ֖י (make yourself many) כָּאַרְבֶּֽה׃ (like the swarming locust).

16  הִרְבֵּית֙ (You have multiplied) רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְ (your merchants)

מִכּוֹכְבֵ֖י (above the stars) הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם (of the heavens);

יֶ֥לֶק (the young locust) פָּשַׁ֖ט (strips it),

וַיָּעֹֽף׃ (and flies away).

17  מִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙ (Your princes are) כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה (are like the swarming locust),

וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ (and your scribes) כְּג֣וֹב (like a swarm) גֹּבָ֑י (of locusts),

הַֽחוֹנִ֤ים (those camping) בַּגְּדֵרוֹת֙ (on the fences) בְּי֣וֹם (on a day), קָרָ֔ה (of cold)

שֶׁ֤מֶשׁ (the sun) זָֽרְחָה֙ (has risen) וְנוֹדַ֔ד (and it flees away),

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) נוֹדַ֥ע (is known) מְקוֹמ֖וֹ (the place of it) אַיָּֽם׃ (where they are).

18  נָמ֤וּ (Slumber), רֹעֶ֙יךָ֙ (your shepherds) מֶ֣לֶךְ (O king) אַשּׁ֔וּר (of Assyria);

יִשְׁכְּנ֖וּ (are at reast) אַדִּירֶ֑יךָ (your nobles)

נָפֹ֧שׁוּ (are scattered) עַמְּךָ֛ (your people) עַל־ (on) הֶהָרִ֖ים (the mountains),

וְאֵ֥ין (and no one) מְקַבֵּֽץ׃ (is gathering them).

19  אֵין־ (There is no) כֵּהָ֣ה (easing) לְשִׁבְרֶ֔ךָ (of your injury);

נַחְלָ֖ה (is severe). מַכָּתֶ֑ךָ (Your wound)

כֹּ֣ל׀ (all) שֹׁמְעֵ֣י (those hearing) שִׁמְעֲךָ֗ (the report of you)

תָּ֤קְעוּ (clap) כַף֙ (the hands) עָלֶ֔יךָ (over you)

כִּ֗י (for) עַל־ (upon) מִ֛י (whom) לֹֽא־ (not) עָבְרָ֥ה (has passed)

רָעָתְךָ֖ (your evil) תָּמִֽיד׃ (continually)?