Nahum 3 Parallel Bible Translations

Nahum 3 ▼
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1 Woe (judgment is coming) to the city of blood [guilty of murder and mayhem], completely full of lies and pillage; Her prey never departs [alive]. Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey! Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!
2 The noise of the [cracking of the] whip, The noise of the rattling of the wheel, Galloping horses And rumbling and bounding chariots [in the assault of Nineveh]! The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots!
3 Horsemen charging, Swords flashing, spears gleaming, Many slain, a mass of corpses, No end of corpses— The horsemen stumble over the corpses! Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies! Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses—
4 All because of the many acts of prostitution of [Nineveh] the prostitute, The charming and well-favored one, the mistress of sorceries, Who betrays nations by her acts of prostitution (idolatry) And families by her sorceries. And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. all 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 “Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of hosts, “And I will lift up your skirts over your face, And I will let the nations look at your nakedness [O Nineveh] And the kingdoms at your disgrace. Behold, 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. “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.
6 “I will throw filth on you And make you vile and treat you with contempt, And set you up as a spectacle. I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.
7 “And it will come about that all who see you Will shrink back and run from you and say, ‘Nineveh is completely ruined! Who will grieve for her?’ Where will I seek comforters for you?” And 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? All 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?”
8 Are you better than Thebes, Which was situated by the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose defense was the sea (the Nile), Whose wall consisted of the sea? Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall? Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall.
9 Ethiopia was her strength, And Egypt too, without limits. Put and Lubim were among her helpers. Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers. Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies.
10 Yet she became an exile; She went into captivity. Her young children were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with chains. Yet 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. Yet 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.
11 You too [Nineveh] will become drunk [with the cup of God’s wrath]; You will be hidden. You too [Nineveh] will search [in vain] for a refuge from the enemy. You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy. You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy.
12 All your fortresses are [nothing but] fig trees with ripe figs— When shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Behold, your people are [as weak and helpless as] women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes the bars across your gates. Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars. Look 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.
14 Draw water for a [long, continued] siege! Strengthen your fortresses! Go down to the clay pits, trample the mortar! Prepare the brick kiln [to burn bricks for the rampart]! Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold! Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork!
15 But there [in the very midst of these preparations] the fire will devour you; The sword will cut you down; It will devour you as the locust does. Multiply yourself like the creeping locusts; Multiply yourself like the swarming locusts. There 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! There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down— they will devour you like a swarm of locusts. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts!
16 You have increased your traders more than the [visible] stars of heaven— The creeping locust strips and destroys and then flies away. You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away. You 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.
17 Your guardsmen are like the swarming locusts. Your marshals are like the hordes of grasshoppers Settling in the stone walls on a cold day. When the sun rises, they fly away, And no one knows the place where they are. Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes 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. Your 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.
18 Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; Your nobles are lying down [in death]. Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to gather them. Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber. Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them. King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them.
19 There is no relief and healing for your hurt; Your wound is incurable. All who hear the news about you Clap their hands over [what has happened to] you. For on whom has your [unceasing] evil not come continually? There 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? Nothing 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?
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