Judgment on Nineveh

1Wo! to the city of bloods: all of it was filled with falsehood, with violence; the prey will not withdraw.

2The voice of the whip and the voice of the shaking of the wheel, and the horse moving swiftly, and the chariot bounding.

3The horsemen also lifting up the flame of the sword, and the lightning of the spear: and a multitude of wounded, and the heavy carcass; and no end to the corpses; they shall stumble upon their dead bodies.

4From the multitude of the fornications of the fair harlot, the beauty of the mistress of sorceries, selling the nations by her fornication, and families by her sorceries.

5Behold me against thee, says Jehovah of armies; and I uncovered thy skirts upon thy face, and I caused nations to see thy nakedness, and kingdoms thy shame.

6And I cast abominable things upon thee, and I disgraced thee, and I set thee as a sight.

7And it was all serving thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh was laid waste: who shall be moved for her? from whom shall I seek those consoling to thee?

8Wilt thou be good above No, the builder dwelling among the rivers, the waters round about to her, whose strength the sea, from the sea her wall?

9Cush her strength, and Egypt, and no end; Put and Lubim were among thy helpers.

10Also she being carried away captive went into captivity: also her young children shall be dashed in pieces at the head of every street, and upon her honored ones they cast the lot, and all her great ones were bound in chains.

11And thou shalt be intoxicated, and thou shalt be hid; thou shalt seek a fortified place from the enemy.

12All thy fortresses, fig trees with the early figs: if they shall be shaken, and they fell into the mouth of him eating.

13Behold, thy people women in the midst of thee: the gates of thy land being opened were opened to thine enemies: a fire devoured thy bars.

14Draw the water of the siege to thee, strengthen thy fortresses go into clay, tread upon the clay, hold fast from the brick.

15There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall devour thee as the feeder: make thee numerous as the feeder, make thee numerous as the locust.

16Thou didst multiply thy traffics above the stars of the heavens: the feeder spread out and it will fly away.

17Thy devoted ones as the locust, and thy satraps as the locust of locusts encamping in the walls in a cold day; the sun arose and they fled away, and where his place he knew not.

18Thy shepherds slumbered, O king of Assur: thy chiefs will lie down: thy people breathed upon the mountains, and none gathering.

19No healing to thy breaking; thy blow sickly: all hearing thy report shall clap the hand upon thee: for upon whom did not thine evil pass continually?