Nahum 3:12–15

12 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 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 the siege,

strengthen your defenses!

Work the clay,

tread the mortar,

repair the brickwork!

15 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!

12 All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs:

If they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women:

The gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies:

The fire shall devour thy bars.

14 Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds:

Go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.

15 There shall the fire devour thee;

The sword shall cut thee off,

It shall eat thee up like the cankerworm:

Make thyself many as the cankerworm,

Make thyself many as the locusts.

12 All your fortresses will fall.

They will be devoured like the ripe figs

that fall into the mouths

of those who shake the trees.

13 Your troops will be as weak

and helpless as women.

The gates of your land will be opened wide to the enemy

and set on fire and burned.

14 Get ready for the siege!

Store up water!

Strengthen the defenses!

Go into the pits to trample clay,

and pack it into molds,

making bricks to repair the walls.

15 But the fire will devour you;

the sword will cut you down.

The enemy will consume you like locusts,

devouring everything they see.

There will be no escape,

even if you multiply like swarming locusts.

12 All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs:

If they are shaken,

They fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Surely, your people in your midst are women!

The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies;

Fire shall devour the bars of your gates.

14 Draw your water for the siege!

Fortify your strongholds!

Go into the clay and tread the mortar!

Make strong the brick kiln!

15 There the fire will devour you,

The sword will cut you off;

It will eat you up like a locust.

Make yourself many—like the locust!

Make yourself many—like the swarming locusts!

12 All your defenses are like fig trees with ripe fruit.

When the tree is shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Look at your soldiers.

They are all women!

The gates of your land

are wide open for your enemies;

fire has burned the bars of your gates.

14 Get enough water before the long war begins.

Make your defenses strong!

Get mud,

mix clay,

make bricks!

15 There the fire will burn you up.

The sword will kill you;

like grasshoppers eating crops, the battle will completely destroy you.

Grow in number like hopping locusts;

grow in number like swarming locusts!

12 All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. 13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women; the gates of thy land are set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire hath devoured thy bars. 14 Draw thee water for the siege; strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar; make strong the brickkiln. 15 There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall devour thee like the canker-worm: make thyself many as the canker-worm; make thyself many as the locust.

12 All thy strongholds are like fig-trees with the first-ripe figs: if they be shaken, they even fall into the mouth of the eater. 13 Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are as women: the gates of thy land are set wide open unto thine enemies; the fire devoureth thy bars. 14 Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brick-kiln. 15 There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall devour thee like the cankerworm. Make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locust.

12 All your defenses will be like fig trees with the earliest figs. 

When shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater. 

13 Look at your soldiers; they’re women! 

The gates of your country are wide open to your enemies. 

Fire has destroyed the bars of your gates. 

14 Store water for the siege! 

Strengthen your defenses! 

Step into the claypits and trample the clay! 

Grab the brick mold! 

15 Fire will consume you there. 

A sword will cut you down. 

It will consume you like locusts. 

Multiply like locusts! 

Multiply like hungry locusts! 

12 All your fortresses are fig trees

with figs that ripened first;

when shaken, they fall—

right into the mouth of the eater!

13 Look, your troops are like women among you;

the gates of your land

are wide open to your enemies.

Fire will devour the bars of your gates.

14 Draw water for the siege;

strengthen your fortresses.

Step into the clay and tread the mortar;

take hold of the brick-mold!

15 The fire will devour you there;

the sword will cut you down.

It will devour you like the young locust.

Multiply yourselves like the young locust,

multiply like the swarming locust!

12 All your fortresses are like fig trees

with first-ripe figs—

if shaken they fall

into the mouth of the eater.

13 Look at your troops:

they are women in your midst.

The gates of your land

are wide open to your foes;

fire has devoured the bars of your gates.

14 Draw water for the siege;

strengthen your forts;

trample the clay;

tread the mortar;

take hold of the brick mold!

15 There the fire will devour you;

the sword will cut you off.

It will devour you like the locust.

Multiply yourselves like the locust;

multiply like the grasshopper!

12 All of your fortifications are like fig trees with ripe firstfruits—

if they are shaken, they will fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Look! Your troops are like women in your midst.

The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies;

fire will consume the bars of your gates.

14 Draw water for a siege!

Strengthen your fortifications!

Go to the mud pit!

Trample the clay!

Grasp the brick mold!

15 There fire will consume you;

the sword will cut you off.

It will consume you like the locust.

Multiply yourself like the locust!

Multiply yourself like the grasshopper!

12 All of your forts are like fig trees

that have their first ripe fruit on them.

When the trees are shaken,

the figs fall into the mouths

of those who eat them.

13 Look at your troops.

All of them are weak.

The gates of your forts

are wide open to your enemies.

Fire has destroyed their heavy metal bars.

14 Prepare for the attack by storing up water!

Make your walls as strong as you can!

Make some bricks out of clay!

Mix the mud to hold them together!

Use them to repair the walls!

15 In spite of all of your hard work,

fire will burn you up inside your city.

Your enemies will cut you down with their swords.

They will destroy you

just as grasshoppers eat up crops.

Multiply like grasshoppers!

Increase your numbers like locusts!

12 All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit—

When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth.

13 Behold, your people are women in your midst!

The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies;

Fire consumes your gate bars.

14 Draw for yourself water for the siege!

Strengthen your fortifications!

Go into the clay and tread the mortar!

Take hold of the brick mold!

15 There fire will consume you,

The sword will cut you down;

It will consume you as the locust does.

Multiply yourself like the creeping locust,

Multiply yourself like the swarming locust.