Nahum 2

Attack against Nineveh

2One who scatters is coming up against you. ^h

Man the fortifications!

Watch the road!

Brace ⁱyourself!

Summon all your strength! ^j

²For the Lord will restore the majesty of Jacob, ^k

yes, ^lthe majesty of Israel,

though ravagers have ravaged them ^m

and ruined their vine branches. ⁿ

³The shields of his ^owarriors are dyed red;

the valiant men are dressed in scarlet. ^p

The fittings of the chariot flash like fire ^q

on the day of its battle preparations,

and the spears are brandished.

⁴The chariots dash madly through the streets;

they rush around in the plazas.

They look like torches;

they dart back and forth like lightning.

⁵He gives orders to his officers;

they stumble as they advance.

They race to its wall;

the protective shield is set in place.

⁶The river gates are opened,

and the palace erodes away. ^r

⁷Beauty ^sis stripped, ^t

she is carried away;

her ladies-in-waiting moan

like the sound of doves, ^u

and beat their breasts. ^v

⁸Nineveh has been like a pool of water

from her first days, ^w

but they are fleeing.

“Stop! Stop!” they cry,

but no one turns back.

⁹“Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!” ^x

There is no end to the treasure,

an abundance of every precious thing. ^y

¹⁰Desolation, decimation, devastation!

Hearts melt, ^z

knees tremble, ^a

loins shake, ^b

every face grows pale! ^c

¹¹Where is the lions’ lair, ^d

or the feeding ground of the young lions,

where the lion and lioness prowled,

and the lion’s cub,

with nothing to frighten them away? ^e

¹²The lion mauled whatever its cubs needed

and strangled prey for its lionesses.

It filled up its dens with the kill,

and its lairs with mauled prey. ^f

¹³Beware, I am against you. ^g

This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.

I will make your chariots go up in smoke ^h

and the sword will devour your young lions. ⁱ

I will cut off your prey from the earth,

and the sound of your messengers

will never be heard again. ^j