20 Heb “Woe [to] the massing of the many nations.” The word הוֹי (hoy) could be translated as a simple interjection here (“ah!”), but since the following verses announce the demise of these nations, it is preferable to take הוֹי as a funeral cry. See the note on the first phrase of .
21 Heb “like the loud noise of the seas, they make a loud noise.”
22 Heb “the uproar of the peoples.” The term הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse; the words “are as good as dead” are supplied in the translation to reflect this.
23 Heb “like the uproar of mighty waters they are in an uproar.”
24 Heb “the peoples are in an uproar like the uproar of mighty waters.”
25 Or “rebukes.” The verb and related noun are used in theophanies of God’s battle cry which terrifies his enemies. See, for example, Pss 18:15; 76:7; 106:9; Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4, and A. Caquot, 3:49–53.
26 Or perhaps “tumbleweed” (, , ); “like a rolling thing.”
27 Heb “at the time of evening, look, sudden terror.”
28 Heb “before morning he is not.”
29 Heb “this is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who loot us.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Ah, the thunder of many peoples;

they thunder like the thundering of the sea!

Ah, the roar of nations;

they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!

The nations roar like the roaring of many waters,

but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away,

chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind

and whirling dust before the storm.

At evening time, behold, terror!

Before morning, they are no more!

This is the portion of those who loot us,

and the lot of those who plunder us.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Woe to the many nations that rage—

they rage like the raging sea!

Woe to the peoples who roar—

they roar like the roaring of great waters!

Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters,

when he rebukes them they flee far away,

driven before the wind like chaff on the hills,

like tumbleweed before a gale.

In the evening, sudden terror!

Before the morning, they are gone!

This is the portion of those who loot us,

the lot of those who plunder us.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Ah! The roar of many peoples—

they roar like the roaring of the seas.

The raging of the nations—

they rage like the rumble of rushing water.

The nations rage like the rumble of a huge torrent.

He rebukes them, and they flee far away,

driven before the wind like chaff on the hills

and like tumbleweeds before a gale.

In the evening—sudden terror!

Before morning—it is gone!

This is the fate of those who plunder us

and the lot of those who ravage us.

NLTNew Living Translation

Listen! The armies of many nations

roar like the roaring of the sea.

Hear the thunder of the mighty forces

as they rush forward like thundering waves.

But though they thunder like breakers on a beach,

God will silence them, and they will run away.

They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind,

like a tumbleweed whirling before a storm.

In the evening Israel waits in terror,

but by dawn its enemies are dead.

This is the just reward of those who plunder us,

a fitting end for those who destroy us.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Ah! The noise of many peoples, they make a noise like the noise of the seas!

And the roar of nations, they roar like the roar of mighty waters!

The nations roar like the roar of many waters,

but he will rebuke him, and he will flee far away.

And they are chased like chaff of the mountains before the wind

and like tumbleweed before the storm.

At the time of evening, and look, terror!

Before morning he is no more.

This is the fate of those who plunder us

and the lot of those who plunder us.

KJV 1900King James Version

Woe to the multitude of many people,

Which make a noise like the noise of the seas;

And to the rushing of nations,

That make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!

The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters:

But God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off,

And shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind,

And like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

And behold at eveningtide trouble;

And before the morning he is not.

This is the portion of them that spoil us,

And the lot of them that rob us.

Public Domain