Nahum 3

¹Woe, O city of bloodshed— all of her is deceit, full of plunder; prey does not depart.

²Sound of a whip, and the sound of the rattling of a wheel, and a horse galloping, and a chariot bounding!

³The horseman charging, and the flash of the sword, and the gleam of the spear, and many slain, and a mass of corpses — there is no end to the dead bodies; they stumble and fall over their dead bodies.

⁴Because of the many harlotries of the harlot, charming in grace, a mistress of sorceries— the one who sells nations by her harlotries and clans by her sorceries.

⁵Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will uncover your skirts over your face, and I will show nations your nakedness, and kingdoms your shame.

⁶And I will throw detestable things upon you, and I will disgrace you, and will make you a spectacle.

⁷And it shall be that all who see you will flee from you, and say, 'Nineveh is devastated!' Who will mourn for her? From where shall I seek comforters for you?

⁸Are you better than No-Amon, who dwelt by the Nile-streams, water surrounding her, whose rampart was the sea, from the sea her wall?

⁹Cush was her strength, and Egypt without limit; Put and the Libyans were your help.

¹⁰Even she went into exile, into captivity; her children too were dashed to pieces at the head of every street; lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great ones were bound in chains.

¹¹You also shall become drunk and shall hide yourself; you too shall seek a refuge from the enemy.

¹²All your fortresses are fig trees with firstfruits— if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.

¹³Behold, your people are as women in your midst, before your enemies; the gates of your land are wide open; fire has devoured your gate-bars.

¹⁴Draw water for the siege, strengthen your fortifications; go into the mud and trample the clay, take hold of the brick mold!

¹⁵There fire will consume you, the sword will cut you off, it will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourself like the locust! Multiply yourself like the swarming locust!

¹⁶You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the heavens; the young locust strips off and flies away.

¹⁷Your guards are like locusts, and your scribes like a swarm of locusts camping in stone walls on a cold day; the sun has risen and it flew away, and its place is not known— where are they?

¹⁸Your shepherds have slumbered, O king of Assyria, your nobles have lain down; your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is none to gather.

¹⁹There is no relief for your fracture; your wound is grievous. All who hear the report of you clap their hands over you, for upon whom has your wickedness not passed continually?