Nahum 3

¹Woe to the city of blood, filled with all manner of lies and violence. Crime shall not depart from you:

²the voice of the whip, and the voice of the turning wheels, and of the neighing horse, and the burning chariot, and the horsemen who ride,

³and of the flashing sword and the shining spear, and of a multitude executed and a grievous ruination. Neither is there an end to the dead bodies, and they will fall down upon their dead bodies.

⁴Because of the multitude of fornications of the kept woman, beautiful and pleasing and practicing evil deeds, who sold nations by her fornications, and families by her evil doing:

⁵behold, I will come to you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will reveal your shame to your face, and I will show your nakedness to the Gentiles, and your disgrace to kingdoms.

⁶And I will cast abominations over you, and I will afflict you with abuse, and I will make an example of you.

⁷And this shall be: everyone who sees you, will recoil from you, and he will say: “Nineveh has been devastated.” Who will shake his head over you? Where might I seek consolation for you?

⁸Are you better than the populous Alexandria, which dwells along the rivers? Waters encircle it: the sea, with its riches. The waters are its walls.

⁹Ethiopia and Egypt were its strength, and there is no limit. Africa and Northern Africa have been your helpers.

¹⁰Nevertheless, she has been led away with the transmigration into captivity. Her little ones have been dashed in pieces at the top of every street, and they have cast lots over her celebrities, and all her elite have been fastened together in shackles.

¹¹Therefore, you also will become inebriated, and you will be despised, and you will seek help from the opposition.

¹²All your fortresses will be like fig trees with their green figs. If they are shaken violently, they will fall into the mouth of the one who devours.

¹³Behold, women are at the center of your people. The gates of your land will be opened wide for your enemies; fire will devour your bars.

¹⁴Draw in water because of the blockade; build up your fortresses. Go into the clay and tread; work it to make brick.

¹⁵There, fire will devour you. You will perish by the sword; it will devour you like the beetle. Gather together like the beetle. Multiply like the locust.

¹⁶You have made more negotiations than there are stars in the sky. The beetle has spread out and flown away.

¹⁷Your guardians are like locusts, and your little ones are like locusts among locusts, which alight on hedges on a cold day. The sun rose up, and they flew away, and there was no way to know the place where they had been.

¹⁸Your shepherds have become drowsy, king Assur. Your princes will be buried. Your people have remained hidden in the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.

¹⁹Your destruction is not hidden; your wound is grievous. All who have heard of your fame have clenched their hands over you, because over whom has your wickedness not trampled continually?

Nahum 3

¹Woe to thee, O city of blood, all full of lies and violence: rapine shall not depart from thee.

²The noise of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the neighing horse; and of the running chariot, and of the horsemen coming up,

³And of the shining sword, and of the glittering spear, and of a multitude slain, and of a grievous destruction: and there is no end of carcasses, and they shall fall down on their dead bodies.

⁴Because of the multitude of the fornications of the harlot that was beautiful and agreeable, and that made use of witchcraft, that sold nations through her fornications, and families through her witchcrafts.

⁵Behold I come against thee, saith the Lord of hosts: and I will discover thy shame to thy face, and will shew thy nakedness to the nations, and thy shame to kingdoms.

⁶And I will cast abominations upon thee, and will disgrace thee, and will make an example of thee.

⁷And it shall come to pass that every one that shall see thee, shall flee from thee, and shall say: Ninive is laid waste: who shall bemoan thee? whence shall I seek a comforter for thee?

⁸Art thou better than the populous Alexandria, that dwelleth among the rivers? waters are round about it: the sea is its riches: the waters are its walls.

⁹Ethiopia and Egypt were the strength thereof, and there is no end: Africa and the Libyans were thy helpers.

¹⁰Yet she also was removed and carried into captivity: her young children were dashed in pieces at the top of every street, and they cast lots upon her nobles, and all her great men were bound in fetters.

¹¹Therefore thou also shalt be made drunk, and shalt be despised: and thou shalt seek help from the enemies.

¹²All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with their green figs: if they be shaken, they shall fall into the mouth of the eater.

¹³Behold thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thy enemies, the fire shall devour thy bars.

¹⁴Draw thee water for the siege, build up thy bulwarks: go into the clay, and tread, work it and make brick.

¹⁵There shall the fire devour thee: thou shalt perish by the sword, it shall devour thee like the bruchus: assemble together like the bruchus, make thyself many like the locust.

¹⁶Thou hast multiplied thy merchandises above the stars of heaven: the bruchus hath spread himself and flown away.

¹⁷Thy guards are like the locusts: and thy little ones like the locusts of locusts which swarm on the hedges in the day of cold: the sun arose, and they flew away, and their place was not known where they were.

¹⁸Thy shepherds have slumbered, O king of Assyria, thy princes shall be buried: thy people are hid in the mountains, and there is none to gather them.

¹⁹Thy destruction is not hidden, thy wound is grievous: all that have heard the fame of thee, have clapped their hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?