Nahum 2
1The one who will dash you to pieces is coming up against you. 1 Man the city walls, guard the roads, 1 make yourselves strong, assemble your armies. 1
2For Yahweh is restoring the majesty of Jacob, like the majesty of Israel, 1 although the plunderers devastated them and destroyed their vine branches. 1
3The shields of his mighty men are red, and the soldiers are clothed in scarlet; 1 the chariots flash with their metal on the day that they are made ready, and the cypress spears are waved in the air. 1
4The chariots speed through the streets; they rush back and forth in the wide streets. 1 They look like torches, and they run like lightning. 1
5The one who will dash you to pieces calls his officers; they stumble over each other in their march; 1 they hurry to attack the city wall. The large shield is made ready to protect these attackers. 1
6The gates at the rivers are forced open, and the palace falls to ruins. 1
7Huzzab is stripped of her clothes and is taken away; 1 her female servants moan like doves, beating on their breasts. 1
8Nineveh is like a leaking pool of water, with its people fleeing away like rushing water. 1 Others shout, “Stop, stop,” but no one looks back. 1
9Take the silver plunder, take the gold plunder, for there is no end to it, 1 to the splendor of all Nineveh's beautiful things. 1
10Nineveh is empty and ruined. Everyone's heart melts, everyone's knees strike together, 1 and anguish is in everyone; their faces are all pale. 1
11Where now is the lions' den, the place where the young lion cubs were fed, 1 the place where the lion and lioness walked, with the cubs, where they were afraid of nothing? 1
12The lion tore his victims to pieces for his cubs; he strangled victims for his lionesses, 1 and filled his cave with victims, his dens with torn carcasses. 1
13“See, I am against you—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts. 1 I will burn your chariots in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. 1 I will cut off your prey from your land, and the voices of your messengers will be heard no more.”