Nahum

¹ Woe to the city of bloodshed, completely full of deception and pillage; Her prey never departs.

² And the sound of the rumbling of the wheel, Galloping horses, And bounding chariots!

³ And swords flaming, and spears flashing, Many slain, a mass of corpses, And there is no end to dead bodies— They stumble over the dead bodies!

⁴ The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries.

⁵ “And I will uncover your skirts over your face And show to the nations your nakedness And to the kingdoms your disgrace.

⁶ And display you as a wicked fool And set you up as a spectacle.

⁷ Will flee from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated! Who will console her?’ Where will I seek comforters for you?”

⁸ Which sits along the waters of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea?

⁹ And Egypt too, without end. Put and Lubim were among her helpers.

¹⁰ She went into captivity; Also her infants were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with fetters.

¹¹ You will be hidden. You too will search for a strong defense from the enemy.

¹² When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth.

¹³ The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars.

¹⁴ Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick mold!

¹⁵ The sword will cut you down; It will consume you as the locust does. Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the swarming locust.

¹⁶ The creeping locust strips and flies away.

¹⁷ Your marshals are like a locust‑swarm Encamping in the stone walls on a cold day. The sun rises, and they flee, And the place where they are is not known.

¹⁸ Your mighty ones are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains, And there is no one to regather them.

¹⁹ Your wound is incurable. All who hear the report about you Will clap their hands over you, For on whom has not your evil passed continually?