The Overthrow of Nineveh 1 ULT A scatterer has come up against your face. Guard the city walls, watch the road, strengthen{ your} loins, greatly fortify{ your} power! BSB BSB: One who scatters advances against you, O Nineveh. Guard the fortress! Watch the road! Brace yourselves! Summon all your strength!
2 ULT For Yahweh has restored the majesty of Jacob, indeed, the majesty of Israel, although the plunderers plundered them and destroyed their vine branches. BSB BSB: For the LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and ruined the branches of their vine.
3 ULT The shields of his mighty men are red; the men of valor are clothed in scarlet; the chariot{ flashes} with fire of metal on the day of preparing it, and the cypresses quiver. BSB BSB: The shields of his mighty men are red; the valiant warriors are dressed in scarlet. The fittings of the chariots flash like fire on the day they are prepared, and the spears of cypress have been brandished.
4 ULT The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush back and forth in the squares. Their appearance{ is} like torches; they run like lightning. BSB BSB: The chariots dash through the streets; they rush around the plazas, appearing like torches, darting about like lightning.
5 ULT He calls his officers; they stumble in their advance; they hurry to her city wall. The siege- shelter is prepared. BSB BSB: He summons his nobles; they stumble as they advance. They race to its wall; the protective shield is set in place.
6 ULT The gates of the rivers have been opened, and the palace has melted away. BSB BSB: The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses.
7 ULT It is established: she is taken into exile; she is led away, and her female servants moan like the sound of doves, beating on their hearts. BSB BSB: It is decreed that the city be exiled and carried away; her maidservants moan like doves, and beat upon their breasts.
8 ULT Though Nineveh{ was} like a pool of water throughout her days, now they are fleeing away.“Stop, stop!” But there is no turning back. BSB BSB: Nineveh has been like a pool of water throughout her days, but now it is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.
9 ULT Plunder silver, plunder gold, for there is no end to the supply; a wealth of all things of delight. BSB BSB: “Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!” There is no end to the treasure, an abundance of every precious thing.
10 ULT Empty and desolate and ruined! And the heart is melted, and a shaking of knees, and anguish{ is} in all loins, and all of their faces gather beauty. BSB BSB: She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and laid waste! Hearts melt, knees knock, bodies tremble, and every face grows pale!
11 ULT Where{ now}{ is} the lions’ den and that feeding place for the young lions, where the lion walked, the lioness there, the cubs of the lion, and nothing made{ them} afraid? BSB BSB: Where is the lions’ lair or the feeding ground of the young lions, where the lion and lioness prowled with their cubs, with nothing to frighten them away?
12 ULT The lion, tearing enough for his cubs and strangling for his lionesses, he filled his caves with prey, his dens with torn carcasses. BSB BSB: The lion mauled enough for its cubs and strangled prey for the lioness. It filled its dens with the kill, and its lairs with mauled prey.
13 ULT “Behold me, against you— the declaration of Yahweh of armies— I will burn her chariot in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from your land, and the voices of your messengers will be heard no more.” BSB BSB: “Behold, I am against you,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will reduce your chariots to cinders, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.”