Nahum, 2

1. To Judah See on the mountains the feet of the herald! 'Peace!' he proclaims. Judah, celebrate your feasts, carry out your vows, for Belial will never pass through you again; he has been utterly destroyed.

1. The shatterer has come up against you. Man the ramparts; watch the road; gird your loins; collect all your strength.

2. The destroyer has advanced on you, guarding the siege-works, watching the road, bracing himself, mustering great strength!

2. (For the LORD is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have stripped them and ruined their branches.)

3. (For Yahweh has restored the vine of Jacob, yes, the vine of Israel, although the plunderers had plundered them, although they had snapped off their vine-shoots!)

3. The shield of his mighty men is red, his soldiers are clothed in scarlet. The chariots flash like flame when mustered in array; the chargers prance.

4. The shields of his fighting men show red, his warriors are dressed in scarlet; the metal of the chariots sparkles as he prepares for battle; the horsemen are impatient for action;

4. The chariots rage in the streets, they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches, they dart like lightning.

5. the chariots storm through the streets, jostling one another in the squares; they look like blazing flames, like lightning they dash to and fro.

5. The officers are summoned, they stumble as they go, they hasten to the wall, the mantelet is set up.

6. His captains are called out; stumbling as they go, they speed towards the wall, and the mantelet is put in position.

6. The river gates are opened, the palace is in dismay;

7. The sluices of the River are opened, and the palace melts in terror.

7. its mistress is stripped, she is carried off, her maidens lamenting, moaning like doves, and beating their breasts.

8. Beauty is taken captive, carried away, her slave-girls moaning like doves

8. Nin'eveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry; but none turns back.

9. and beating their breasts. Nineveh is like a lake, whose waters are draining away. 'Stop! Stop!' But no one turns back.

9. Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! There is no end of treasure, or wealth of every precious thing.

10. 'Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!' There is no end to the treasure, a mass of everything you could desire!

10. Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts faint and knees tremble, anguish is on all loins, all faces grow pale!

11. Ravaged, wrecked, ruined! Heart fails and knees give way, anguish is in the loins of all, and every face grows pale!

11. Where is the lions' den, the cave of the young lions, where the lion brought his prey, where his cubs were, with none to disturb?

12. Where is the lions' den now, the cave of the lion's whelps, where the lion and lioness walked with their cubs and no one molested them,

12. The lion tore enough for his whelps and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with torn flesh.

13. where the lion would tear up food for his whelps and strangle the kill for his mates, where he filled his caverns with prey and his lairs with spoil?

13. Behold, I am against you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard.

14. Look, I am against you!- declares Yahweh Sabaoth- I shall send your chariots up in smoke, and the sword will devour your whelps; I shall cut short your depredations on earth, and the voices of your envoys will be heard no more.

14.