1Woe to the city of bloodshed! All of her is deceit, full of plunder — prey never departs.
2The crack of the whip and the noise of rattling wheel, galloping horse and jolting chariot!
3Charging horseman, flashing sword, and glittering spear — a multitude of slain and a mass of corpses; there is no end to the bodies — they stumble over their bodies!
4Because of the many whorings of the harlot, graceful and lovely, mistress of sorceries, who sells nations by her whorings and clans by her sorceries —
5Behold, I am against you, declares Yahweh of hosts, and I will lift up your skirts over your face; I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.
6I will throw filth upon you and treat you with contempt, and make you a spectacle.
7And it will be that all who see you will flee from you and say, “Nineveh is devastated! Who will grieve for her?” Where shall I seek comforters for you?
8Are you better than Thebes, who sat by the Nile streams, with water surrounding her, whose rampart was the sea, her wall from the sea?
9Cush and Egypt were her strength, and it was without limit; Put and the Libyans were among your helpers.
10Yet she too went into exile, into captivity; her infants too were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. Over her honored ones they cast lots, and all her great ones were bound in chains.
11You too will be drunk; you will go into hiding; you too will seek a refuge from the enemy.
12All your fortresses are fig trees with first-ripe figs: if shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
13Behold, your troops are women in your midst; the gates of your land are thrown wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.
14Draw water for the siege for yourself; strengthen your fortresses; go into the clay and tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold.
15There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you off; it will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourself like the locust, multiply yourself like the swarm!
16You multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the heavens; the locust strips and flies away.
17Your guards are like the swarm, and your officials like clouds of locusts that settle on the walls on a cold day; when the sun rises they flee away, and no one knows their place — where are they?
18Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles lie down. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.
19There is no relief for your fracture; your wound is grievous. All who hear the report of you clap their hands over you, for on whom has your endless evil not passed continually?
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