Nahum 3

New International Version

Woe to Nineveh

3 Woe to the city of blood,^(A)
    full of lies,^(B)
full of plunder,
    never without victims!
²The crack of whips,
    the clatter of wheels,
galloping horses
    and jolting chariots!
³Charging cavalry,
    flashing swords
    and glittering spears!
Many casualties,
    piles of dead,
bodies without number,
    people stumbling over the corpses^(C)—
⁴all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
    alluring, the mistress of sorceries,^(D)
who enslaved nations by her prostitution^(E)
    and peoples by her witchcraft.

⁵“I am against^(F) you,” declares the Lord Almighty.
    “I will lift your skirts^(G) over your face.
I will show the nations your nakedness^(H)
    and the kingdoms your shame.
⁶I will pelt you with filth,^(I)
    I will treat you with contempt^(J)
    and make you a spectacle.^(K)
⁷All who see you will flee^(L) from you and say,
    ‘Nineveh^(M) is in ruins^(N)—who will mourn for her?’^(O)
    Where can I find anyone to comfort^(P) you?”

⁸Are you better than^(Q) Thebes,^(R)
    situated on the Nile,^(S)
    with water around her?
The river was her defense,
    the waters her wall.
⁹Cush^[a]^(T) and Egypt were her boundless strength;
    Put^(U) and Libya^(V) were among her allies.
¹⁰Yet she was taken captive^(W)
    and went into exile.
Her infants were dashed^(X) to pieces
    at every street corner.
Lots^(Y) were cast for her nobles,
    and all her great men were put in chains.^(Z)
¹¹You too will become drunk;^(AA)
    you will go into hiding^(AB)
    and seek refuge from the enemy.

¹²All your fortresses are like fig trees
    with their first ripe fruit;^(AC)
when they are shaken,
    the figs^(AD) fall into the mouth of the eater.
¹³Look at your troops—
    they are all weaklings.^(AE)
The gates^(AF) of your land
    are wide open to your enemies;
    fire has consumed the bars of your gates.^(AG)

¹⁴Draw water for the siege,^(AH)
    strengthen your defenses!^(AI)
Work the clay,
    tread the mortar,
    repair the brickwork!
¹⁵There the fire^(AJ) will consume you;
    the sword^(AK) will cut you down—
    they will devour you like a swarm of locusts.
Multiply like grasshoppers,
    multiply like locusts!^(AL)
¹⁶You have increased the number of your merchants
    till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky,
but like locusts^(AM) they strip the land
    and then fly away.
¹⁷Your guards are like locusts,^(AN)
    your officials like swarms of locusts
    that settle in the walls on a cold day—
but when the sun appears they fly away,
    and no one knows where.

¹⁸King of Assyria, your shepherds^[b] slumber;^(AO)
    your nobles lie down to rest.^(AP)
Your people are scattered^(AQ) on the mountains
    with no one to gather them.
¹⁹Nothing can heal you;^(AR)
    your wound is fatal.
All who hear the news about you
    clap their hands^(AS) at your fall,
for who has not felt
    your endless cruelty?^(AT)