Nahum 2

1He that dasheth in pieces is come up against thee: keep the fortress, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.

1He is come up that shall destroy before thy face, that shall keep the siege: watch the way, fortify thy loins, strengthen thy power exceedingly.

1A crusher has come up before your face: keep a good look-out, let the way be watched, make yourself strong, let your power be greatly increased.

1Come up hath a scatterer to thy face, Keep the bulwark, watch the way, Strengthen the loins, strengthen power mightily.

2For Jehovah restoreth the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel; for the emptiers have emptied them out, and destroyed their vine-branches.

2For the Lord hath rendered the pride of Jacob, as the pride of Israel: because the spoilers have laid them waste, and have marred their vine branches.

2For the Lord will make good the vine of Jacob, as well as the vine of Israel: for the wasters have made them waste and sent destruction on the branches of their vine.

2For turned back hath Jehovah to the excellency of Jacob, As <FI>to<Fi> the excellency of Israel, For emptied them out have emptiers, And their branches they have marred.

3The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots flash with steel in the day of his preparation, and the cypress spears are brandished.

3The shield of his mighty men is like fire, the men of the army are clad in scarlet, the reins of the chariot are flaming in the day of his preparation, and the drivers are stupefied.

3The body-covers of his fighting men have been made red, the men of war are clothed in bright red: the war-carriages are like flames of fire in the day when he gets ready, the horses are shaking.

3The shield of his mighty ones is become red, Men of might <FI>are in<Fi> scarlet, With fiery torches <FI>is<Fi> the chariot in a day of his preparation, And the firs have been caused to tremble.

4The chariots rage in the streets; they rush to and fro in the broad ways: the appearance of them is like torches; they run like the lightnings.

4They are in confusion in the ways, the chariots jostle one against another in the streets: their looks are like torches, like lightning running to and fro.

4The war-carriages are rushing through the streets, pushing against one another in the wide ways, looking like burning lights, running like thunder-flames.

4In out-places shine do the chariots, They go to and fro in broad places, Their appearances <FI>are<Fi> like torches, As lightnings they run.

5He remembereth his nobles: they stumble in their march; they make haste to the wall thereof, and the mantelet is prepared.

5He will muster up his valiant men, they shall stumble in their march: they shall quickly get upon the walls thereof: and a covering shall be prepared.

5He takes the record of his great men: they go falling on their way; they go quickly to the wall, the cover is made ready.

5He doth remember his honourable ones, They stumble in their goings, They hasten <FI>to<Fi> its wall, and prepared is the covering.

6The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.

6The gates of the rivers are opened, and the temple is thrown down to the ground.

6The river doorways are forced open, and the king's house is flowing away.

6Gates of the rivers have been opened, And the palace is dissolved.

7And it is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her handmaids moan as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.

7And the soldier is led away captive: and her bondwomen were led away mourning as doves, murmuring in their hearts.

7And the queen is uncovered, she is taken away and her servant-girls are weeping like the sound of doves, hammering on their breasts.

7And it is established--she hath removed, She hath been brought up, And her handmaids are leading as the voice of doves, Tabering on their hearts.

8But Nineveh hath been from of old like a pool of water: yet they flee away. Stand, stand, they cry; but none looketh back.

8And as for Ninive, her waters are like a great pool: but the men flee away. They cry: Stand, stand, but there is none that will return back.

8But Nineveh is like a pool of water whose waters are flowing away; Keep your place, they say; but no one is turning back.

8And Nineveh <FI>is<Fi> as a pool of waters, From of old it <FI>is<Fi> --and they are fleeing! `Stand ye, stand;' and none is turning!

9Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is no end of the store, the glory of all goodly furniture.

9Take ye the spoil of the silver, take the spoil of the gold: for there is no end of the riches of all the precious furniture.

9Take silver, take gold; for there is no end to the store; take for yourselves a weight of things to be desired.

9Seize ye silver, seize ye gold, And there is no end to the prepared things, <FI>To<Fi> the abundance of all desirable vessels.

10She is empty, and void, and waste; and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and anguish is in all loins, and the faces of them all are waxed pale.

10She is destroyed, and rent, and torn: the heart melteth, and the knees fail, and all the loins lose their strength: and the faces of them all are as the blackness of a kettle.

10Everything has been taken from her, all is gone, she has nothing more: the heart is turned to water, the knees are shaking, all are twisted in pain, and colour has gone from all faces.

10She is empty, yea, emptiness and waste, And the heart hath melted, And the knees have smitten together, And great pain <FI>is<Fi> in all loins, And the faces of all of them have gathered paleness.

11Where is the den of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked, the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid?

11Where is now the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, to which the lion went, to enter in thither, the young lion, and there was none to make them afraid?

11Where is the lions' hole, the place where the young lions got their food, where the lion and the she-lion were walking with their young, without cause for fear?

11Where <FI>is<Fi> the habitation of lionesses? And a feeding-place it <FI>is<Fi> for young lions Where walked hath a lion, an old lion, A lion's whelp, and there is none troubling.

12The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his caves with prey, and his dens with ravin.

12The lion caught enough for his whelps, and killed for his lionesses: and he filled his holes with prey, and his den with rapine.

12Food enough for his young and for his she-lions was pulled down by the lion; his hole was full of flesh and his resting-place stored with meat.

12The lion is tearing parts <FI>for<Fi> his whelps, And is strangling for his lionesses, And he doth fill <FI>with<Fi> prey his holes, And his habitations <FI>with<Fi> rapine.

13Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions; and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

13Behold I come against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn thy chariots even to smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey out of the land, and the voice of thy messengers shall be heard no more.

13See, I am against you, says the Lord of armies, and I will have your war-carriages burned in the smoke, and your young lions will be food for the sword: you will no longer get your food by force on the earth, and the voice of your she-lions will be stopped for ever.

13Lo, I <FI>am<Fi> against thee, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I have burned in smoke its chariot, And thy young lions consume doth a sword, And I have cut off from the land thy prey, And not heard any more is the voice of thy messengers!