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1Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder¹, never without victims!
2The crack of whips, the clatter² of wheels, galloping³ horses and jolting⁴ chariots!
3Charging cavalry⁵, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses-
4all because of the wanton lust⁶ of a harlot, alluring⁷, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft⁸.
5"I am against you," declares the Lord Almighty⁹. "I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame.
6I will pelt¹⁰ you with filth¹¹, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.
7All who see you will flee from you and say, 'Nineveh is in ruins-who will mourn for her?' Where can I find anyone to comfort you?"
8Are you better than Thebes, situated¹² on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense¹³, the waters her wall.
9Cush and Egypt were her boundless¹⁴ strength; Put and Libya were among her allies.
10Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains.
11You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy.
12All your fortresses¹⁵ are like fig¹⁶ trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs¹⁷ fall into the mouth of the eater.
13Look at your troops- they are all women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed their bars.
14Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, tread the mortar¹⁸, repair the brickwork!
15There the fire will devour¹⁹ you; the sword will cut you down and, like grasshoppers²⁰, consume you. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts²¹!
16You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more than the stars of the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away.
17Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms²² of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day- but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where.
18O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber²³; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered²⁴ on the mountains with no one to gather them.
19Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is fatal. Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?