1Woe to the city of bloods! All of it is full of lies and plunder; the prey departs not.
2The sound of the whip, and the sound of the rattling of the wheel; and the galloping horse, and the bounding chariot.
3The horseman charging, and the flame of the sword, and the lightning of the spear; and a multitude of slain, and a mass of corpses; and there is no end to the bodies; they stumble over their bodies.
4Because of the multitude of harlotries of the well-favored harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations by her harlotries, and families by her sorceries.
5Behold, I am against you, declares YHWH of hosts (tzevaot), and I will uncover your skirts upon your face, and I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame.
6And I will cast filth upon you, and I will make you vile, and I will set you as a gazingstock.
7And it shall come to pass that all who see you shall flee from you, and say: "Nineveh is laid waste; who will bemoan her? Whence shall I seek comforters for you?"
8Are you better than No-amon, that sat among the rivers, water round about her, whose rampart was the sea, from the sea her wall?
9Cush was her strength, and Egypt, and there was no end; Put and the Lubim were in your help.
10She also went into exile, into captivity; her infants also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets; and over her honored ones they cast lots, and all her great ones were bound in chains.
11You also shall be drunk; you shall be hidden; you also shall seek a stronghold from the enemy.
12All your fortresses are fig trees with first-ripe figs; if they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.
13Behold, your people in your midst are women (ishah); to your enemies the gates of your land are surely opened; fire has devoured your bars.
14Draw for yourself water for the siege, strengthen your fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, take hold of the brick-mold.
15There the fire shall devour you; the sword shall cut you off, it shall devour you like the young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust, make yourself many like the locust.
16You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the heavens; the young locust spreads itself and flies away.
17Your crowned ones are like the locust, and your marshals like the swarms of grasshoppers, which camp in the walls in the cold day; when the sun rises it flees away, and its place is not known—where are they?
18Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles lie down; your people are scattered upon the mountains, and there is none to gather them.
19There is no relief for your fracture; your wound is grievous; all who hear the report of you clap the hand over you; for upon whom has not your evil passed continually?