1Doom to the crime capital! Nineveh, city of murder and treachery,
2here is your fate— cracking whips, churning wheels; galloping horses, roaring chariots;
3cavalry attacking, swords and spears flashing; soldiers stumbling over piles of dead bodies.
4You were nothing more than a prostitute using your magical charms and witchcraft to attract and trap nations.
5But I, the Lord All-Powerful, am now your enemy. I will pull up your skirt and let nations and kingdoms stare at your nakedness.
6I will cover you with garbage, treat you like trash, and rub you in the dirt.
7Everyone who sees you will turn away and shout, “Nineveh is done for! Is anyone willing to mourn or to give her comfort?”
8Nineveh, do you feel safer than the city of Thebes? The Nile River was its wall of defense.
9Thebes trusted the mighty power of Ethiopia and Egypt; the nations of Put and Libya were her allies.
10But she was captured and taken to a foreign country. Her children were murdered at every street corner. The members of her royal family were auctioned off, and her high officials were bound in chains.
11Nineveh, now it's your turn! You will get drunk and try to hide from your enemy.
12Your fortresses are fig trees with ripe figs. Merely shake the trees, and fruit will fall into every open mouth.
13Your army is weak. Fire has destroyed the crossbars on your city gates; now they stand wide open to your enemy.
14Your city is under attack. Haul in extra water! Strengthen your defenses! Start making bricks! Stir the mortar!
15You will still go up in flames and be cut down by swords that will wipe you out like a field attacked by grasshoppers. So, go ahead and increase like a swarm of locusts!
16More merchants are in your city than there are stars in the sky— but they are like locusts that eat everything, then fly away.
17Your guards and your officials are swarms of locusts. On a chilly day they settle on a fence, but when the sun comes out, they take off to who-knows-where.
18King of Assyria, your officials and leaders are sound asleep, while your people are scattered in the mountains. Yes, your people are sheep without a shepherd.
19You're fatally wounded. There's no hope for you. But everyone claps when they hear this news, because your constant cruelty has caused them pain.
Contemporary English Version (2006) Tap a verse to copy, share, highlight or add a note. Dotted words link to encyclopedia articles.
19 verses in this chapter
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The text is Contemporary English Version (2006)(English) — Published under a copyright agreement with the Korean Bible Society — the text is copyright of the Korean Bible Society. Highlights, notes and read marks stay with the chapter whichever version you read. Dotted words are people, places and terms that have an encyclopedia article (marked once per page). Highlights, notes and read marks are saved only in this browser and gathered under My marks.