¹Woe to the bloody city ! It is all full of lies and robbery —no end to the prey .

²The noise of the whip , the noise of the rattling of wheels, prancing horses , and bounding chariots ,

³the horseman charging , and the flashing sword , the glittering spear , and a multitude of slain , and a great heap of corpses , and there is no end of the bodies . They stumble on their bodies

⁴because of the multitude of the prostitution of the alluring prostitute , the mistress of witchcraft, who sells nations through her prostitution, and families through her witchcraft.

⁵“Behold , I am against you ,” says the LORD of Armies , “and I will lift your skirts over your face . I will show the nations your nakedness , and the kingdoms your shame .

⁶I will throw abominable filth on you and make you vile , and will make you a spectacle .

⁷It will happen that all those who look at you will flee from you , and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste ! Who will mourn for her ?’ Where will I seek comforters for you ?”

⁸Are you better than No-Amon , who was situated amongst the rivers , who had the waters around her , whose rampart was the sea , and her wall was of the sea ?[#3:8 or, Thebes; #3:8 or, Nile]

⁹Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength . Put and Libya were her helpers .

¹⁰Yet was she carried away . She went into captivity . Her young children also were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets , and they cast lots for her honourable men , and all her great men were bound in chains .

¹¹You also will be drunken . You will be hidden . You also will seek a stronghold because of the enemy.

¹²All your fortresses will be like fig trees with the first-ripe figs . If they are shaken , they fall into the mouth of the eater.

¹³Behold , your troops amongst you are women. The gates of your land are set wide open to your enemies. The fire has devoured your bars .

¹⁴Draw water for the siege . Strengthen your fortresses . Go into the clay , and tread the mortar . Make the brick kiln strong .

¹⁵There the fire will devour you . The sword will cut you off . It will devour you like the grasshopper. Multiply like grasshoppers . Multiply like the locust .

¹⁶You have increased your merchants more than the stars of the skies. The grasshopper strips and flees away .

¹⁷Your guards are like the locusts , and your officials like the swarms of locusts , which settle on the walls on a cold day , but when the sun appears, they flee away , and their place is not known where they are .

¹⁸Your shepherds slumber , king of Assyria. Your nobles lie down . Your people are scattered on the mountains , and there is no one to gather them .

¹⁹There is no healing your wound , for your injury is fatal. All who hear the report of you clap their hands over you , for who hasn’t felt your endless cruelty ?