Book of Nahum, Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of Nahum
all full of lies and booty—
no end to the plunder!
galloping horse and bounding chariot!
flashing sword and glittering spear,
hosts of slain,
heaps of corpses,
dead bodies without end—
they stumble over the bodies!
graceful and of deadly charms,
who betrays nations with her harlotries,
and peoples with her charms.
says the LORD of hosts,
and will lift up your skirts over your face;
and I will let nations look on your nakedness
and kingdoms on your shame.
and treat you with contempt,
and make you a gazingstock.
Wasted is Nin′eveh; who will bemoan her?
whence shall I seek comforters for her?[a]
that sat by the Nile,
with water around her,
her rampart a sea,
and water her wall?
Egypt too, and that without limit;
Put and the Libyans were her[c] helpers.
she went into captivity;
her little ones were dashed in pieces
at the head of every street;
for her honored men lots were cast,
and all her great men were bound in chains.
you will be dazed;
you will seek
a refuge from the enemy.
with first-ripe figs—
if shaken they fall
into the mouth of the eater.
are women in your midst.
The gates of your land
are wide open to your foes;
fire has devoured your bars.
strengthen your forts;
go into the clay,
tread the mortar,
take hold of the brick mold!
the sword will cut you off.
It will devour you like the locust.
¶ Multiply yourselves like the locust,
multiply like the grasshopper!
more than the stars of the heavens.
The locust spreads its wings and flies away.
your scribes[d] like clouds of locusts
settling on the fences
in a day of cold—
when the sun rises, they fly away;
no one knows where they are.
O king of Assyria;
your nobles slumber.
Your people are scattered on the mountains
with none to gather them.
your wound is grievous.
All who hear the news of you
clap their hands over you.
For upon whom has not come
your unceasing evil?FOOTNOTES
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