Nahum 2

He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.

1An enemy who smashes things is coming right at you, Nineveh. Guard your strong walls. Watch the road. Get yourself ready. Use all the strength you have.

2For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.

2The LORD will bring back the greatness of Jacob's family, like Israel's greatness long ago. Enemies had stripped them bare. They tore up their grapevines.

NoteIn the old King James wording, God "turned away" Jacob's greatness, which sounds like taking it away. The meaning is the opposite: God brings that greatness back.

3The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

3The shields of the enemy's strong soldiers are red. The fighters wear red clothes. Their chariots, war carts pulled by horses, flash like fire on the day they line up. Wooden spears are waved in the air.

4The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.

4The chariots race wildly through the streets. They rush back and forth in the wide open places. They look like burning torches. They dart like lightning.

5He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence shall be prepared.

5The leader calls for his best men. They stumble as they hurry along. They run to the city wall. A big shield is set up to protect them.

6The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.

6The gates that hold back the river are pushed wide open. The palace falls down.

7And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.

7It is decided: the city will be carried away. Her serving women cry softly, like doves. They beat their hands on their chests.

NoteThe King James uses the word "Huzzab" here. It is an old word, and no one today is sure what it means. Most translations take the line to say that the city is taken away.

8But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

8For a long time Nineveh was like a pool full of water. Now the water is draining away. "Stop! Stop!" people shout. But no one turns back.

9Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.

9"Take the silver! Take the gold!" There is treasure everywhere. There is no end to all the fine things.

10She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.

10The city is empty. It is bare and wrecked. Hearts melt with fear. Knees knock together. Bodies shake. Every face turns pale.

11Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid?

11Where is the lions' home now? Where did the young lions come to eat? The lion and the mother lion walked there with their cubs. Nothing frightened them away.

NoteVerses 11 and 12 talk about Nineveh as if it were a den of lions. Verse 13 then speaks to the city itself.

12The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

12The lion killed plenty of food for his cubs. He caught animals for the mother lions. He filled his cave with meat. His den was packed with what he had caught.

13Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

13"Look, I am against you," says the LORD of Hosts, the leader of heaven's armies. "I will burn your chariots until they go up in smoke. Swords will kill your young lions. You will not take from other lands again. No one will hear your messengers anymore."