1 The scatterer shall come up against thee, and lay siege to the castle. Look thou well to the streets, make thy loins strong, arm thyself with all thy might:
2 for the LORD shall restore again the glory of Jacob, like as the glory of Israel. The destroyers have broken them down, and marred the wine branches.
3 The shield of his giants glistereth, his men of war are clothed in purple. His chariots are as fire when he maketh him forward, his archers are well decked and trimmed.
4 The chariots roll upon the streets, and welter in the highways. They are to look upon like cressettes of fire, and go swiftly as the lightning.
5 When he doth but warn his giants, they all in their array, and hastily they climb up the walls: yea, the engines of the war are prepared already.
6 The water ports shall be opened, and the king's palace shall fall.
7 The queen herself shall be led away captive, and her gentlewomen shall mourn as the doves, and groan within their hearts.
8 Nineveh is like a pool full of water, but then shall they be fain to flee. "Stand, stand," shall they cry, and there shall not one turn back.
9 Away with the silver, away with the gold: for here is no end of treasure. There shall be a multitude of all manner costly ornaments.
10 Thus must she be spoiled, emptied and clean stripped out: that their hearts may be melted away, their knees tremble, all their loins be weak, and their faces black as a pot.
11 Where is now the dwelling of the lions, and the pasture of the lion's whelps? Where the lion and the lioness went with the whelps, and no man frayed them away?
12 But the lion spoiled enough for his young ones, and devoured for his lioness: he filled his dens with his prey, and his dwelling place with that he had ravished.
13 Behold, I will upon thee, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, and will set fire upon thy chariots that they shall smoke withal, and the sword shall devour thy young lions. I will make an end of thy spoiling from out of the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.