Old Testament · Prophets

Nahum chapter 3

to , full of lies, stuffed with what she took, never once without something to tear., the rumble of a wheel, a horse at full gallop, a chariot slamming along behind.A rider driving forward, a sword throwing light, a spear flashing, crowds of the killed, piles of the dead, bodies with no end to them, and the living stumbling over the bodies.All of it because sold herself so many times, good looking, well practised in , selling off nations with her body and whole families with her spells.I am coming for you, says Yahweh who commands armies. I will . I will let the nations look at you with nothing on and the kingdoms stare at your shame.I will throw filth on you, handle you like refuse, and stand you up .Everyone who sees you will back away and say, “Nineveh is finished. Who is going to mourn for her?” Where would I look to find one person to comfort you?Are you any better than , sitting on the Nile with water all around her, the river her defence, the water her wall? was her strength, and Egypt, with no end to it. Put and the Libyans were there to help her.She went out too, into exile, into the prisoner column. at the head of every street. and chained her great men in pairs.You will drink until you go down too. You will look for somewhere to hide. You will go begging for shelter from your enemy.Every fort you have is a fig tree loaded with . Shake it, and the figs drop into the mouth of whoever is standing under it.Look at your troops. . The gates of your country are wide open to your enemies. Fire has eaten through the bars.Draw the water you will need for the siege. Strengthen your defences. Get down in the clay, tread the mud, take hold of .That is where the fire will eat you and the sword will cut you down. It will eat you the way eat. Breed like young locusts. Swarm like the full grown ones.You bred more than there are stars in the sky. The locust strips the field bare and flies.Your guards are locusts, your officers a swarm of them . The sun comes up and they are gone, and nobody knows where. , king of Assyria. Your nobles have lain down. Your people are spread out over the mountains with nobody to bring them in.There is no easing the break in your bones. Your wound will not close. Everyone who hears the news of you , because who has not felt what you do, over and over?