1Woe to the bloody city ! it is all full of lies and robbery ; the prey departeth not; 2The noise of a whip , and the noise of the rattling of the wheels , and of the pransing horses , and of the jumping chariots . 3The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear : and there is a multitude of slain , and a great number of carcases ; and there is none end of their corpses ; they stumble upon their corpses : 4Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot , the mistress of witchcrafts , that selleth nations through her whoredoms , and families through her witchcrafts .
The Siege and Fall of Nineveh
5Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts ; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face , and I will shew the nations thy nakedness , and the kingdoms thy shame . 6And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile , and will set thee as a gazingstock . 7And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say , Nineveh is laid waste : who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?
The Comparison to Thebes
8Art thou better than populous No , that was situate among the rivers , that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea , and her wall was from the sea ? 9Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength , and it was infinite ; Put and Lubim were thy helpers . 10Yet was she carried away , she went into captivity : her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets : and they cast lots for her honourable men , and all her great men were bound in chains .
The Certainty of Judgment
11Thou also shalt be drunken : thou shalt be hid , thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy . 12All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs : if they be shaken , they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater . 13Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women : the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies : the fire shall devour thy bars . 14Draw thee waters for the siege , fortify thy strong holds : go into clay , and tread the morter , make strong the brickkiln . 15There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off , it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm : make thyself many as the cankerworm , make thyself many as the locusts . 16Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven : the cankerworm spoileth , and flieth away . 17Thy crowned are as the locusts , and thy captains as the great grasshoppers , which camp in the hedges in the cold day , but when the sun ariseth they flee away , and their place is not known where they are . 18Thy shepherds slumber , O king of Assyria : thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains , and no man gathereth them . 19There is no healing of thy bruise ; thy wound is grievous : all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually ?