Nahum, Chapter 2

1. He who dashes in pieces has come up before your face: keep the stronghold, watch the way, make your loins strong, fortify your power mightily.    2. For the LORD has turned away the excellence of Jacob, like the excellence of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and hurt their vine branches.    3. The 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 for battle, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.    4. The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall jostle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightning.    5. He shall review his mighty ones: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defense shall be prepared.    6. The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.    7. And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be taken away, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, beating upon their breasts.    8. But Nineveh is from of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.    9. Take the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is no end of the abundance and glory of all the pleasant furniture.    10. She is empty, and vacant, and ruined: and the heart melts, and the knees strike together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.    11. Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's cub, and none made them afraid?    12. The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with torn flesh.    13. Behold, I am against you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions: and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard.