CHAPTER 3

1 Oh blood city! The whole is full of deceit, and of ravin; From it the prey departs not.

2 The sound of the whip! The sound of the rattling of the wheel! And the horse prancing, and the chariot bounding!

3 The horseman urging onward! And the flame of the sword, and the lightning of the spear! And the number of the slain, and the mass of carcasses! And there is no end to her dead bodies, They stumble on their carcasses!

4 This is for the multitude of the fornications Of the harlot who excels in beauty, The mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her fornications, And tribes by her sorceries. (481)

5 Behold, I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts: And I will throw thy skirts over thy face, And show to the nations thy nakedness, And to kingdoms thy filthiness;

6 And I will cast on thee filth, and disgrace thee, And I will make thee an example:

7 And it shall be, that whosoever seeth thee Shall flee away from thee, and say, — “Wasted is Nineveh! Who will condole with her? Whence shall I seek comforters for thee?

8 Are thou better than populous No, Which dwelt among the rivers? The sea was around her; Whose mound was the sea, and the sea was her wall;

9 From Ethiopia was her strength, and from Egypt, And there was no end to it; Africa and Lybia were her auxiliaries:

10 Even she migrated, she went into captivity; And her infants were bound in chains.

11 Thou also shalt be inebriated, thou shalt be hid; And thou shat seek strength from the enemy.

12 All thy fortresses shall be like fig-trees with ripe fruit; If they be shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater.

13 Behold, thy people shall be women in the midst of thee; To thine enemies shall be opened in the gates of thy land, Devour shall the fire thy bars.

14 Waters for the siege draw for thyself, Strengthen thy fortresses, Enter into the clay, tread the mortar, Make strong the brick-kiln:

15 There shall the fire devour you, Exterminate thee shall the sword, It shall devour thee as the chafer. Increase as the chafer, increase as the locust;

16 Thou hast multiplied thy merchants More than the stars of heaven; — The chafer has spoiled, and flies away.

17 Thy princes are as locusts, And thy captains are as the largest locusts; Which encamp in the fences in the cold day; The sun rises, and they fly away, And not known is the place where they are. (502)

18 Slept have thy shepherds, king of Assyria; Lie down did thy mighty men: Dispersed is thy people on the mountains, And no one gathers them.

19 There is no binding for thy fracture, Altogether grievous is thy wound; All who shall hear a report of thee, Shall, on thy account, strike the hand; For upon whom hath not passed Thy wickedness continually?