Chapter 3

Woe to the bloody city! it [is] all full of lies [and] robbery; the prey departeth⁵⁵ not;

The noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing⁶ horses, and of the jumping¹⁸ chariots.

The horseman lifteth up⁵⁶ 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^{1 3782 11} upon their corpses:

Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured ²⁵⁸⁰ harlot,⁶ the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth⁶ nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

Behold, I [am] against thee, saith⁷ the LORD of hosts; and I will discover¹⁴ thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew⁵² the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.

And I will cast⁵² abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile,¹⁴ and will set¹ thee as a gazingstock.

And it shall come to pass, [that] all they that look⁶ upon thee shall flee⁴ from thee, and say,¹ Nineveh is laid waste:²⁷ who will bemoan⁴ her? whence shall I seek¹⁷ comforters¹⁸ for thee?

Art thou better⁵⁵ than populous ⁵²⁸ No, that was situate⁶ among the rivers, [that had] the waters round about it, whose rampart [was] the sea, [and] her wall [was] from the sea?

Ethiopia and Egypt [were] her strength, and [it was] infinite; ⁷⁰⁹⁷ Put and Lubim were thy helpers.

Yet [was] she carried away, she went¹ into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces²⁹ at the top of all the streets: and they cast¹ lots for her honourable men,¹² and all her great men were bound²⁷ in chains.

Thou also shalt be drunken:⁴ thou shalt be hid,¹² thou also shalt seek¹⁷ strength because of the enemy.⁶

All thy strong holds [shall be like] fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken,¹¹ they shall even fall¹ into the mouth of the eater.⁶

Behold, thy people in the midst of thee [are] women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide² open⁸ unto thine enemies:⁶ the fire shall devour¹ thy bars.

Draw³ thee waters for the siege, fortify¹⁶ thy strong holds: go³ into clay, and tread³ the morter, make strong⁵⁴ the brickkiln.

There shall the fire devour⁴ thee; the sword shall cut thee off,⁵⁵ it shall eat⁴ thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many¹⁰⁰ as the cankerworm, make thyself many¹⁰⁰ as the locusts.

Thou hast multiplied⁵² thy merchants⁶ above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth,¹ and flieth away.⁴

Thy crowned [are] as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, ¹⁴⁶² which camp⁶ in the hedges in the cold day, [but] when the sun ariseth¹ they flee away,¹⁹ and their place is not known⁸ where they [are].

Thy shepherds⁶ slumber,¹ O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell⁴ [in the dust]: thy people is scattered⁸ upon the mountains, and no man gathereth¹⁸ [them].

[There is] no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous:¹² all that hear⁶ the bruit of thee shall clap¹ the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed¹ continually?