1 He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.

2 For the LORD hath turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel: for the emptiers have emptied them out, and marred 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, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.

4 The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.

5 He shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall make haste to the wall thereof, and the defence 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 brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.

8 But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.

9 Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.

10 She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite 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 feedingplace of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid?

12 The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin.

13 Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

1 He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way: make thy loines strong: fortifie thy power mightily.

2 For the Lord hath turned away the excellencie of Iacob, as the excellencie of Israel: for the emptiers haue emptied them out, and marred their vine branches.

3 The shield of his mightie men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the charets shall bee with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the firre trees shall bee terribly shaken.

4 The charets shall rage in the streets, they shall iustle one against another in the broad wayes: they shall seeme like torches, they shall runne like the lightnings.

5 Hee shall recount his worthies: they shall stumble in their walke: they shall make haste to the wal thereof, and the defence shall bee prepared.

6 The gates of the riuers shall bee opened, and the palace shall bee dissolued.

7 And Huzzab shall be led away captiue, she shall be brought vp, and her maids shall leade her as with the voyce of doues, tabring vpon their breasts.

8 But Nineueh is of olde like a poole of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand shall they cry: but none shal looke backe.

9 Take ye the spoyle of siluer, take the spoile of golde: for there is none end of the store, and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.

10 Shee is emptie, and voide, and waste, and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much paine is in all loynes, and the faces of them all gather blacknesse.

11 Where is the dwelling of the Lions, and the feeding place of the yong Lions? where the Lion, euen the olde Lion walked, and the Lions whelpe, and none made them afraid.

12 The Lion did teare in pieces enough for his whelpes, and strangled for his Lionesses, and filled his holes with pray, and his dens with rauine.

13 Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burne her charets in the smoke, and the sword shall deuoure thy yong Lions, and I wil cut off thy pray from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.

 

 

II ==Ps 80:12 ; Isa 10:12 ; Jer 25:29 ; Hos 10:1

 

 

III == Isa 63:2-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VII == Isa 38:14 ; 59:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X == Isa 13:7-8 ; Jer 30:6 ; Dan 5:6 ; Joel 2:6

 

XI == Job 4:10-11 ; Ezek 19:2-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIII == 2nd Kings 18:17 , 19 ; 19:9 , 23 ; Ezek 29:3 ; 38:3 ; 39:1 ; Nah 3:5

 

1 See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, announcing peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah, fulfill your vows! For nevermore shall you be invaded by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.

3 The LORD will restore the vine of Jacob, the pride of Israel, Though ravagers have ravaged them and ruined the tendrils.

2 The hammer comes up against you; guard the rampart, Keep watch on the road, gird your loins, marshall all your strength!

4 The shields of his warriors are crimsoned, the soldiers colored in scarlet; Fiery steel are the chariots on the day of his mustering. The horses are frenzied;

5 the chariots dash madly through the streets And wheel in the squares, looking like firebrands, flashing like lightning bolts.

6 His picked troops are called, ranks break at their charge; To the wall they rush, the mantelet is set up.

7 The river gates are opened, the palace shudders,

8 Its mistress is led forth captive, and her handmaids, under guard, Moaning like doves, beating their breasts.

9 Nineveh is like a pool whose waters escape; "Stop! Stop!" but none turns back.

10 "Plunder the silver, plunder the gold!" There is no end to the treasure, to their wealth in precious things of every kind!

11 Emptiness, desolation, waste; melting hearts and trembling knees, Writhing in every frame, every face blanched!

12 Where is the lions' cave, the young lions' den, Where the lion went in and out, and the cub, with no one to disturb them?

13 The lion snatched enough for his cubs, and strangled for his lionesses; He filled his dens with prey, and his caves with plunder.

14 I come against you, says the LORD of hosts; I will consume in smoke your chariots, and the sword shall devour your young lions; Your preying on the land I will bring to an end, the cry of your lionesses shall be heard no more.

v 1. Ninevah warned to prepare for battle with enemy (Nabopalasser of Babylon).
NOTE: 2 AND 3 ARE REVERSED IN THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
v 3,4. The invaders were dressed in scarlet and their fast moving chariots jostling in the approaches to the city were not speaking prophetically of cars as some think.

v 2. This would give Israel a reprieve, though not complete till the Millennium.

 

 

v 5,6. The defenders were summoned back to defend the city walls. The invader had made a dam upstream on the Khosr River, then at time of heavy rain opened the gates and allowed it to flood, destroying the city wall and the palace of the king.

v 7. Destiny was decreed and even slave girls wailed and lamented coming exile.

v 8-10. People fled from the flooded city in panic, and the wealth Ninevah and Assyria had from plundering others was now taken from the terror stricken inhabitants.

 

 

v 11.12. Sennacherib had boasted that he had power and raged like a lion, and they used lions as symbols, but Nahum mocks them for losing their lion den.

 

 

v 13-14. This battle against Babylon would really be against the Lord. Fire and sword would bring destruction and Assyria would no longer make demands of the helpless nations around them.