1 See, on the mountains, the feet of the one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows, for the wicked one will never again pass through you; he is completely cut off.

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 The scatterer has come against your face. Guard the fortress, watch the road, strengthen your loins, muster all your strength!

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 For the LORD has restored the glory of Jacob, as the glory of Israel. Even though plunderers have ravaged them and destroyed their vines.

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 shields of his warriors are stained red; his mighty men are dressed in scarlet. The chariots flash with fire as they are made ready, and the spears of cypress are brandished.

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 The chariots race wildly through the streets; they rush back and forth in the squares. Their appearance is like torches, and they dart about like lightning.

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 He summons his elite warriors, but they stumble on their way. They rush to the wall, and the siege device is prepared.

The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.

7 The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace collapses.

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 It is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away. Her maidservants moan like doves and beat upon their breasts.

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 Nineveh is like a pool whose water is draining away. 'Stop! Stop!' they cry, but no one turns back.

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 Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! The supply is endless, the abundance of all treasures.

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 Devastation, desolation, and destruction! Hearts melt, knees tremble, loins shake, and all faces turn pale.

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 Where is the lion’s den, the lair of the young lions, where the lion went, the lioness went, and the lion’s cubs, with no one to disturb them?

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 The lion tears apart prey to feed its cubs and strangles it for its lionesses. He fills his dens with prey and his lairs with torn flesh.

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.

14 Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of Hosts. I will set your chariots on fire, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.