Nahum 2

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 To Judah See on the mountains the feet of the herald! 'Peace!' he proclaims. Judah, celebrate yourfeasts, carry out your vows, for Belial wil never pass through you again; he has been utterly destroyed.	1 He ascends, who would scatter before your eyes, who would maintain the blockade. Contemplate the way, fortify your back, reinforce virtue greatly.
2 The destroyer has advanced on you, guarding the siege-works, watching the road, bracing himself,mustering great strength!	2 For the Lord has repaid the arrogance of Jacob, just like the arrogance of Israel. For the despoilers have scattered them, and they have corrupted their procreation.
3 (For Yahweh has restored the vine of Jacob, yes, the vine of Israel, although the plunderers hadplundered them, although they had snapped off their vine-shoots!)	3 The shield of his strong ones is fire, the men of war are in scarlet. The reins of the chariot are fiery in the day of his preparation, and the drivers have been drugged.
4 The shields of his fighting men show red, his warriors are dressed in scarlet; the metal of the chariotssparkles as he prepares for battle; the horsemen are impatient for action;	4 They have become confused on their journey. The four-horse chariots have collided in the streets. Their appearance is like torches, like lightning dashing around.
5 the chariots storm through the streets, jostling one another in the squares; they look like blazing flames,like lightning they dash to and fro.	5 He will call to mind his strong ones; they will destroy along their journey. They will quickly ascend its walls, and a shelter will be prepared.
6 His captains are cal ed out; stumbling as they go, they speed towards the wall, and the mantelet is putin position.	6 The gates of the rivers have been opened, and the temple has been pulled down to the ground.
7 The sluices of the River are opened, and the palace melts in terror.	7 And the foot soldier has been led away captive, and her handmaids were driven away, mourning like doves, murmuring in their hearts.
8 Beauty is taken captive, carried away, her slave-girls moaning like doves	8 And Nineveh, her waters are like a fish pond. Yet truly, they have fled away: “Stand, stand!” But there is no one who will turn back.
9 and beating their breasts. Nineveh is like a lake, whose waters are draining away. 'Stop! Stop!' But noone turns back.	9 Despoil the silver, despoil the gold. And there is no end to all the riches of desirable equipment.
10 'Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!' There is no end to the treasure, a mass of everything you coulddesire!	10 She has been scattered, and cut, and torn apart. And the heart melts, and the knees buckle, and weakness is in every temperament. And the faces of them all are like a black kettle.
11 Ravaged, wrecked, ruined! Heart fails and knees give way, anguish is in the loins of al , and everyface grows pale!	11 Where is the dwelling place of the lions, and the feeding ground of the young lions, to which the lion went, so as to open a way for the young lion, and so that there would be none to make them afraid?
12 Where is the lions' den now, the cave of the lion's whelps, where the lion and lioness walked with theircubs and no one molested them,	12 The lion seized enough for his young, and killed enough for his lionesses, and he filled his caves with prey, and his den with spoils.
13 where the lion would tear up food for his whelps and strangle the kil for his mates, where he fil ed hiscaverns with prey and his lairs with spoil?	13 Behold, I will come to you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots even to smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. And I will exterminate your prey from the land, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.
14 Look, I am against you!- declares Yahweh Sabaoth- I shal send your chariots up in smoke, and thesword will devour your whelps; I shal cut short your depredations on earth, and the voices of your envoys wil beheard no more.