¹ Behold on the mountains the feet of the herald
    who proclaims good news and announces peace.
Celebrate your festivals, O Judah,
    and fulfill your vows.
For never again will the wicked invade you;
    they will be completely destroyed.
² The Lord will restore the majesty of Jacob
    as well as that of Israel,^[a]
even though the plunderers have ravaged them
    and destroyed their vines.
³ A destroying enemy is advancing against you;
    guard the ramparts.
Keep watch on the road,
    gird your loins,
and prepare to exert
    every last ounce of courage.

⁴ The shields of his warriors are red with blood;
    their garments are scarlet in color.
The metal on the chariots flashes
    as he summons them for battle;
    the horses are frenzied in anticipation.
⁵ The chariots charge madly through the streets,
    rushing back and forth through the squares.
They have the appearance of a blazing fire;
    they dash about like lightning bolts.
⁶ His finest troops are summoned
    and rush forward to the attack.
They hasten toward the wall
    and set up the mantelet.
⁷ The river gates are opened
    and the palace trembles.
⁸ The captives are taken into exile
    and its slave girls are carried away,
moaning like doves
    and beating their breasts.
⁹ Nineveh is like a lake
    whose waters are ebbing away.
“Stop! Stop!” goes up the cry,
    but no one turns back.
¹⁰ “Plunder the silver!
    Plunder the gold!
There is no end to the treasure,
    an abundance of wealth
    from precious things of every kind.”
¹¹ Devastation, desolation, and ruin
    confront faint hearts and trembling knees.
The loins of all are filled with anguish;
    every face is drained of color.

¹² Where now is the lions’ den,
    the cave where they fed their whelps,
where the lion and lioness cared for their cubs,
    with no one to disturb them?
¹³ There the lion stored up
    sufficient food for his whelps
    and strangled prey for his mate.
He filled his dens with prey
    and his caves with torn flesh.
¹⁴ “I come against you,”
    says the Lord of hosts.
“I will set your chariots aflame,
    and the sword will devour your young lions.
I will cut off your prey from the earth,
    and the threats of your messengers
    will no longer be heard.”