The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In the gale and the storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, The blossoms of Lebanon wither.

Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath gushes forth like fire, And the rocks are broken up by Him.

The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness.

Like tangled thorns, And like those who are drunken with their drink, They are consumed Like stubble completely dried up.

This is what the Lord says: “Though they are at full strength and so they are many, So also they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no longer.

So now, I will break his yoke from upon you, And I will tear your shackles to pieces.”

The Overthrow of Nineveh

The one who scatters has come up against you. Keep watch over the fortress, watch the road; Bind up your waist, summon all your strength.

For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob Like the splendor of Israel, Even though destroyers have laid waste to them And ruined their vines.

The shields of his warriors are dyed red, The warriors are dressed in scarlet, The chariots are fitted with flashing steel When he is prepared to march, And the juniper spears are brandished.

The chariots drive wildly in the streets, They rush around in the public squares; Their appearance is like torches, They drive back and forth like lightning flashes.

He remembers his officers; They stumble in their advance, They hurry to her wall, And the mantelet is set up.

The gates of the rivers are opened And the palace sways back and forth.

It is set: She is stripped, she is led away, And her slave women are sobbing like the sound of doves, Beating their breasts.

Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Yet they are fleeing; “Stop, stop,” But no one turns back.

Plunder the silver, Plunder the gold! For there is no end to the treasure— Wealth from every kind of desirable object.

She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and knees wobbling! Also trembling is in the entire body, And all their faces have become pale!

“Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies. “I will burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; I will eliminate your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”

The sound of the whip, The sound of the roar of the wheel, Galloping horses And bounding chariots!

Horsemen charging, Swords flashing, spears gleaming, Many killed, a mass of corpses, And there is no end to the dead bodies— They stumble over the dead bodies!

All because of the many sexual acts of the prostitute, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her sexual acts, And families by her sorceries.

“Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies; “And I will lift up your skirts over your face, And show the nations your nakedness, And the kingdoms your shame.

I will throw filth on you And declare you worthless, And set you up as a spectacle.

And it will come about that all who see you Will shrink from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated! Who will have sympathy for her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”