Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

³ Lord, you are great. You are really worthy of praise.
    No one can completely understand how great you are.
⁴ Parents praise your works to their children.
    They tell about your mighty acts.
⁵ They speak about your glorious majesty.
    I will spend time thinking about your wonderful deeds.
⁶ They speak about the powerful and wonderful things you do.
    I will talk about the great things you have done.
⁷ They celebrate your great goodness.
    They sing for joy about your holy acts.

⁸ The Lord is gracious, kind and tender.
    He is slow to get angry and full of love.

³ The shields of the soldiers are red.
    The warriors are dressed in bright red uniforms.
The metal on their chariots flashes
    when they are prepared for war.
    Their spears made out of juniper are ready to use.
⁴ The chariots race through the main streets.
    They rush back and forth through them.
They look like flaming torches.
    They dart around like lightning.

⁵ Nineveh sends for their special troops.
But they trip and fall on their way.
    They run toward the city wall.
    They keep their shield in front of them.
⁶ The attackers open the gates that hold back
    the waters of the river.
    And the palace falls down.
⁷ The attackers order that Nineveh’s people
    be taken away as prisoners.
The female slaves sound like doves as they mourn.
    They beat their chests.
⁸ Nineveh is like a pool
    whose water is draining away.
“Stop running away!” someone cries out.
    But no one turns back.
⁹ “Steal the silver!” the attackers shout.
    “Grab the gold!”
The supply is endless.
    There is plenty of wealth
    among all the city’s treasures.
¹⁰ Nineveh is destroyed, robbed and stripped!
    Hearts melt away in fear.
    Knees give way.
Bodies tremble with fear.
    Everyone’s face turns pale.

¹¹ Assyria is like a lion.
    Where is the lions’ den now?
    Where did they feed their cubs?
Where did all the lions go?
    In their den they had nothing to fear.
¹² The lion killed enough for his cubs to eat.
    He choked what he caught for his mate.
He filled his home with what he had killed.
    He brought to his dens what he had caught.

¹³ “Nineveh, I am against you,”
    announces the Lord who rules over all.
“I will burn up your chariots with fire.
    Your young lions will be killed by swords.
    I will leave you nothing on earth to catch.
The voices of your messengers
    will no longer be heard.”