1 ascendit qui dispergat coram te qui custodit obsidionem
contemplare viam conforta lumbos robora virtutem valde
2 quia reddidit Dominus superbiam
Iacob sicut superbiam Israhel
quia vastatores dissipaverunt eos
et propagines eorum corruperunt
3 clypeus fortium eius ignitus viri exercitus in coccineis
igneae habenae currus in die praeparationis eius
et agitatores consopiti sunt
4 in itineribus conturbati sunt
quadrigae conlisae sunt in plateis
aspectus eorum quasi lampades quasi fulgura discurrentia
5 recordabitur fortium suorum ruent in itineribus suis
velociter ascendent muros eius et praeparabitur umbraculum
6 portae fluviorum apertae sunt
et templum ad solum dirutum
7 et miles captivus abductus est
et ancillae eius minabantur gementes
ut columbae murmurantes in cordibus suis
8 et Nineve quasi piscina aquarum aquae eius ipsi vero fugerunt
state state et non est qui revertatur
9 diripite argentum diripite aurum
et non est finis divitiarum ex omnibus vasis desiderabilibus
10 dissipata et scissa et dilacerata
et cor tabescens et dissolutio geniculorum
et defectio in cunctis renibus
et facies omnium sicut nigredo ollae
11 ubi est habitaculum leonum et pascua catulorum leonum
ad quam ivit leo ut ingrederetur illuc catulus leonis
et non est qui exterreat
12 leo cepit sufficienter catulis suis et necavit leaenis suis
et implevit praeda speluncas suas et cubile suum rapina
13 ecce ego ad te dicit Dominus exercituum
et succendam usque ad fumum quadrigas eius
et leunculos tuos comedet gladius
et exterminabo de terra praedam tuam
et non audietur ultra vox nuntiorum tuorum
1 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 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 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 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 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 The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved. 7 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.