Nahum 3:8-18
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 3
8Are you better than No-amon, Which was situated by the canals of the Nile, With water surrounding her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall consisted of the sea? 9Ethiopia was her might, Egypt too, without limits. Put and Lubim were among her helpers. 10Yet she became an exile, She went into captivity; Also her small children were smashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound with shackles. 11You too will become drunk, You will be hidden. You too will search for a refuge from the enemy. 12All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit— When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth. 13Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars. 14Draw for yourself water for a siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Go into the clay and tread the mortar! Take hold of the brick mold! 15There fire will consume you, The sword will cut you down; It will consume you as the creeping locust consumes a crop. Multiply yourself like the creeping locust, Multiply yourself like the migratory locust. 16You have made your traders more numerous than the stars of heaven— The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away. 17Your courtiers are like the migratory locust. Your officials are like a swarm of locusts Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day. The sun rises and they flee, And the place where they are is not known. 18Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria; Your officers are lying down. Your people are scattered on the mountains And there is no one to gather them.King James Version
Chapter 3
8Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? 9Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers. 10Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains. 11Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy. 12All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater. 13Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars. 14Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln. 15There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off, it shall eat thee up like the cankerworm: make thyself many as the cankerworm, make thyself many as the locusts. 16Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away. 17Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are. 18Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria: thy nobles shall dwell in the dust: thy people is scattered upon the mountains, and no man gathereth them.Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 3
8Are you better than Thebes that sat along the Nile with water surrounding her, whose rampart was the sea, the river her wall? 9Cush and Egypt were her endless source of strength; Put and Libya were among her allies. 10Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her children were also dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.
13Look, your troops are like women among you; your land's city gates are wide open to your enemies. Fire will devour the bars of your gates.
14Draw water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Step into the clay and tread the mortar; take hold of the brick-mold!
15The fire will devour you there; the sword will cut you down. It will devour you like the young locust. Multiply yourselves like the young locust; multiply like the swarming locust!
16You have made your merchants more numerous than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.
17Your court officials are like the swarming locust, and your scribes like clouds of locusts, which settle on the walls on a cold day; when the sun rises, they take off, and no one knows where they are.
18King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your officers sleep. Your people are scattered across the mountains with no one to gather them together.
New Living Translation
Chapter 3
8Are you any better than the city of Thebes, situated on the Nile River, surrounded by water? She was protected by the river on all sides, walled in by water. 9Ethiopia and the land of Egypt gave unlimited assistance. The nations of Put and Libya were among her allies. 10Yet Thebes fell, and her people were led away as captives. Her babies were dashed to death against the stones of the streets. Soldiers threw dice to get Egyptian officers as servants. All their leaders were bound in chains.
11And you, Nineveh, will also stagger like a drunkard. You will hide for fear of the attacking enemy.
12All your fortresses will fall. They will be devoured like the ripe figs that fall into the mouths of those who shake the trees.
13Your troops will be as weak and helpless as women. The gates of your land will be opened wide to the enemy and set on fire and burned.
14Get ready for the siege! Store up water! Strengthen the defenses! Go into the pits to trample clay, and pack it into molds, making bricks to repair the walls.
15But the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down. The enemy will consume you like locusts, devouring everything they see. There will be no escape, even if you multiply like swarming locusts.
16Your merchants have multiplied until they outnumber the stars. But like a swarm of locusts, they strip the land and fly away.
17Your guards and officials are also like swarming locusts that crowd together in the hedges on a cold day. But like locusts that fly away when the sun comes up, all of them will fly away and disappear.
English Standard Version
Chapter 3
8Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall? 9Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers. 10Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains. 11You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy. 12All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. 13Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars. 14Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold! 15There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper! 16You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away. 17Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are. 18Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber. Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them.New International Version
Chapter 3
8Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall. 9Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies. 10Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at every street corner. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains.
11You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy.
12All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
13Look at your troops-- they are all weaklings. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed the bars of your gates.
14Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork!
15There the fire will consume you; the sword will cut you down-- they will devour you like a swarm of locusts. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts!
16You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more numerous than the stars in the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away.
17Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day-- but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where.
18King of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them.
New King James Version
