Nahum 2

Even though soldiers have pillaged the people of Jacob and destroyed their vineyards, God will cause other nations to honor them again. Yes, Jacob and Israel will be majestic again. \*

The shields of God’s soldiers are red, and they will wear bright red uniforms. The metal of their chariot wheels will flash like fire when they prepare them for battle. The spears will look like {a forest of} quivering cypress trees {as the soldiers raise them}. 4 Their chariots dash through the streets of Nineveh and rush furiously through the plazas. Appearing to move as quickly as lightning, they look like flaming torches. \* 5 The {attacking} commander calls to his officers and they come to him so quickly that they stumble. They run up to the city wall {to attack it}; they set up a large wooden shield {above the soldiers to protect them}. \* 6 Soldiers open the floodgates that hold back the rivers, and the palace collapses. 7 God decrees that soldiers will take the inhabitants of Nineveh away as captives. The women of Nineveh moan like doves and beat their breasts {to show that they are very sad}. \*

The people of Nineveh used to be as calm as a pool of water, but now they are running away. {The officials shout,} “Stop! Stop!” But the people will not even look back {as they run away}. 9 {The attackers say to each other,} “Seize the silver! Grab the gold! There is a huge amount {of very valuable things in the city}; there are many wonderful things of all kinds!” 10 Soldiers have completely looted and destroyed {the city of Nineveh}. The people of Nineveh are afraid, trembling, and deeply sorrowful. Their faces have all become pale {with fear}. \* 11 {After that happens, people will say,} “Nineveh used to be full of great and powerful people! It was like a den full of lions, where the male and female lions lived with their cubs, where they fed the young ones, where the inhabitants were afraid of nothing. 12 The officials in Nineveh were like lions that killed animals for their cubs, strangled others for their lionesses, and kept killing more to fill their dens with prey.” \*

God, commander of the angel armies, says to the people of Nineveh, “I am your enemy; I will burn up your chariots. I will cause soldiers to kill your young men. I will make sure that your soldiers will never again conquer other nations and seize their valuable possessions. Your messengers will never again disturb the people of other nations.” \*