Common English Bible CEB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Doom, city of bloodshed—all deceit, full of plunder: prey cannot get away.
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How horrible it will be for that city of bloody violence! It is completely full of lies and stolen goods--never without victims.
2 Cracking whip and rumbling wheel, galloping horse and careening chariot!
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The sound of the whip! The sound of rattling wheels! Horses gallop! Chariots bounce along!
3 Charging cavalry, flashing sword, and glittering spear; countless slain, masses of corpses, endless dead bodies—they stumble over their dead bodies!
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Horses charge! Swords flash! Spears glitter! Many are killed! Dead bodies pile up! There is no end to the corpses! People trip over corpses
4 Because of the many whorings of the whore, the lovely graces of the mistress of sorceries, the one who sells nations by means of her whorings and peoples by means of her sorceries:
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because of Nineveh's constant prostitution, this very charming mistress of evil magic. She used to sell nations her prostitution and people her evil magic."
5 Look! I am against you, proclaims the LORD of heavenly forces. I will lift your skirts over your face; I will show nations your nakedness and kingdoms your dishonor.
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"I am against you, Nineveh," declares the LORD of Armies. "I will lift up your dress over your face. I will show nations your naked body and kingdoms your disgrace.
6 I will throw disgusting things at you; I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.
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I will throw filth on you. I will make you look like a fool. I will make you a sight to be seen.
7 Then all who look at you will recoil from you and say, "Nineveh has been devastated! Who will lament for her?" Where could I possibly seek comforters for you?
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Everyone who sees you will run from you, saying, 'Nineveh has been violently destroyed! Who will feel sorry for her?' Where can I find anyone to comfort you?"
8 Are you better than Thebes, situated by the Nile, waters surrounding her, whose fortress is sea and whose city wall is waters?
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Are you better than No-amon, which sits by the streams of the Nile with water surrounding her? The sea was [her] defense. The water was her wall.
9 Cush and Egypt constituted her strength, without limit; Put and the Libyans were her help.
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Sudan and Egypt were her endless strength. Put and the Lybians were her help.
10 Yet even she was destined for exile; she went into captivity. Indeed, her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her officials; all of her powerful citizens were bound in chains.
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Even she went into captivity and was exiled. Even her little children were smashed to death at every street corner. Soldiers tossed dice for her important men, and all her best men were bound in chains.
11 Yes, even you will become drunk; you will have to hide! Even you will have to seek refuge from the enemy!
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Even you, Nineveh, will stagger like a drunk. You will disappear. Even you will look for a fortress [to escape] from the enemy.
12 All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit; when the trees are shaken, the fruit falls into the mouth of the eater.
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All your defenses will be like fig trees with the earliest figs. When shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater.
13 Look, your people are women in your midst. The gates of your land have been flung wide open to your enemies. Fire consumes the bars of your gates.
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Look at your soldiers; they're women! The gates of your country are wide open to your enemies. Fire has destroyed the bars of your gates.
14 Draw water for yourself to prepare for siege! Strengthen your fortifications! Tread the clay, trample the mortar, grab the brick mold!
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Store water for the siege! Strengthen your defenses! Step into the claypits and trample the clay! Grab the brick mold!
15 Fire will consume you there; the sword will cut you down; like the locust it will consume you. Multiply like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper!
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Fire will consume you there. A sword will cut you down. It will consume you like locusts. Multiply like locusts! Multiply like hungry locusts!
16 You boasted more traders than the heavens have stars. The locust sheds its skin and flies away.
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You have produced more businessmen than there are stars in the sky. [They are] like locusts that attack and then fly away.
17 Your guards are like grasshoppers, your marshals like swarms of cicadas that encamp on stone fences on a chilly day; when the sun rises, they take flight; no one knows where they have gone.
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Your officers are like locusts, and your scribes are like swarms of locusts that settle on the fences when it is cold. The sun rises, and they scatter in every direction. No one knows where they've gone.
18 Your shepherds have fallen asleep, king of Assyria! Your officials are lying down. Your people are scattered across the mountains; there is no one to gather them.
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Your shepherds, king of Assyria, have fallen into a deep sleep. Your best fighting men are at rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them.
19 There is no remedy for your injury; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. Who has not suffered from your continual cruelty?
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There is no relief for your collapse. Your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you will clap their hands. Who hasn't suffered from your endless evil?
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.