1 An enemy is coming to attack you, so guard the strong places of your city. Watch the road. Get ready for war. Prepare for battle!
2 Yes, the Lord changed Jacob’s pride. He made it like Israel’s pride. The enemy destroyed them and ruined their grapevines.
3 The shields of his soldiers are red. Their uniforms are bright red. Their chariots are shining like flames of fire and are lined up for battle. Their horses are ready to go.
4 The chariots race wildly through the streets and rush back and forth through the square. They look like burning torches, like lightning flashing from place to place!
5 The enemy calls for his best soldiers. They stumble as they rush ahead. They run to the wall and set up their shield over the battering ram.
6 But the gates by the rivers are open, and the enemy comes flooding in and destroys the king’s palace.
7 The enemy takes away the queen, and her slave girls moan sadly like doves. They beat their breasts to show their sadness.
8 Nineveh is like a pool whose water is draining away. People yell, “Stop! Stop running away!” But it does not do any good.
9 Take the silver! Take the gold! There are many things to take. There are many treasures.
10 Now Nineveh is empty. Everything is stolen. The city is ruined. People have lost their courage, their hearts melt with fear, their knees knock together, their bodies shake, and their faces turn pale.
11 Where is that great city now? It was like a den where the lions feed their young. It was a place where people felt safe, like lions in a cave with no one there to harm them.
12 The lion was able to catch plenty of food to feed his cubs and his mate. He filled his cave with the animals he killed. He filled his den with the meat he gathered.