The Overthrow of Nineveh

1The destroyer is come vp before thy face, kepe thy forte, see to the way, strenghten thy loynes, increase thy strength mightyly:

2For the Lord restores againe the glorious estate of Iacob, as also the glorious estate of Israel: for spoylers hath spoyled them, and hath wasted their braunches.

3The shielde of his valiaunt souldiours is died red, his captaynes of warre are clad with scarlet: the charret is compassed with flammig torches in the day of his expedition, and the firre staues are drenched in poyson.

4The charrets shal rage in the streetes, they shall make a terrible noyse in the broade wayes, to loke to like flaming cressets, shooting as lightning.

5He shall remember his notable souldiours, they shal stumble in goyng, they shall hasten to the wall, the couering fence is prepared.

6The riuer gates are opened, and the palace dissolued.

7Huzab is brought foorth captiue, made to ascend into the charets her handmaydens also leading one another as in the voyce of doues, knocking vpon their brestes.

8Yea many a day Niniue was as a ponde full of water, yet now they flee, Stand ye, stande ye, and no man loketh backe.

9Take your spoyle of siluer, take your spoyle of golde, for there is no ende of riches: treasure, pashing all treasure.

10Sacking, resacking, rasing, a dissolued heart and collision of knees, sorow in all loynes also, and the faces of them all as blacke as a pot.

11Where is the abiding place of lions, and the feding plot of lions whelpes become, whyther the young and olde lion had their resort? there dwelt the lion, & there was no man to put him in feare.

12The lion made his praye aboundauntly for his whelpes, and strangled for his she lions, and hath filled his dennes with pray, and his abyding places with spoyle.

13Behold me against thee sayth the Lord of hoastes, & I will burne in smoke her charets, and the sworde shall deuoure thy lions, I will roote out also from the earth thy spoyling, and the voyce of thy messengers shalbe hearde no more.