القراءة بلغتين

ها إِنَّ على الجِبالِ قَدَمَيِ المُبَشِّر المُسمِعِ بِالسَّلام يا يَهوذا عَيِّدْ أَعْيادَكَ وأَوفِ نُذورَكَ فإِنَّه لا يَعودُ مَن لا خَيرَ فيه إِلى المُرورِ بِكَ فقَدِ ٱنقَرَضَ كُلُّه

قد صَعِدَ المُخَرِّبُ أَمامَ وَجهِكِ فٱحرُسي الحِصنَ وٱرقُبي الطَّريق وشُدِّي وَسْطَكِ وٱجمَعي قُوَّتَكِ كُلَّها

(فإِنَّ الرَّبَّ أَعادَ فَخرَ يَعْقوب مِثلَ فَخْرِ إِسْرائيل لِأَنَّ السَّالِبينَ سَلَبوهم وأَتلَفوا أَغْصانَهم)

تُروسُ أَبْطالِهم مُحمَرَّة والبَواسِلُ علَيهمِ القِرمِز في يَومِ تَجْهيزِها فولاذُ المَركَباتِ نار وسَرْوُ الرِّماحِ يَهتَزّ

تَهيجُ المَركَباتُ في الشَّوارِع وتَندَفِعُ في السَّاحات. مَنظَرُها مِثلُ المَشاعِلِ وهي تَجْري كالبُروق

يُنادي الأَبطالُ أَبْطالَهم فيَتَعَثَّرونَ في مَشيِهم ويُسرِعونَ إِلى سورِها والآلَةُ الحامِيَةُ مُعدَّة

قدِ ٱنفَتَحَت أَبوابُ الأَنْهار وٱنْهارَ القَصْر

يُخطَفُ تِمْثالُها ويُساق وإِماؤُها يَتَنَهَّدنَ كصَوتِ الحَمام ويَقرَعنَ صُدورَهُنَّ

ونينَوى كبِركَةِ مِياهٍ مُنذُ كانَت وإِذا بِهم يَهرُبون. قِفوا قِفوا ولٰكِن لَيسَ مَن يَلتَفِت

إِنهَبوا الفِضَّةَ ٱنهَبوا الذَّهَب فإِنَّه لا نِهايَةَ لِلذَّخائِر وهي ثَروَةٌ مِنَ النَّفائِس

نَهْبٌ وسَلْبٌ وتَدْمير والقُلوبُ ذائِبَةٌ والرُّكَبُ مُرتَخِيَة وفي جَميعِ الكُلى ٱرْتِعاش وجَميعُ الوُجوهِ قد شَحُبَت

أَينَ عَرينُ الأُسودِ ومَرْعى الأَشْبال حين كانَ الأَسَدُ يَذهَب فتَبْقى اللَّبُؤَةُ وجِرْوُ الأَسَد ولا أَحَدَ يُفزِعُهما؟

كانَ الأَسَدُ يَفتَرِسُ لِأَجلِ صِغارِه ويَخنُقُ لِلَبؤَاتِه ويَملأُ كُهوفَه فَريسةً وعَرائِنَه لُحومًا مُقَطَّعة

هاءَنَذا إِلَيكِ، يَقولُ رَبُّ القُوَّات فأُحرِقُ مَركَباتِكِ دُخانًا ويَأكُلُ السَّيفُ أَشْبالَكِ وأَستأَصِلُ مِنَ الأَرضِ فَرائِسَكِ ولا يُسمَعُ مِن بَعدُ صَوتُ رُسُلِكِ

He who dashes in pieces has come up against you. Keep the fortress! Watch the way! Strengthen your waist! Fortify your power mightily!

For the LORD restores the excellency of Jacob as the excellency of Israel, for the destroyers have destroyed them and ruined their vine branches.

The shield of his mighty men is made red. The valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots flash with steel in the day of his preparation, and the pine spears are brandished.

The chariots rage in the streets. They rush back and forth in the wide ways. Their appearance is like torches. They run like the lightnings.

He summons his picked troops. They stumble on their way. They dash to its wall, and the protective shield is put in place.

The gates of the rivers are opened, and the palace is dissolved.

It is decreed: she is uncovered, she is carried away; and her servants moan as with the voice of doves, beating on their breasts.

But Nineveh has been from of old like a pool of water, yet they flee away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one looks back.

Take the plunder of silver. Take the plunder of gold, for there is no end of treasure, an abundance of every precious thing.

She is empty, void, and waste. The heart melts, the knees knock together, their bodies and faces have grown pale.

Where is the den of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and the lioness walked with the lion’s cubs, and no one made them afraid?

The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, and strangled prey for his lionesses, and filled his caves with the kill and his dens with prey.

“Behold, I am against you,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions; and I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers will no longer be heard.”