The Day the Empire Fell.

הִנֵּ֨ה עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֤י מְבַשֵּׂר֙ מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ שָׁל֔וֹם חָגִּ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה חַגַּ֖יִךְ שַׁלְּמִ֣י נְדָרָ֑יִךְ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יוֹסִ֥יף ע֛וֹד ׳לַעֲבוֹר־לַֽעֲבָר־בָּ֥ךְ׳ בְּלִיַּ֖עַל כֻּלֹּ֥ה נִכְרָֽת׃

The scatterer has come up against you. Man the ramparts; watch the road; dress for battle; collect all your strength.

עָלָ֥ה מֵפִ֛יץ עַל־פָּנַ֖יִךְ נָצ֣וֹר מְצֻרָ֑ה צַפֵּה־דֶ֙רֶךְ֙ חַזֵּ֣ק מָתְנַ֔יִם אַמֵּ֥ץ כֹּ֖חַ מְאֹֽד׃

[2] For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches.

כִּ֣י שָׁ֤ב יְהוָה֙ אֶת־גְּא֣וֹן יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּגְא֖וֹן יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֤י בְקָקוּם֙ בֹּֽקְקִ֔ים וּזְמֹרֵיהֶ֖ם שִׁחֵֽתוּ׃

[3] The shield of his mighty men is red; his soldiers are clothed in scarlet. The chariots come with flashing metal on the day he musters them; the cypress spears are brandished.

מָגֵ֨ן גִּבֹּרֵ֜יהוּ מְאָדָּ֗ם אַנְשֵׁי־חַ֙יִל֙ מְתֻלָּעִ֔ים בְּאֵשׁ־פְּלָד֥וֹת הָרֶ֖כֶב בְּי֣וֹם הֲכִינ֑וֹ וְהַבְּרֹשִׁ֖ים הָרְעָֽלוּ׃

[4] The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches; they dart like lightning.

בַּֽחוּצוֹת֙ יִתְהוֹלְל֣וּ הָרֶ֔כֶב יִֽשְׁתַּקְשְׁק֖וּן בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת מַרְאֵיהֶן֙ כַּלַּפִּידִ֔ם כַּבְּרָקִ֖ים יְרוֹצֵֽצוּ׃

[5] He remembers his officers; they stumble as they go, they hasten to the wall; the siege tower is set up.

יִזְכֹּר֙ אַדִּירָ֔יו יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ ׳בַהֲלִכוֹתָם׳ ״בַּהֲלִֽיכָתָ֑ם״ יְמַֽהֲרוּ֙ חֽוֹמָתָ֔הּ וְהֻכַ֖ן הַסֹּכֵֽךְ׃

[6] The river gates are opened; the palace melts away;

שַׁעֲרֵ֥י הַנְּהָר֖וֹת נִפְתָּ֑חוּ וְהַֽהֵיכָ֖ל נָמֽוֹג׃

[7] its mistress is stripped; she is carried off, her slave girls lamenting, moaning like doves and beating their breasts.

וְהֻצַּ֖ב גֻּלְּתָ֣ה הֹֽעֲלָ֑תָה וְאַמְהֹתֶ֗יהָ מְנַֽהֲגוֹת֙ כְּק֣וֹל יוֹנִ֔ים מְתֹפְפֹ֖ת עַל־לִבְבֵהֶֽן׃

[8] Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry, but none turns back.

וְנִינְוֵ֥ה כִבְרֵֽכַת־מַ֖יִם מִ֣ימֵי הִ֑יא וְהֵ֣מָּה נָסִ֔ים עִמְד֥וּ עֲמֹ֖דוּ וְאֵ֥ין מַפְנֶֽה׃

[9] Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! There is no end of the treasure or of the wealth of all precious things.

בֹּ֥זּוּ כֶ֖סֶף בֹּ֣זּוּ זָהָ֑ב וְאֵ֥ין קֵ֙צֶה֙ לַתְּכוּנָ֔ה כָּבֹ֕ד מִכֹּ֖ל כְּלִ֥י חֶמְדָּֽה׃

[10] Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!

בּוּקָ֥ה וּמְבוּקָ֖ה וּמְבֻלָּקָ֑ה וְלֵ֨ב נָמֵ֜ס וּפִ֣ק בִּרְכַּ֗יִם וְחַלְחָלָה֙ בְּכָל־מָתְנַ֔יִם וּפְנֵ֥י כֻלָּ֖ם קִבְּצ֥וּ פָארֽוּר׃

[11] Where is the lions' den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with none to disturb?

אַיֵּה֙ מְע֣וֹן אֲרָי֔וֹת וּמִרְעֶ֥ה ה֖וּא לַכְּפִרִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָלַךְ֩ אַרְיֵ֨ה לָבִ֥יא שָׁ֛ם גּ֥וּר אַרְיֵ֖ה וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃

[12] The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with torn flesh.

אַרְיֵ֤ה טֹרֵף֙ בְּדֵ֣י גֹֽרוֹתָ֔יו וּמְחַנֵּ֖ק לְלִבְאֹתָ֑יו וַיְמַלֵּא־טֶ֣רֶף חֹרָ֔יו וּמְעֹֽנֹתָ֖יו טְרֵפָֽה׃

[13] Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.

הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֗יִךְ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְהִבְעַרְתִּ֤י בֶֽעָשָׁן֙ רִכְבָּ֔הּ וּכְפִירַ֖יִךְ תֹּ֣אכַל חָ֑רֶב וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ טַרְפֵּ֔ךְ וְלֹֽא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע ע֖וֹד ק֥וֹל מַלְאָכֵֽכֵה׃ ס