The Fall Nobody Mourned.

ה֖וֹי עִ֣יר דָּמִ֑ים כֻּלָּ֗הּ כַּ֤חַשׁ פֶּ֙רֶק֙ מְלֵאָ֔ה לֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ טָֽרֶף׃

Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey!

ק֣וֹל שׁ֔וֹט וְק֖וֹל רַ֣עַשׁ אוֹפָ֑ן וְס֣וּס דֹּהֵ֔ר וּמֶרְכָּבָ֖ה מְרַקֵּדָֽה׃

[2] The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot!

פָּרָ֣שׁ מַעֲלֶ֗ה וְלַ֤הַב חֶ֙רֶב֙ וּבְרַ֣ק חֲנִ֔ית וְרֹ֥ב חָלָ֖ל וְכֹ֣בֶד פָּ֑גֶר וְאֵ֥ין קֵ֙צֶה֙ לַגְּוִיָּ֔ה ׳יִכְשְׁלוּ׳ ״וְכָשְׁל֖וּ״ בִּגְוִיָּתָֽם׃

[3] Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies!

מֵרֹב֙ זְנוּנֵ֣י זוֹנָ֔ה ט֥וֹבַת חֵ֖ן בַּעֲלַ֣ת כְּשָׁפִ֑ים הַמֹּכֶ֤רֶת גּוֹיִם֙ בִּזְנוּנֶ֔יהָ וּמִשְׁפָּח֖וֹת בִּכְשָׁפֶֽיהָ׃

[4] And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms.

הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֗יִךְ נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וְגִלֵּיתִ֥י שׁוּלַ֖יִךְ עַל־פָּנָ֑יִךְ וְהַרְאֵיתִ֤י גוֹיִם֙ מַעְרֵ֔ךְ וּמַמְלָכ֖וֹת קְלוֹנֵֽךְ׃

[5] Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your nakedness and kingdoms at your shame.

וְהִשְׁלַכְתִּ֥י עָלַ֛יִךְ שִׁקֻּצִ֖ים וְנִבַּלְתִּ֑יךְ וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ כְּרֹֽאִי׃

[6] I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle.

וְהָיָ֤ה כָל־רֹאַ֙יִךְ֙ יִדּ֣וֹד מִמֵּ֔ךְ וְאָמַר֙ שָׁדְּדָ֣ה נִֽינְוֵ֔ה מִ֖י יָנ֣וּד לָ֑הּ מֵאַ֛יִן אֲבַקֵּ֥שׁ מְנַחֲמִ֖ים לָֽךְ׃

[7] And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, “Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?” Where shall I seek comforters for you?

הֲתֵֽיטְבִי֙ מִנֹּ֣א אָמ֔וֹן הַיֹּֽשְׁבָה֙ בַּיְאֹרִ֔ים מַ֖יִם סָבִ֣יב לָ֑הּ אֲשֶׁר־חֵ֣יל יָ֔ם מִיָּ֖ם חוֹמָתָֽהּ׃

[8] Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall?

כּ֥וּשׁ עָצְמָ֛ה וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֵ֣ין קֵ֑צֶה פּ֣וּט וְלוּבִ֔ים הָי֖וּ בְּעֶזְרָתֵֽךְ׃

[9] Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers.

גַּם־הִ֗יא לַגֹּלָה֙ הָלְכָ֣ה בַשֶּׁ֔בִי גַּ֧ם עֹלָלֶ֛יהָ יְרֻטְּשׁ֖וּ בְּרֹ֣אשׁ כָּל־חוּצ֑וֹת וְעַל־נִכְבַּדֶּ֙יהָ֙ יַדּ֣וּ גוֹרָ֔ל וְכָל־גְּדוֹלֶ֖יהָ רֻתְּק֥וּ בַזִּקִּֽים׃

[10] Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains.

גַּם־אַ֣תְּ תִּשְׁכְּרִ֔י תְּהִ֖י נַֽעֲלָמָ֑ה גַּם־אַ֛תְּ תְּבַקְשִׁ֥י מָע֖וֹז מֵאוֹיֵֽב׃

[11] You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy.

כָּ֨ל־מִבְצָרַ֔יִךְ תְּאֵנִ֖ים עִם־בִּכּוּרִ֑ים אִם־יִנּ֕וֹעוּ וְנָפְל֖וּ עַל־פִּ֥י אוֹכֵֽל׃

[12] All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater.

הִנֵּ֨ה עַמֵּ֤ךְ נָשִׁים֙ בְּקִרְבֵּ֔ךְ לְאֹ֣יְבַ֔יִךְ פָּת֥וֹחַ נִפְתְּח֖וּ שַׁעֲרֵ֣י אַרְצֵ֑ךְ אָכְלָ֥ה אֵ֖שׁ בְּרִיחָֽיִך׃

[13] Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.

מֵ֤י מָצוֹר֙ שַֽׁאֲבִי־לָ֔ךְ חַזְּקִ֖י מִבְצָרָ֑יִךְ בֹּ֧אִי בַטִּ֛יט וְרִמְסִ֥י בַחֹ֖מֶר הַחֲזִ֥יקִי מַלְבֵּֽן׃

[14] Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold!

שָׁ֚ם תֹּאכְלֵ֣ךְ אֵ֔שׁ תַּכְרִיתֵ֣ךְ חֶ֔רֶב תֹּאכְלֵ֖ךְ כַּיָּ֑לֶק הִתְכַּבֵּ֣ד כַּיֶּ֔לֶק הִֽתְכַּבְּדִ֖י כָּאַרְבֶּֽה׃

[15] There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper! [15] There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper!

הִרְבֵּית֙ רֹֽכְלַ֔יִךְ מִכּוֹכְבֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם יֶ֥לֶק פָּשַׁ֖ט וַיָּעֹֽף׃

[16] You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away.

מִנְּזָרַ֙יִךְ֙ כָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְטַפְסְרַ֖יִךְ כְּג֣וֹב גֹּבָ֑י הַֽחוֹנִ֤ים בַּגְּדֵרוֹת֙ בְּי֣וֹם קָרָ֔ה שֶׁ֤מֶשׁ זָֽרְחָה֙ וְנוֹדַ֔ד וְלֹֽא־נוֹדַ֥ע מְקוֹמ֖וֹ אַיָּֽם׃

[17] Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are.

נָמ֤וּ רֹעֶ֙יךָ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר יִשְׁכְּנ֖וּ אַדִּירֶ֑יךָ נָפֹ֧שׁוּ עַמְּךָ֛ עַל־הֶהָרִ֖ים וְאֵ֥ין מְקַבֵּֽץ׃

[18] Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber. Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them.

אֵין־כֵּהָ֣ה לְשִׁבְרֶ֔ךָ נַחְלָ֖ה מַכָּתֶ֑ךָ כֹּ֣ל׀ שֹׁמְעֵ֣י שִׁמְעֲךָ֗ תָּ֤קְעוּ כַף֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֗י עַל־מִ֛י לֹֽא־עָבְרָ֥ה רָעָתְךָ֖ תָּמִֽיד׃

[19] There is no easing your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?