The Lord sent a messenger ¹  and he wiped out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib ²  returned home humiliated. ³  When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons ⁴  struck him down with the sword.

Haran, Kanneh, Eden, merchants from Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad were your clients.

Look at the land of the Chaldeans, these people who have lost their identity! ¹  The Assyrians have made it a home for wild animals. They erected their siege towers, ²  demolished ³  its fortresses, and turned it into a heap of ruins. ⁴ 

“So now, our God – the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps covenant fidelity ¹  – do not regard as inconsequential ²  all the hardship that has befallen us – our kings, our leaders, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people – from the days of the kings of Assyria until this very day!

Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made; ¹  a sword not made by humankind will destroy them. ²  They will run away from this sword ³  and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.

Ships will come from the coast of Kittim, ¹  and will afflict Asshur, ²  and will afflict Eber, and he will also perish forever.” ³ 

Indeed, ¹  he says: “Are not my officials all kings?

The oracle against Nineveh; ¹  the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite: ² 

But he does not agree with this, his mind does not reason this way, ¹  for his goal is to destroy, and to eliminate many nations. ² 

The splendor of his forest and his orchard will be completely destroyed, ¹  as when a sick man’s life ebbs away. ² 

At that time ¹  the Lord will remove their burden from your shoulders, ²  and their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be taken off because your neck will be too large. ³ 

I will break Assyria ¹  in my land, I will trample them ²  underfoot on my hills. Their yoke will be removed from my people, the burden will be lifted from their shoulders. ³ 

Look! ¹  Even if ²  they flee from the destruction, Egypt will take hold ³  of them, and Memphis will bury them. The weeds will inherit the silver they treasure ⁴  – thorn bushes will occupy their homes. ⁵ 

Make this announcement in ¹  the fortresses of Ashdod and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt. Say this: “Gather on the hills around Samaria! ²  Observe the many acts of violence ³  taking place within the city, ⁴  the oppressive deeds ⁵  occurring in it.” ⁶ 

Then he uttered this oracle: “O, who will survive when God does this! ¹ 

¹ They ²  attacked ³  Aiath, moved through Migron, depositing their supplies at Micmash.

Here is a message about Damascus: “Look, Damascus is no longer a city, it is a heap of ruins!

The Elamites picked up the quiver, and came with chariots and horsemen; ¹  the men of Kir ²  prepared ³  the shield. ⁴ 

Look, ambassadors ¹  cry out in the streets; messengers sent to make peace ²  weep bitterly.

So ¹  I will pounce on them like a lion; ²  like a leopard I will lurk by the path.