Nahum 3

Matthew^{(i) 1} Wo to the bloudthurstye cytye, which is full of lyes & robbery & wyl not leaue of from rauyshyng. ² There a man may heare scourgynge, russhyng, the noyse of the weeles, the cryenge of the horses, & the rollynge of the charettes. ³ There the horsmen get vp with naked swerdes, & glystering speares. There lyeth a multytude slayn, & a great heape of deade bodyes. There is no ende of dead coarses, yea, men fall vpon theyr bodyes: ⁴ And that for the greate and manyfolde whordome, of the fayre and beutyfull harlot, which is a maistresse of witchcrafte, yea, and selleth the people thorowe her whordom, and the nacyons thorowe her witchcraft. ⁵ Beholde, I wyll vpon the (sayeth the Lord of hostes) and will pull thy clothes ouer thy heade: that I maye shew thy nakednes among the Heathen, and thy shame amonge the kingdomes. ⁶ I wyll caste dyrte vpon the, to make the be abhorred, and a gasyng stocke: ⁷ Yea al they that loke vpon the, shall starte backe, and say: Niniue is destroyed. Who wyll haue pyte vpon the: where shall I seke one to conforte the? ⁸ Art thou better then the greate cytie of Alexandria? that lay in the waters, and had the waters rounde about it: whiche was strongly fensed and walled with the sea? ⁹ Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength and that excedynge greate aboue measure. Aphrica and Lybia were her helpers, ¹⁰ yet was she dryuen away, and brought into captiuite: her yonge chyldren were smiten doune at the heade of euerye strete, the lottes were cast for the most auncient men in her, and al her mightye men were bounde in chaynes. ¹¹ Euen so shalt thou also be droncken, and hyde thy self, and seke some helpe agaynst thyne enemy. ¹² Al thy strong cities shalbe lyke figgetrees with ripe figges: which when a man shaketh, they shal fall into the mouthe of the eater. ¹³ Behold, thy people within the are but wemen: the portes of thy laude shalbe opened vnto thyne enemyes, and the fyre shall deuoure thy barres. ¹⁴ Drawe water nowe agaynst thou be beseged, make vp thy strong holdes, go into the claye, tempre the morter, make stronge bricke, ¹⁵ yet the fyre shall consume the, the swerde shall destroye the, yea, as the locuste doeth, so shal it eate the vp. It shal fal heuely vpon the as the locustes, yea, right heuely shal it fal vpon the, euen as the greshoppers. ¹⁶ Thy marchauntes haue ben nombred with the starres of heauen: but nowe shal they sprede abroad as the locustes, and fle theyr waye. ¹⁷ Thy Lordes are as the greshoppers, & thy captaynes as the multytude of greshoppers: which when they be colde, remayne in the hedges: but when the Sunne is vp, they fle awaye, and no man can tel where they are become: ¹⁸ Thy shepherdes are a slepe (O kynge of Assur) thy worthyes are layed doune: thy people is scatred abroad vpon the mountaynes, and no man gathereth them together agayne. ¹⁹ Thy wounde can not be hyd, thy plage is so sore. All they that heare this of the, shal clappe theyr handes ouer the. For what is he to whom thou hast not alway ben doyng hurte.