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¹ The destroyer is come vp before thy face, kepe thy forte, see to the way, strenghten [thy] loynes, increase [thy] strength mightyly:² For the Lord restores againe the glorious estate of Iacob, as [also] the glorious estate of Israel: for spoylers hath spoyled them, and hath wasted their braunches.³ The shielde of his valiaunt souldiours [is] died red, his captaynes of warre are clad with scarlet: the charret is [compassed] with flammig torches in the day of his expedition, and the firre staues are drenched in poyson.⁴ The charrets shal rage in the streetes, they shall make a terrible noyse in the broade wayes, to loke to like [flaming] cressets, shooting as lightning.⁵ He shall remember his notable souldiours, they shal stumble in goyng, they shall hasten to the wall, the couering fence is prepared.⁶ The riuer gates are opened, and the palace dissolued.⁷ Huzab is brought foorth captiue, made to ascend [into the charets] her handmaydens also leading [one another] as in the voyce of doues, knocking vpon their brestes.⁸ Yea many a day Niniue was as a ponde full of water, yet [now] they flee, Stand ye, stande ye, and no man loketh backe.⁹ Take your spoyle of siluer, take your spoyle of golde, for there is no ende of riches: treasure, pashing all treasure.¹⁰ Sacking, resacking, rasing, a dissolued heart and collision of knees, sorow in all loynes also, and the faces of them all as blacke as a pot.

¹¹ Where is the abiding place of lions, and the feding plot of lions whelpes [become,] whyther the young and olde lion had their resort? there dwelt the lion, & there was no man to put him in feare.¹² The lion made his praye aboundauntly for his whelpes, and strangled for his she lions, and hath filled his dennes with pray, and his abyding places with spoyle.¹³ Behold me against thee sayth the Lord of hoastes, & I will burne in smoke her charets, and the sworde shall deuoure thy lions, I will roote out also from the earth thy spoyling, and the voyce of thy messengers shalbe hearde no more.