Nahum 3:14

¹² All your fortresses are fig trees with the first ripe figs; when shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater!

¹³ Look at your troops— they are like your women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire consumes their bars.

Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Work the clay and tread the mortar; repair the brick kiln!

¹⁵ There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and consume you like a young locust. Make yourself many like the young locust; make yourself many like the swarming locust!

¹⁶ You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of the sky. The young locust strips the land and flies away.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Draw your water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses. Work the clay and tread the mortar; repair the brick kiln!
KJV: Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.
WEB: Draw water for the siege. Strengthen your fortresses. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar. Make the brick kiln strong.
ASV: Draw thee water for the siege; strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar; make strong the brickkiln.
DARBY: Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brick-kiln.
BLB: Draw for yourself water for the siege; strengthen your fortresses; Go into the clay and tread on the mortar; take hold or the brick kiln.

ÅB: Øs vann til å ha mens du er kringsatt, gjør dine festninger sterke, gå ut i dyndet og stamp i leiren, sett teglovnene i stand!
OTB: Hent vann til deg selv for beleiringen!
Styrk dine festninger!
Gå inn i leiren og tråkk mørtelen!
Ta tak i teglformen!
B1930: Øs vann til å ha mens du er kringsatt, gjør dine festninger sterke, gå ut i dyndet og stamp i leret, sett teglovnene i stand!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Nahum 2:1
One who scatters advances against you, O Nineveh. Guard the fortress! Watch the road! Brace yourselves! Summon all your strength!
Read in context
2 Chronicles 32:3–4
he consulted with his leaders and commanders about stopping up the waters of the springs outside the city, and they helped him carry it out.
Read in context
Jeremiah 46:3–4
“Deploy your shields, small and large; advance for battle!
Read in context
Jeremiah 46:9
Advance, O horses! Race furiously, O chariots! Let the warriors come forth— Cush and Put carrying their shields, men of Lydia drawing the bow.
Read in context
Joel 3:9–11
Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack!
Read in context
2 Chronicles 32:11
Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, ‘The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria?’
Read in context
Isaiah 37:25
I have dug wells and drunk foreign waters. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”
Read in context
Isaiah 22:9–11
You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool.
Read in context