King James Version

Nahum 3:14

Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the morter, make strong the brickkiln.

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Hebrew

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מֵ֤יmewaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “water”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).מָצוֹר֙matsorsiegeמָצוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “siege”, the ordinary formH4692something hemming in, i.e. (objectively) a mound (of besiegers), (abstractly) a siege, (figuratively) distress; or (subjectively) a fastnessbesieged, bulwark, defence, fenced, fortress, siege, strong (hold), tower.שַֽׁאֲבִיshaavidrawשָׁאַבverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “draw”, a commandH7579to bale up water(woman to) draw(-er, water).לָ֔ךְlakhetoלָ֔ךְpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “to”toחַזְּקִ֖יchazqibe constantחָזַקverb, piel, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “be constant”, a commandH2388to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conqueraid, amend, [idiom] calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintai…מִבְצָרָ֑יִךְmivtsarayikhfencedמִבְצָרnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “fenced”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4013a fortification, castle, or fortified city; figuratively, a defender(de-, most) fenced, fortress, (most) strong (hold).בֹּ֧אִיboito comeבּוֹאverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “to come”, a commandH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…בַטִּ֛יטvatitin clayטִיטpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in clay”, the ordinary formH2916mud or clay; figuratively, calamityclay, dirt, mire.וְרִמְסִ֥יverimsiand treadרָמַסconjunction, verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “and tread”, a commandH7429to tread upon (as a potter, in walking or abusively)oppressor, stamp upon, trample (under feet), tread (down, upon).בַחֹ֖מֶרvachomerin clayחֹמֶרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in clay”, the ordinary formH2563properly, a bubbling up, i.e. of water, a wave; of earth, mire or clay (cement); also a heap; hence, a chomer or dry measureclay, heap, homer, mire, motion.הַחֲזִ֥יקִיhachaziqibe constantחָזַקverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, feminine, singular — “be constant”, a commandH2388to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conqueraid, amend, [idiom] calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintai…מַלְבֵּֽןmalbenbrickkilnמַלְבֵּןnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “brickkiln”, the ordinary formH4404a brickkilnbrickkiln.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, lay hold of the brickmould.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Draw thee water for the siege; strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar; make strong the brickkiln.

Young’s Literal Translation

Waters of a siege draw for thyself, Strengthen thy fortresses, Enter into mire, and tread on clay, Make strong a brick-kiln.

World English Bible

Draw water for the siege. Strengthen your fortresses. Go into the clay, and tread the mortar. Make the brick kiln strong.

Darby Translation

Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, make strong the brick-kiln.

Douay-Rheims

Draw thee water for the siege, build up thy bulwarks: go into the clay, and tread, work it and make brick.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Draw thee water for the siege, strengthen thy fortresses; go into the clay, and tread the mortar, lay hold of the brickmould.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Draw thee water for a siege, and well secure thy strong-holds: enter into the clay, and be thou trodden in the chaff, make the fortifications stronger than brick.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὕδωρ περιοχῆς ἐπίσπασαι σεαυτῇ, καὶ κατακράτησον τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων σου· ἔμβηθι εἰς πηλὸν, καὶ συμπατήθητι ἐν ἀχύροις, κατακράτησον ὑπὲρ πλίνθον.