Fire on Nineveh Lyrics

“Fire on Nineveh” is a lyrical warning drawn from 2 Chronicles 28:21 and Isaiah 11:6–9. It’s inspired by the moment King Ahaz stripped the temple of its gold to buy protection from pagan Assyria—an alliance God had forbidden. In doing so, he left the daughter of Zion exposed.

But this was a futile and foolish act. Babylon rose in power and torched both the houses of Assyria and Israel. We can still see the evidence of fire on Nineveh etched into the stone wall reliefs of the Assyrian palace, now housed in the British Museum:
? https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/galleries/assyria-nineveh

Babylon also took captives from surrounding nations during its conquest. Yet later—through the overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus—the collective daughter of Zion was released and returned home with the temple gold in hand (Ezra 1:5–11).

This song echoes both the sorrow of that compromise and the radiant hope of a coming day when peace will reign—when even beasts will forget to fight, and God’s mercy will restore what was lost.

? A warning: make no compromise. Form no alliance—even if you reason, “The ends justify the means.”

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
They gave away the temple gold,
To buy a shield from blood and bone.
Ahaz bowed to beasts of war,
But found no safety at their door.
He broke the law the prophets told—
“Make no alliance with the world.”

[Chorus 1]
Fire on Nineveh, smoke in the air,
We looked for help, but none was there.
God was watching, hearts grew cold—
And the daughter of Zion was sold.

[Verse 2]
A new day will come on softer feet,
Where wolf and lamb in meadows meet.
No harm, no fear, no deadly bite,
When earth is filled with Heaven’s light.
Animals will live in peace,
And all the wars will finally cease.

[Chorus 2]
Fire on Nineveh, smoke in the air,
God was watching, mercy bold—
He bought back the daughter of Zion with gold.