Zephaniah 2
1 Come together, make everyone come together, O nation without shame;
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation without desire [for repentance];
2 Before the Lord sends you violently away in flight like the waste from the grain; before the burning wrath of the Lord comes on you, before the day of the Lord's wrath comes on you.
Before the decree is brought forth—like the chaff the day passeth away—before yet there be come over you the fierce anger of the Lord, before yet there be come over you the day of the anger of the Lord.
3 Make search for the Lord, all you quiet ones of the earth, who have done what is right in his eyes; make search for righteousness and a quiet heart: it may be that you will be safely covered in the day of the Lord's wrath.
Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, who have fulfilled his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: perhaps ye will be protected on the day of the Lord's anger.
4 For Gaza will be given up and Ashkelon will become waste: they will send Ashdod out in the middle of the day, and Ekron will be uprooted.
For Gazzah shall become forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolate place: Ashdod shall they drive out at the noon of day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 Sorrow to the people living by the sea, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines; I will send destruction on you till there is no one living in you.
Woe unto the inhabitants of the district by the sea, the nation of the Kerethites! the word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that no inhabitant shall remain.
6 And the land by the sea will be grass-land, with houses for keepers of sheep and walled places for flocks.
And the district by the sea shall become places for pens of shepherds, and folds for flocks.
7 The land by the sea will be for the rest of the children of Judah; by the sea they will give their flocks food: in the houses of Ashkelon they will take their rest in the evening; for the Lord their God will take them in hand and their fate will be changed.
And this district shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; thereupon shall they feed their flocks: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for the Lord their God will think of them, and bring back their captivity.
8 My ears have been open to the bitter words of Moab and the words of shame of the children of Ammon, which they have said against my people, lifting themselves up against the limit of their land.
I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of 'Ammon, wherewith they have reproached my people, and made themselves great against their border.
9 For this cause, by my life, says the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, truly Moab will become like Sodom and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, given up to waste plants and salt pools and unpeopled for ever: the rest of my people will take their property, the overflow of my nation will take their heritage.
Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall become like Sodom, and the children of 'Ammon like Gomorrah, overgrown with nettles, and [filled with] salt-pits, and a desolation to eternity; the residue of my people shall plunder them, and the remnant of my nation shall possess them.
10 This will be their fate because of their pride, because they have said evil, lifting themselves up against the people of the Lord of armies.
This shall they have in recompense for their pride; because they have reproached and made themselves great against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will let himself be seen by them: for he will make all the gods of the earth feeble; and men will go down before him in worship, everyone from his place, even all the sea-lands of the nations.
Terrible will the Lord [appear] over them; for he will cause to vanish all the gods of the earth; and then shall prostrate themselves before him, every one from its place, all the isles of the nations.
12 And you Ethiopians will be put to death by my sword.
Also ye Ethiopians shall be those slain by my sword.
13 And his hand will be stretched out against the north, for the destruction of Assyria; and he will make Nineveh unpeopled and dry like the waste land.
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and he will make Nineveh a desolate place, dry, like the wilderness.
14 And herds will take their rest in the middle of her, all the beasts of the valley: the pelican and the porcupine will make their living-places on the tops of its pillars; the owl will be crying in the window; the raven will be seen on the doorstep.
And there shall lie down in the midst of her flocks, all the beasts of the nations; both the pelican and the hedgehog shall lodge in the capitals of her columns; singing-birds shall sing in the windows; ruin shall be on the thresholds; for the cedar wainscoting shall be torn away.
15 This is the town which was full of joy, living without fear of danger, saying in her heart, I am, and there is no other: how has she been made waste, a place for beasts to take their rest in! everyone who goes by her will make hisses, waving his hand.
This is the joyful city that dwelt in security, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none else beside me: how is she become desolate, a resting-place for beasts! every one that passeth by her will hiss, and shake his hand.
