Zephaniah 2

1 Collect yourselves and gather together, O nation without shame,

Saml jer, saml jer, I Folk, som ej kender Skam,

2 before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass away as chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah's anger come upon you.

før I endnu er blevet som flyvende Avner, før HERRENS glødende Harme kommer over eder, før HERRENS Vredes Dag kommer over eder.

3 Seek Jehovah, all ye meek of the land, who have performed his ordinance; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger.

Søg HERREN, alle I ydmyge i Landet, som holder hans Bud, søg Retfærd, søg Ydmyghed! Maaske kan I skjule jer paa HERRENS Vredes Dag.

4 For Gazah shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon shall be a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

Thi Gaza skal ligge forladt og Askalon øde, Asdod drives bort ved Middag, Ekron udryddes.

5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of Jehovah is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: I will destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant;

Ve dem, som bor ved Stranden, Kreternes Folk; HERRENS Ord over dig, Kana'an, Filisternes Land! Jeg gør dig til intet, saa ingen bor der.

6 and the sea-coast shall be cave-dwellings for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

Du skal blive til Græsmark for Hyrder, til Folde for Smaakvæg.

7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for Jehovah their God shall visit them, and turn again their captivity.

Og Stranden skal tilfalde Resten af Judas Hus; de skal græsse derpaa. Lejr skal de slaa ved Kvæld i Askalons Huse. Thi HERREN deres Gud ser til dem og vender deres Skæbne.

8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, wherewith they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

Jeg hørte Moabs Spot, Ammoniternes haanende Ord, med hvilke de spotted mit Folk, hovmoded sig over deres Land.

9 Therefore, [as] I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall certainly be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt-pits, and a perpetual desolation; the remnant of my people shall spoil them, and the residue of my nation shall possess them.

Derfor, saa sandt jeg lever, lyder det fra Hærskarers HERRE, Israels Gud: Moab skal blive som Sodoma, Ammoniterne som Gomorra, Jord for Nælder, et Salthul, Ørken til evig Tid. Resten af mit Folk skal plyndre dem; hvad der levnes af mit Folk skal eje dem.

10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Jehovah of hosts.

Dette skal times dem for deres Hovmod, fordi de haanede Hærskarers HERRES Folk og gjorde sig store over for det.

11 Jehovah will be terrible unto them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and all the isles of the nations shall worship him, every one from his place.

Frygtelig er HERREN for dem; thi han udrydder alle Jordens Guder, og alle Hedningernes fjerne Strande skal tilbede ham, hver paa sit Sted.

12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be the slain of my sword.

Ogsaa I Ætiopere skal falde for HERRENS Sværd,

13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, a place of drought like the wilderness.

og han udrækker Haanden mod Nord og tilintetgør Assur, Nineve gør han til Ødemark, tørt som en Ørk;

14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the crowd of beasts; both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge in the chapiters thereof; a voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be on the thresholds: for he hath laid bare the cedar work.

Hjorde skal lejre sig deri, hvert Slettens Dyr; paa dets Søjlehoveder sover Pelikan og Rørdrum, i Vinduet skriger Uglen, Ravnen paa Tærsklen.

15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt in security, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none else beside me: how is she become a desolation, a couching-place for beasts! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss, shall wave his hand.

Det er den jublende By, som laa saa trygt, som sagde i sit Hjerte: »Jeg og ellers ingen.« Hvor er den dog blevet øde, et Raststed for Dyr! Enhver, som kommer forbi den, haaner med Fløjt og Haand.