< Zephaniah 2 >

1 Bend yourselves, indeed, bend, O nation not desired,
«اجْتَمِعِي، احْتَشِدِي أَيَّتُهَا الأُمَّةُ الْوَقِحَةُ.١
2 Before the bringing forth of a statute, The day has passed on as chaff, While the heat of the anger of YHWH has not yet come in on you, While [the] Day of the anger of YHWH has not yet come in on you,
قَبْلَ أَنْ يَحِينَ الْقَضَاءُ، فَيُطَوِّحُ بِكِ كَالْعُصَافَةِ أَمَامَ الرِّيحِ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَحُلَّ بِكِ غَضَبُ الرَّبِّ الشَّدِيدُ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْصَبَّ عَلَيْكِ سَخَطُ الرَّبِّ.٢
3 Seek YHWH, all you humble of the land, Who have done His judgment, Seek righteousness, seek humility, It may be you are hidden in the Day of the anger of YHWH.
الْتَمِسُوا الرَّبَّ يَا وُدَعَاءَ الأَرْضِ الرَّاضِخِينَ لِحُكْمِهِ. اطْلُبُوا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّوَاضُعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَجِدُونَ مَلاذاً فِي يَوْمِ سَخَطِ الرَّبِّ.٣
4 For Gaza is forsaken, And Ashkelon [is] for a desolation, Ashdod! At noon they cast her forth, And Ekron is rooted up.
فَإِنَّ غَزَّةَ تُصْبِحُ مَهْجُورَةً، وَأَشْقَلُونَ مُوْحِشَةً، وَأَهْلَ أَشْدُودَ يُطْرَدُونَ عِنْدَ الظَّهِيرَةِ، وَعَقْرُونَ تُسْتَأْصَلُ.٤
5 Behold! O inhabitants of the seacoast, Nation of the Cherethites, A word of YHWH [is] against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines, “And I have destroyed you without an inhabitant.”
وَيْلٌ لَكُمْ يَا أَهْلَ سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ، أُمَّةَ الْكِرِيتِيِّينَ. إِنَّ قَضَاءَ الرَّبِّ مُنْصَبٌّ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا سُكَّانَ كَنْعَانَ أَرْضِ الْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ. سَأُدَمِّرُكِ حَتَّى لَا يَبْقَى فِيكِ مُقِيمٌ.٥
6 And the seacoast has been habitations, Cottages [for] shepherds, and folds [for] a flock.
وَأَنْتِ يَا أَرْضَ سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ تُصْبِحِينَ مَرَاعِيَ وَمُرُوجاً لِلرُّعَاةِ وَحَظَائِرَ لِلْمَوَاشِي.٦
7 And the coast has been for the remnant of the house of Judah, By them they have pleasure, In houses of Ashkelon they lie down at evening, For their God YHWH inspects them, And He has turned back [to] their captivity.
وَيُصْبِحُ سَاحِلُ الْبَحْرِ مِلْكاً لِبَقِيَّةِ بَيْتِ يَهُوذَا فَيَرْعَوْنَ فِيهِ قُطْعَانَهُمْ، وَيَرْقُدُونَ فِي الْمَسَاءِ فِي بُيُوتِ أَشْقَلُونَ، لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَهُمْ يَفْتَقِدُهُمْ وَيَرُدُّ سَبْيَهُمْ.٧
8 “I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, With which they reproached My people, And magnify [themselves] against their border.
قَدْ سَمِعْتُ تَعْيِيرَ مُوآبَ وَتَجَادِيفَ بَنِي عَمُّونَ، وَكَيْفَ احْتَقَرُوا شَعْبِي وَهَدَّدُوا تُخْمَهُمْ.٨
9 Therefore, [as] I live,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, “Surely Moab is as Sodom, And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits, And a desolation for all time. A remnant of My people seizes them, And a remnant of My nation inherits them.”
لِذَلِكَ، كَمَا أَنَا حَيٌّ، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الْقَدِيرُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ، لَيُصْبِحَنَّ أَهْلُ مُوآبَ كَسَدُومَ، وَالْعَمُّونِيُّونَ كَعَمُورَةَ، مَنْبَتاً لِلْقَرِيصِ وَحُفْرَةً لِلْمِلْحِ وَخَرَاباً إِلَى الأَبَدِ، وَتَنْهَبُهُمْ بَقِيَّةُ شَعْبِي وَيَمْتَلِكُهُمُ النَّاجُونَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي.٩
10 This [is] to them for their arrogancy, Because they have reproached, And they magnify [themselves] against the people of YHWH of Hosts.
هَذَا مَا يَجْنُونَهُ لِقَاءَ تَشَامُخِهِمْ، لأَنَّهُمُ احْتَقَرُوا وَتَبَاهَوْا عَلَى شَعْبِ الرَّبِّ الْقَدِيرِ.١٠
11 Fearful [is] YHWH against them, For He made all gods of the land bare, And all islanders of the nations bow themselves to Him, Each from his place.
سَيَكُونُ الرَّبُّ مَثَارَ رُعْبِهِمْ حِينَ يُحَطِّمُ جَمِيعَ آلِهَةِ الأَرْضِ، فَيَسْجُدُ لَهُ آنَئِذٍ جَمِيعُ النَّاسِ، كُلٌّ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ، فِي كُلِّ دِيَارِ الْمَسْكُونَةِ.١١
12 “Also you, O Cushim, they [are] pierced of My sword.”
وَأَنْتُمْ أَيْضاً أَيُّهَا الْكُوشِيُّونَ سَتَسْقُطُونَ صَرْعَى سَيْفِي.١٢
13 And He stretches His hand against the north, And destroys Asshur, And He sets Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness.
ثُمَّ يَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ نَحْوَ الشِّمَالِ وَيُبِيدُ أَشُّورَ وَيَجْعَلُ نِينَوَى قَفْراً مُوْحِشاً، أَرْضاً قَاحِلَةً كَالصَّحْرَاءِ.١٣
14 And droves have crouched in her midst, Every beast of the nation, Both pelican and hedgehog lodge in her knobs, A voice sings at the window, “Destruction [is] at the threshold, For the cedar-work is exposed.”
تَرْبِضُ فِي وَسَطِهَا الْقُطْعَانُ وَسَائِرُ وُحُوشِ الْبَرِّ، وَيَأْوِي إِلَى تِيجَانِ أَعْمِدَتِهَا الْقُوقُ وَالْقُنْفُذُ وَيَنْعَبُ الْغُرَابُ عَلَى عَتَبَاتِهَا، لأَنَّ أَرْزَهَا قَدْ تَعَرَّى.١٤
15 This [is] the exulting city that is dwelling confidently, That is saying in her heart, “I [am], and there is none beside me,” How she has been for a desolation, A crouching-place for beasts, Everyone passing by her hisses, He shakes his hand!
هَذِهِ هِيَ الْمَدِينَةُ الطَّرُوبُ الَّتِي سَكَنَتْ آمِنَةً قَائِلَةً لِنَفْسِهَا: أَنَا وَلَيْسَ لِي نَظِيرٌ! كَيْفَ صَارَتْ أَطْلالاً، وَمَأْوىً لِلْوُحُوشِ الْبَرِّيَّةِ؟ كُلُّ مَنْ يَجْتَازُ بِها يَصْفِرُ دَهْشَةً وَيَهُزُّ يَدَهُ».١٥

< Zephaniah 2 >