< Zephaniah 2 >

1 Bend yourselves, indeed, bend, O nation not desired,
הִֽתְקוֹשְׁשׁוּ וָקוֹשּׁוּ הַגּוֹי לֹא נִכְסָֽף׃
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,
בְּטֶרֶם לֶדֶת חֹק כְּמֹץ עָבַר יוֹם בְּטֶרֶם ׀ לֹא־יָבוֹא עֲלֵיכֶם חֲרוֹן אַף־יְהוָה בְּטֶרֶם לֹא־יָבוֹא עֲלֵיכֶם יוֹם אַף־יְהוָֽה׃
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.
בַּקְּשׁוּ אֶת־יְהוָה כָּל־עַנְוֵי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר מִשְׁפָּטוֹ פָּעָלוּ בַּקְּשׁוּ־צֶדֶק בַּקְּשׁוּ עֲנָוָה אוּלַי תִּסָּתְרוּ בְּיוֹם אַף־יְהוָֽה׃
4 For Gaza is forsaken, And Ashkelon [is] for a desolation, Ashdod! At noon they cast her forth, And Ekron is rooted up.
כִּי עַזָּה עֲזוּבָה תִֽהְיֶה וְאַשְׁקְלוֹן לִשְׁמָמָה אַשְׁדּוֹד בַּֽצָּהֳרַיִם יְגָרְשׁוּהָ וְעֶקְרוֹן תֵּעָקֵֽר׃
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.”
הוֹי יֹֽשְׁבֵי חֶבֶל הַיָּם גּוֹי כְּרֵתִים דְּבַר־יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם כְּנַעַן אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְהַאֲבַדְתִּיךְ מֵאֵין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃
6 And the seacoast has been habitations, Cottages [for] shepherds, and folds [for] a flock.
וְֽהָיְתָה חֶבֶל הַיָּם נְוֺת כְּרֹת רֹעִים וְגִדְרוֹת צֹֽאן׃
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.
וְהָיָה חֶבֶל לִשְׁאֵרִית בֵּית יְהוּדָה עֲלֵיהֶם יִרְעוּן בְּבָתֵּי אַשְׁקְלוֹן בָּעֶרֶב יִרְבָּצוּן כִּי יִפְקְדֵם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְשָׁב שבותם שְׁבִיתָֽם׃
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.
שָׁמַעְתִּי חֶרְפַּת מוֹאָב וְגִדּוּפֵי בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן אֲשֶׁר חֵֽרְפוּ אֶת־עַמִּי וַיַּגְדִּילוּ עַל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃
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.”
לָכֵן חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּֽי־מוֹאָב כִּסְדֹם תִּֽהְיֶה וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן כַּֽעֲמֹרָה מִמְשַׁק חָרוּל וּמִכְרֵה־מֶלַח וּשְׁמָמָה עַד־עוֹלָם שְׁאֵרִית עַמִּי יְבָזּוּם וְיֶתֶר גוי גּוֹיִי יִנְחָלֽוּם׃
10 This [is] to them for their arrogancy, Because they have reproached, And they magnify [themselves] against the people of YHWH of Hosts.
זֹאת לָהֶם תַּחַת גְּאוֹנָם כִּי חֵֽרְפוּ וַיַּגְדִּלוּ עַל־עַם יְהוָה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
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.
נוֹרָא יְהוָה עֲלֵיהֶם כִּי רָזָה אֵת כָּל־אֱלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ וְיִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לוֹ אִישׁ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ כֹּל אִיֵּי הַגּוֹיִֽם׃
12 “Also you, O Cushim, they [are] pierced of My sword.”
גַּם־אַתֶּם כּוּשִׁים חַֽלְלֵי חַרְבִּי הֵֽמָּה׃
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.
וְיֵט יָדוֹ עַל־צָפוֹן וִֽיאַבֵּד אֶת־אַשּׁוּר וְיָשֵׂם אֶת־נִֽינְוֵה לִשְׁמָמָה צִיָּה כַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
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.”
וְרָבְצוּ בְתוֹכָהּ עֲדָרִים כָּל־חַיְתוֹ־גוֹי גַּם־קָאַת גַּם־קִפֹּד בְּכַפְתֹּרֶיהָ יָלִינוּ קוֹל יְשׁוֹרֵר בַּֽחַלּוֹן חֹרֶב בַּסַּף כִּי אַרְזָה עֵרָֽה׃
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!
זֹאת הָעִיר הָעַלִּיזָה הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת לָבֶטַח הָאֹֽמְרָה בִּלְבָבָהּ אֲנִי וְאַפְסִי עוֹד אֵיךְ ׀ הָיְתָה לְשַׁמָּה מַרְבֵּץ לַֽחַיָּה כֹּל עוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ יִשְׁרֹק יָנִיעַ יָדֽוֹ׃

< Zephaniah 2 >