Zephaniah 2

1 You people [of Judah] who ought to be ashamed, gather together [DOU].

١ تَجَمَّعِي وَٱجْتَمِعِي يَا أَيَّتُهَا ٱلْأُمَّةُ غَيْرُ ٱلْمُسْتَحِيَةِ.

2 Yahweh is extremely angry with you, [so gather together now], before it is time for him to punish [MTY] you and blow you away like [SIM] [the wind blows away] chaff.

٢ قَبْلَ وِلَادَةِ ٱلْقَضَاءِ. كَٱلْعُصَافَةِ عَبَرَ ٱلْيَوْمُ. قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ عَلَيْكُمْ حُمُوُّ غَضَبِ ٱلرَّبِّ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ عَلَيْكُمْ يَوْمُ سَخَطِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

3 All you people in Judah who are humble, worship Yahweh, and obey what he has commanded. Try to do what is right and to be humble. [If you do that], perhaps Yahweh will protect/spare you on the day when he punishes [MTY] people.

٣ أُطْلُبُوا ٱلرَّبَّ، يَا جَمِيعَ بَائِسِي ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلَّذِينَ فَعَلُوا حُكْمَهُ. ٱطْلُبُوا ٱلْبِرَّ. ٱطْلُبُوا ٱلتَّوَاضُعَ. لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْتَرُونَ فِي يَوْمِ سَخَطِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

4 [When Yahweh punishes Philistia], Gaza and Ashkelon [cities] will be deserted/abandoned. Ashdod [city] will be attacked and the people expelled at noon [when people are resting]; the [people of Ekron city] will [also] be driven out.

٤ لِأَنَّ غَزَّةَ تَكُونُ مَتْرُوكَةً، وَأَشْقَلُونَ لِلْخَرَابِ. أَشْدُودُ عِنْدَ ٱلظَّهِيرَةِ يَطْرُدُونَهَا، وَعَقْرُونُ تُسْتَأْصَلُ.

5 And terrible things will happen to you people of Philistia who live near the sea, because Yahweh has decided [MTY] that he will punish [MTY] you, [also]. He will get rid of all of you; not one person will (survive/remain alive).

٥ وَيْلٌ لِسُكَّانِ سَاحِلِ ٱلْبَحْرِ أُمَّةِ ٱلْكِرِيتِيِّينَ! كَلِمَةُ ٱلرَّبِّ عَلَيْكُمْ: «يَا كَنْعَانُ أَرْضَ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ، إِنِّي أَخْرِبُكِ بِلَا سَاكِنٍ».

6 The land [of Philistia] near the sea will become a pasture, a place for shepherds and their sheep pens.

٦ وَيَكُونُ سَاحِلُ ٱلْبَحْرِ مَرْعًى بِآبَارٍ لِلرُّعَاةِ وَحَظَائِرَ لِلْغَنَمِ.

7 The people of Judah who (survive/are still alive) will possess that land. At night they will sleep in the [deserted] houses in Ashkelon. Yahweh will take care of them; he will enable them to prosper again.

٧ وَيَكُونُ ٱلسَّاحِلُ لِبَقِيَّةِ بَيْتِ يَهُوذَا. عَلَيْهِ يَرْعَوْنَ. فِي بُيُوتِ أَشْقَلُونَ عِنْدَ ٱلْمَسَاءِ يَرْبُضُونَ، لِأَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَهُمْ يَتَعَهَّدُهُمْ وَيَرُدُّ سَبْيَهُمْ.

8 The Commander of the armies of angels, the God to whom [we] Israeli people [belong], says [this]: “I have heard the people of Moab and Ammon when they insulted [DOU] my people, and when they said that they would conquer my people’s country.

٨ «قَدْ سَمِعْتُ تَعْيِيرَ مُوآبَ وَتَجَادِيفَ بَنِي عَمُّونَ ٱلَّتِي بِهَا عَيَّرُوا شَعْبِي، وَتَعَظَّمُوا عَلَى تُخُمِهِمْ.

9 So now, [as surely] as I live, [I will destroy] Moab and Ammon like [SIM] [I destroyed] Gomorrah [city]. Their land will be a place were there are nettles and salt pits; it will be ruined forever. My Israeli people who survive will take away all their valuable possessions and [also] occupy their land.”

٩ فَلِذَلِكَ حَيٌّ أَنَا، يَقُولُ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ، إِنَّ مُوآبَ تَكُونُ كَسَدُومَ وَبَنِي عَمُّونَ كَعَمُورَةَ، مِلْكَ ٱلْقَرِيصِ، وَحُفْرَةَ مِلْحٍ، وَخَرَابًا إِلَى ٱلْأَبَدِ. تَنْهَبُهُمْ بَقِيَّةُ شَعْبِي، وَبَقِيَّةُ أُمَّتِي تَمْتَلِكُهُمْ».

10 The people of Moab and Ammon will get what they deserve for being proud, because they made fun of the people who belong to the Commander of the armies of angels.

١٠ هَذَا لَهُمْ عِوَضُ تَكَبُّرِهِمْ، لِأَنَّهُمْ عَيَّرُوا وَتَعَظَّمُوا عَلَى شَعْبِ رَبِّ ٱلْجُنُودِ.

11 Yahweh will cause them to be terrified [when] he destroys all the gods of their countries. Then [even the people who live on] islands throughout the world will worship Yahweh, each in their own countries.

١١ ٱلرَّبُّ مُخِيفٌ إِلَيْهِمْ، لِأَنَّهُ يُهْزِلُ جَمِيعَ آلِهَةِ ٱلْأَرْضِ، فَسَيَسْجُدُ لَهُ ٱلنَّاسُ، كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ مَكَانِهِ، كُلُّ جَزَائِرِ ٱلْأُمَمِ.

12 [Yahweh says that] he will also slaughter the people of Ethiopia.

١٢ «وَأَنْتُمْ يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلْكُوشِيُّونَ. قَتْلَى سَيْفِي هُمْ».

13 Yahweh will punish [IDM] and destroy Assyria, [that land] northeast of us. He will cause [its capital] Nineveh to become ruined and deserted, a place that will be as dry as the desert.

١٣ وَيَمُدُّ يَدَهُ عَلَى ٱلشِّمَالِ وَيُبِيدُ أَشُّورَ، وَيَجْعَلُ نِينَوَى خَرَابًا يَابِسَةً كَٱلْقَفْرِ.

14 [Flocks of sheep and] herds [of cattle] and many kinds of wild animals will lie down there. Owls and crows will sit on the columns/pillars [of the destroyed buildings], and they will (hoot/cry out) through the windows. There will be rubble in the doorways, and the [valuable] cedar boards will be taken [from the ruined houses].

١٤ فَتَرْبُضُ فِي وَسَطِهَا ٱلْقُطْعَانُ، كُلُّ طَوَائِفِ ٱلْحَيَوَانِ. اَلْقُوقُ أَيْضًا وَٱلْقُنْفُذُ يَأْوِيَانِ إِلَى تِيجَانِ عُمُدِهَا. صَوْتٌ يَنْعِبُ فِي ٱلْكُوَى. خَرَابٌ عَلَى ٱلْأَعْتَابِ. لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ تَعَرَّى أَرْزِيُّهَا.

15 [The people of] Nineveh were [previously] happy and proud, thinking that they were very safe. They were [always] saying, “Our city is the greatest city; there is no city as great as ours!” But now it will become a ruins, a place where wild animals make their dens. And everyone who passes by there will hiss [and scorn/ridicule that city], and shake their fists [to show that they detest that city very much].

١٥ هَذِهِ هِيَ ٱلْمَدِينَةُ ٱلْمُبْتَهِجَةُ ٱلسَّاكِنَةُ مُطْمَئِنَّةً، ٱلْقَائِلَةُ فِي قَلْبِهَا: «أَنَا وَلَيْسَ غَيْرِي». كَيْفَ صَارَتْ خَرَابًا، مَرْبِضًا لِلْحَيَوَانِ! كُلُّ عَابِرٍ بِهَا يَصْفِرُ وَيَهُزُّ يَدَهُ.