Zephaniah 2

1 Rally yourselves together and gather, unashamed nation—

Come together, make everyone come together, O nation without shame;

2 before the decree takes effect and that day passes like the chaff, before the fierce anger of Yahweh's wrath comes upon you, before the day of the wrath of Yahweh comes upon you.

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.

3 Seek Yahweh, all you humble people on earth who obey his decrees! Seek righteousness. Seek humility, and perhaps you will be protected in the day of Yahweh's wrath.

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.

4 For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon will turn into a devastation. They will drive out Ashdod at noon, and they will uproot Ekron!

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.

5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Kerethites! Yahweh has spoken against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines. I will destroy you until no inhabitant remains.

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.

6 So the seacoast will become pastures for shepherds and for sheep pens.

And the land by the sea will be grass-land, with houses for keepers of sheep and walled places for flocks.

7 The coastal region will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah, who will shepherd their flocks there. Their people will lie down in the evening in the houses of Ashkelon, for Yahweh their God will care for them and restore their fortunes.

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.

8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab and the reviling of the people of Ammon when they taunted my people and violated their borders.

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.

9 Therefore, as I live—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel— Moab will become like Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah; a place of nettles and a salt pit, deserted forever. But the remnant of my people will plunder them, and the remainder of my nation will take possession of them.”

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.

10 This will happen to Moab and Ammon because of their pride, since they taunted and mocked the people of Yahweh of hosts.

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.

11 Then they will fear Yahweh, for he will taunt all the gods of the earth. Everyone will worship him, everyone from his own place, from every seashore.

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.

12 You Cushites also will be pierced by my sword,

And you Ethiopians will be put to death by my sword.

13 and God's hand will attack the north and destroy Assyria, so that Nineveh will become an abandoned devastation, as dry as the desert.

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.

14 Then herds will lie down there, every animal of the nations, both the desert owl and the screech owl will rest in the top of her columns. A call will sing out from the windows; rubble will be in the doorways; her carved cedar beams will be exposed.

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.

15 This is the exultant city that lived without fear, that said in her heart, “I am, and nothing is my equal.” How she has become a horror, a place for beasts to lie down in. Everyone that passes by her will hiss and shake his fist at her.

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.