Zephaniah 2

1 Bend yourselves, yea, bend ye, O nation not desired,

Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation that has no shame;

2 Before the bringing forth of a statute, As chaff hath the day passed on, While yet not come in upon you doth the heat of the anger of Jehovah, While yet not come in upon you doth a day of the anger of Jehovah,

before the decree bring forth, before the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah comes upon you, before the day of Jehovah's anger comes upon you.

3 Seek Jehovah, all ye humble of the land, Who His judgment have done, Seek ye righteousness, seek humility, It may be ye are hidden in a day of the anger of Jehovah.

Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger.

4 For Gaza is forsaken, And Ashkelon [is] for a desolation, Ashdod! at noon they do cast her forth, And Ekron is rooted up.

For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

5 Ho! O inhabitants of the sea-coast, Nation of the Cherethites, A word of Jehovah [is] against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines, And I have destroyed thee without an inhabitant.

Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of Jehovah is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

6 And the sea-coast hath been habitations, Cottages [for] shepherds, and folds [for] a flock.

And the seacoast shall be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.

7 And the coast hath been for the remnant of the house of Judah, By them they have pleasure, In houses of Ashkelon at even they lie down, For inspect them doth Jehovah their God, And He hath turned back [to] their captivity.

And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They shall feed their flocks upon it. In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down in the evening. For Jehovah their God will visit them, and bring back their captivity.

8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, Wherewith they reproached My people, And magnify [themselves] against their border.

I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the sons of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

9 Therefore, I live, An affirmation of Jehovah 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 — unto the age. A residue of My people do seize them, And a remnant of My nation inherit them.

Therefore as I live, says Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of my people shall make a prey of them, and the remnant of my nation shall inherit them.

10 This [is] to them for their arrogancy, Because they have reproached, And they magnify [themselves] against the people of Jehovah of Hosts.

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

11 Fearful [is] Jehovah against them, For He made bare all gods of the land, And bow themselves to Him, each from his place, Do all islanders of the nations.

Jehovah will be terrible to them, for he will famish all the gods of the earth. And men shall worship him, everyone from his place, even all the isles of the nations.

12 Also ye, O Cushim, pierced of My sword [are] they.

Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

13 And He stretcheth His hand against the north, And doth destroy Asshur, And he setteth Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness.

And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like the wilderness.

14 And crouched in her midst have droves, Every beast of the nation, Both pelican and hedge-hog in her knobs lodge, A voice doth sing at the window, 'Destruction [is] at the threshold, For the cedar-work is exposed.'

And herds shall lie down in the midst of her. All the beasts of the nations, both the pelican and the porcupine shall lodge in the capitals of it. Their voice shall sing in the windows. Desolation shall be in the thresholds. For he has laid bare the cedar work.

15 This [is] the exulting city that is dwelling confidently, That is saying in her heart, 'I [am], and beside me there is none,' How hath she been for a desolation, A crouching-place for beasts, Every one passing by her doth hiss, He doth shake his hand!

This is the joyous city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none besides me. How she has become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.