Σοφονίας 2

1 συνάχθητε καὶ συνδέθητε τὸ ἔθνος τὸ ἀπαίδευτον

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

2 πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι ὑμᾶς ὡς ἄνθος παραπορευόμενον πρὸ τοῦ ἐπελθεῖν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς ὀργὴν κυρίου πρὸ τοῦ ἐπελθεῖν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς ἡμέραν θυμοῦ κυρίου

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.

3 ζητήσατε τὸν κύριον πάντες ταπεινοὶ γῆς κρίμα ἐργάζεσθε καὶ δικαιοσύνην ζητήσατε καὶ ἀποκρίνεσθε αὐτά ὅπως σκεπασθῆτε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς κυρίου

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.

4 διότι Γάζα διηρπασμένη ἔσται καὶ Ἀσκαλὼν ἔσται εἰς ἀφανισμόν καὶ Ἄζωτος μεσημβρίας ἐκριφήσεται καὶ Ακκαρων ἐκριζωθήσεται

[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.

5 οὐαὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὸ σχοίνισμα τῆς θαλάσσης πάροικοι Κρητῶν λόγος κυρίου ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς Χανααν γῆ ἀλλοφύλων καὶ ἀπολῶ ὑμᾶς ἐκ κατοικίας

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).

6 καὶ ἔσται Κρήτη νομὴ ποιμνίων καὶ μάνδρα προβάτων

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

7 καὶ ἔσται τὸ σχοίνισμα τῆς θαλάσσης τοῖς καταλοίποις οἴκου Ιουδα ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς νεμήσονται ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις Ἀσκαλῶνος δείλης καταλύσουσιν ἀπὸ προσώπου υἱῶν Ιουδα ὅτι ἐπέσκεπται αὐτοὺς κύριος ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπέστρεψε τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν αὐτῶν

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.

8 ἤκουσα ὀνειδισμοὺς Μωαβ καὶ κονδυλισμοὺς υἱῶν Αμμων ἐν οἷς ὠνείδιζον τὸν λαόν μου καὶ ἐμεγαλύνοντο ἐπὶ τὰ ὅριά μου

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.

9 διὰ τοῦτο ζῶ ἐγώ λέγει κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ διότι Μωαβ ὡς Σοδομα ἔσται καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Αμμων ὡς Γομορρα καὶ Δαμασκὸς ἐκλελειμμένη ὡς θιμωνιὰ ἅλωνος καὶ ἠφανισμένη εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι λαοῦ μου διαρπῶνται αὐτούς καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι ἔθνους μου κληρονομήσουσιν αὐτούς

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.”

10 αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ τῆς ὕβρεως αὐτῶν διότι ὠνείδισαν καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθησαν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον τὸν παντοκράτορα

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.

11 ἐπιφανήσεται κύριος ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξολεθρεύσει πάντας τοὺς θεοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν τῆς γῆς καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ ἕκαστος ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ πᾶσαι αἱ νῆσοι τῶν ἐθνῶν

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.

12 καὶ ὑμεῖς Αἰθίοπες τραυματίαι ῥομφαίας μού ἐστε

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

13 καὶ ἐκτενεῖ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ βορρᾶν καὶ ἀπολεῖ τὸν Ἀσσύριον καὶ θήσει τὴν Νινευη εἰς ἀφανισμὸν ἄνυδρον ὡς ἔρημον

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.

14 καὶ νεμήσονται ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ποίμνια καὶ πάντα τὰ θηρία τῆς γῆς καὶ χαμαιλέοντες καὶ ἐχῖνοι ἐν τοῖς φατνώμασιν αὐτῆς κοιτασθήσονται καὶ θηρία φωνήσει ἐν τοῖς διορύγμασιν αὐτῆς κόρακες ἐν τοῖς πυλῶσιν αὐτῆς διότι κέδρος τὸ ἀνάστημα αὐτῆς

[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].

15 αὕτη ἡ πόλις ἡ φαυλίστρια ἡ κατοικοῦσα ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἡ λέγουσα ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς ἐγώ εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν μετ’ ἐμὲ ἔτι πῶς ἐγενήθη εἰς ἀφανισμόν νομὴ θηρίων πᾶς ὁ διαπορευόμενος δῑ αὐτῆς συριεῖ καὶ κινήσει τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ

[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].