צְפַנְיָה 2

1 הִֽתְקֹושְׁשׁ֖וּ וָקֹ֑ושּׁוּ הַגֹּ֖וי לֹ֥א נִכְסָֽף׃

Come together, yes, gather together, you worthless nation—

2 בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ לֶ֣דֶת חֹ֔ק כְּמֹ֖ץ עָ֣בַר יֹ֑ום בְּטֶ֣רֶם ׀ לֹא־יָבֹ֣וא עֲלֵיכֶ֗ם חֲרֹון֙ אַף־יְהוָ֔ה בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ לֹא־יָבֹ֣וא עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם יֹ֖ום אַף־יְהוָֽה׃

before the decree is issued, before you wither and die like a flower, before the burning anger of the Lord falls on you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes on you.

3 בַּקְּשׁ֤וּ אֶת־יְהוָה֙ כָּל־עַנְוֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִשְׁפָּטֹ֖ו פָּעָ֑לוּ בַּקְּשׁוּ־צֶ֙דֶק֙ בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ עֲנָוָ֔ה אוּלַי֙ תִּסָּ֣תְר֔וּ בְּיֹ֖ום אַף־יְהוָֽה׃

Look to the Lord, all you people of the land who are humble and who follow his commands. Look to do what is right; look to live in humility. Perhaps you will be protected on the day of the Lord's anger.

4 כִּ֤י עַזָּה֙ עֲזוּבָ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְאַשְׁקְלֹ֖ון לִשְׁמָמָ֑ה אַשְׁדֹּ֗וד בַּֽצָּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ יְגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּהָ וְעֶקְרֹ֖ון תֵּעָקֵֽר׃ ס

Gaza will be abandoned, Ashkelon will become desolate, Ashdod will be emptied by noon, Ekron will be ripped up.

5 הֹ֗וי יֹֽשְׁבֵ֛י חֶ֥בֶל הַיָּ֖ם גֹּ֣וי כְּרֵתִ֑ים דְּבַר־יְהוָ֣ה עֲלֵיכֶ֗ם כְּנַ֙עַן֙ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֖יךְ מֵאֵ֥ין יֹושֵֽׁב׃

What disaster is coming to you Philistines, you sea-people who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan! The Lord has passed judgment on you. I will destroy you—there will be no survivors.

6 וְֽהָיְתָ֞ה חֶ֣בֶל הַיָּ֗ם נְוֹ֛ת כְּרֹ֥ת רֹעִ֖ים וְגִדְרֹ֥ות צֹֽאן׃

Your seacoast will become pastures, with meadows for shepherds and sheep pens for flocks.

7 וְהָ֣יָה חֶ֗בֶל לִשְׁאֵרִ֛ית בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם יִרְע֑וּן בְּבָתֵּ֣י אַשְׁקְלֹ֗ון בָּעֶ֙רֶב֙ יִרְבָּצ֔וּן כִּ֧י יִפְקְדֵ֛ם יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם וְשָׁ֥ב שְׁבוּתָם (שְׁבִיתָֽם)׃

It will belong to those who remain of the people of Judah. They will graze their flocks there, and the shepherds will sleep in the abandoned houses of Ashkelon. For the Lord their God will be with them and make them prosperous again.

8 שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ חֶרְפַּ֣ת מֹואָ֔ב וְגִדּוּפֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֑ון אֲשֶׁ֤ר חֵֽרְפוּ֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וַיַּגְדִּ֖ילוּ עַל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃

I have heard the mocking taunts of the Moabites and the scornful derision of the Ammonites who have insulted my people and made threats against their territory.

9 לָכֵ֣ן חַי־אָ֡נִי נְאֻם֩ יְהוָ֨ה צְבָאֹ֜ות אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כִּֽי־מֹואָ֞ב כִּסְדֹ֤ם תִּֽהְיֶה֙ וּבְנֵ֤י עַמֹּון֙ כַּֽעֲמֹרָ֔ה מִמְשַׁ֥ק חָר֛וּל וּמִכְרֵה־מֶ֥לַח וּשְׁמָמָ֖ה עַד־עֹולָ֑ם שְׁאֵרִ֤ית עַמִּי֙ יְבָזּ֔וּם וְיֶ֥תֶר גֹּוי (גֹּויִ֖י) יִנְחָלֽוּם׃

Consequently, as I live, declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, the Moabites will become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah. Their land will become a place of weeds and salt pits and ruins forever. Those who remain of my people will plunder them and occupy their land.

10 זֹ֥את לָהֶ֖ם תַּ֣חַת גְּאֹונָ֑ם כִּ֤י חֵֽרְפוּ֙ וַיַּגְדִּ֔לוּ עַל־עַ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֹֽות׃

This is what they will receive for their pride because they mocked and threatened the people of the Lord Almighty.

11 נֹורָ֤א יְהוָה֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֣י רָזָ֔ה אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לֹו֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִמְּקֹומֹ֔ו כֹּ֖ל אִיֵּ֥י הַגֹּויִֽם׃

The Lord will make them terribly afraid as he starves to death all the gods of the land. Every nation will worship the Lord wherever they are—all around the world.

12 גַּם־אַתֶּ֣ם כּוּשִׁ֔ים חַֽלְלֵ֥י חַרְבִּ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃

You Ethiopians will be killed by the sword.

13 וְיֵ֤ט יָדֹו֙ עַל־צָפֹ֔ון וִֽיאַבֵּ֖ד אֶת־אַשּׁ֑וּר וְיָשֵׂ֤ם אֶת־נִֽינְוֵה֙ לִשְׁמָמָ֔ה צִיָּ֖ה כַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

The Lord will strike the Assyrians in the north and destroy them. He will make Nineveh desolate, a dry wasteland like the desert.

14 וְרָבְצ֨וּ בְתֹוכָ֤הּ עֲדָרִים֙ כָּל־חַיְתֹו־גֹ֔וי גַּם־קָאַת֙ גַּם־קִפֹּ֔ד בְּכַפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ יָלִ֑ינוּ קֹ֠ול יְשֹׁורֵ֤ר בַּֽחַלֹּון֙ חֹ֣רֶב בַּסַּ֔ף כִּ֥י אַרְזָ֖ה עֵרָֽה׃

Herds will lie down in the middle of the city. It will become the home for every kind of wild animal. Eagle owls and screech owls will roost on its columns. Their calls will echo through the windows. Rubble will block the doors, and the cedar woodwork will be exposed.

15 זֹ֞֠את הָעִ֤יר הָעַלִּיזָה֙ הַיֹּושֶׁ֣בֶת לָבֶ֔טַח הָאֹֽמְרָה֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔הּ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֣י עֹ֑וד אֵ֣יךְ ׀ הָיְתָ֣ה לְשַׁמָּ֗ה מַרְבֵּץ֙ לַֽחַיָּ֔ה כֹּ֚ל עֹובֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשְׁרֹ֖ק יָנִ֥יעַ יָדֹֽו׃ ס

This is what will happen to this triumphant city that thought it was so secure. “Look at me!” it said proudly to itself. “There is no city as great as me!” But it has become a desolate place—just a home for wild animals. Everyone who passes by will point their finger and laugh in derision.