צְפַנְיָה 2

1 הִֽתְקֹושְׁשׁ֖וּ וָקֹ֑ושּׁוּ הַגֹּ֖וי לֹ֥א נִכְסָֽף׃

Be ashamed within yourselves, be ashamed,

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

before you become as the drifting chaff, before the anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you.

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

Seek the Lord all you meek of the earth, you who obey his law; Seek righteousness, seek meekness; perhaps you may be hidden in the day of the Lord’s wrath.

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

For Gaza will be forsaken; Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod – by noon will they rout her and Ekron be torn up!

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

Woe to those who live by the sea coast, people of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines! I will destroy you so that you will be without inhabitants,

6 וְֽהָיְתָ֞ה חֶ֣בֶל הַיָּ֗ם נְוֹ֛ת כְּרֹ֥ת רֹעִ֖ים וְגִדְרֹ֥ות צֹֽאן׃

and you will become shepherds’ cots and folds for flocks.

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

The sea coast will belong to the survivors of the house of Judah. They will pasture their flocks there. In the house of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening. The Lord their God will be with them and restore their fortunes.

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

I have heard the taunts of Moab, and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people, and spoken boastfully concerning their border.

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׃

Therefore as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Moab will be like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a pile of nettles and saltpits, and a desolation, forever. The residue of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

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

This will they have for their pride, because they have taunted and spoken boastfully against the people of the Lord of hosts.

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

The Lord will terrify them; he will reduce all the gods of the earth; then all the peoples of the nations will worship him, each in their own land.

12 גַּם־אַתֶּ֣ם כּוּשִׁ֔ים חַֽלְלֵ֥י חַרְבִּ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃

You, also, Ethiopians, slain by his sword are you!

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

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

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 it, every beast of the earth, Desert owl and screech owl will lodge in its capitals. The owl will hoot in the window, the raven on the doorstep, all stripped bare of cedar.

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 the exultant city which sat secure. The city who said to herself, I am and there is none else! How has she become a desolation! A lair of beasts! Every passerby hisses at her, shakes their hand.