Zephaniah 2
New Living Translation
A Call to Repentance
2 Gather together—yes, gather together,
you shameless nation.
2 Gather before judgment begins,
before your time to repent is blown away like chaff.
Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls
and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger begins.
3 Seek the Lord, all who are humble,
and follow his commands.
Seek to do what is right
and to live humbly.
Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you—
protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.
Judgment against Philistia
4 Gaza and Ashkelon will be abandoned,
Ashdod and Ekron torn down.
5 And what sorrow awaits you Philistines[a]
who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan,
for this judgment is against you, too!
The Lord will destroy you
until not one of you is left.
6 The Philistine coast will become a wilderness pasture,
a place of shepherd camps
and enclosures for sheep and goats.
7 The remnant of the tribe of Judah will pasture there.
They will rest at night in the abandoned houses in Ashkelon.
For the Lord their God will visit his people in kindness
and restore their prosperity again.
Judgment against Moab and Ammon
8 “I have heard the taunts of the Moabites
and the insults of the Ammonites,
mocking my people
and invading their borders.
9 Now, as surely as I live,”
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,
“Moab and Ammon will be destroyed—
destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah.
Their land will become a place of stinging nettles,
salt pits, and eternal desolation.
The remnant of my people will plunder them
and take their land.”
10 They will receive the wages of their pride,
for they have scoffed at the people of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
11 The Lord will terrify them
as he destroys all the gods in the land.
Then nations around the world will worship the Lord,
each in their own land.
Judgment against Ethiopia and Assyria
12 “You Ethiopians[b] will also be slaughtered
by my sword,” says the Lord.
13 And the Lord will strike the lands of the north with his fist,
destroying the land of Assyria.
He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland,
parched like a desert.
14 The proud city will become a pasture for flocks and herds,
and all sorts of wild animals will settle there.
The desert owl and screech owl will roost on its ruined columns,
their calls echoing through the gaping windows.
Rubble will block all the doorways,
and the cedar paneling will be exposed to the weather.
15 This is the boisterous city,
once so secure.
“I am the greatest!” it boasted.
“No other city can compare with me!”
But now, look how it has become an utter ruin,
a haven for wild animals.
Everyone passing by will laugh in derision
and shake a defiant fist.
Zephaniah 2
Amplified Bible
Judgments on Judah’s Enemies
2 Gather yourselves together [in repentance], yes, gather [in submission],
O nation without shame,
2
Before the decree takes effect [and the time for repentance is lost]—
The day passes like the chaff [whirled by the wind]—
Before the burning and fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you.
3
Seek the Lord [search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life],
All you humble of the land
Who have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments;
Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital].
Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued]
In the day of the Lord’s anger.
4
For [this is the fate of the Philistines:] Gaza will be abandoned
And Ashkelon a desolation;
[The people of] Ashdod will be driven out at noon [in broad daylight]
And Ekron will be uprooted and destroyed.
5
Woe (judgment is coming) to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
I will destroy you
So that no inhabitant will be left.
6
So the [depopulated] seacoast shall be pastures,
With [deserted] meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7
The [a]seacoast will belong
To the remnant of the house of Judah;
They will pasture [their flocks] on it.
In the [deserted] houses of Ashkelon [in Philistia] they [of Judah] will lie down and rest in the evening,
For the Lord their God will care for them;
And restore their fortune [permitting them to occupy the land].(A)
8
“I have heard the taunting of Moab
And the revilings of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have taunted My people
And become arrogant against their territory [by violating Israel’s boundary and trying to seize its land].
9
“Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel,
“[b]Moab will in fact become like Sodom
And the [c]sons of Ammon like Gomorrah,
A land possessed by nettles and salt pits,
And a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of My people will plunder them
And what is left of My nation will inherit them [as their own].”
10 This they shall have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts. 11 The Lord will be terrifying and awesome to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down and worship Him, everyone from his own place.(B)
12
“You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”(C)
13
And the Lord will stretch out His hand against the north
And destroy Assyria,
And He will make Nineveh a desolation [a wasteland],
Parched as the desert.(D)
14
Flocks will lie down in her midst,
All the animals which range in herds;
Both the pelican and the short-eared owl
Will roost on the top of Nineveh’s pillars.
Birds will sing in the window,
Desolation will be on the threshold;
For He has uncovered the cedar paneling.
15
This is the joyous city
Which dwells carelessly [feeling so secure],
Who says in her heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
What a desolation she has become,
A lair for [wild] animals!
Everyone who passes by her will hiss [in scorn]
And wave his hand in contempt.(E)
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 2:7 This is one of the more than twenty-five details of Bible prophecy about the promised land that has been literally fulfilled. See note Ezek 26:14 for information about a similar fulfillment of Bible prophecy with regard to Tyre.
- Zephaniah 2:9 The descendants of Lot and his elder daughter (Gen 19:37).
- Zephaniah 2:9 Descendants of Lot and his younger daughter (Gen 19:38).
Sofonías 2
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Castigo de los enemigos de Judá
2 Congréguense, congréguense(A),
Oh nación sin pudor(B),
2 Antes que entre en vigencia el decreto
(Como tamo pasa el día(C)),
Antes que venga sobre ustedes
El ardor de la ira del Señor(D),
Antes que venga sobre ustedes
El día de la ira del Señor(E).
3 Busquen al Señor(F),
Todos ustedes, humildes de la tierra(G)
Que han cumplido Sus preceptos;
Busquen la justicia, busquen la humildad(H).
Quizá serán protegidos
El día de la ira del Señor(I).
4 Porque Gaza(J) será abandonada,
Y Ascalón(K) desolada;
Asdod(L) será expulsada al mediodía,
Y Ecrón(M) será desarraigada.
5 ¡Ay de los habitantes de la costa del mar,
La nación de los cereteos(N)!
La palabra del Señor está contra ustedes(O):
Canaán, tierra de los filisteos(P),
Yo te destruiré hasta que no quede habitante alguno(Q).
6 Y la costa del mar se convertirá en pastizales,
En campos para pastores y rediles para ovejas(R).
7 La costa será
Para el remanente(S) de la casa de Judá;
Allí apacentarán(T)
Y en las casas de Ascalón reposarán al atardecer;
Porque el Señor su Dios los cuidará(U)
Y los hará volver de su cautiverio(V).
8 «He oído las afrentas de Moab(W)
Y los ultrajes de los amonitas(X),
Con los cuales afrentaron a Mi pueblo
Y se engrandecieron sobre su territorio(Y).
9 Por tanto, vivo Yo», declara el Señor de los ejércitos,
Dios de Israel,
«Que Moab(Z) será como Sodoma(AA),
Y Amón(AB) como Gomorra(AC):
Campo de ortigas y mina de sal,
Una desolación perpetua.
El remanente de Mi pueblo los saqueará(AD),
Y el resto de Mi nación los heredará».
10 Esto tendrán ellos como pago por su orgullo(AE), porque han afrentado(AF) y se han engrandecido sobre el pueblo del Señor de los ejércitos. 11 Terrible será el Señor contra ellos(AG), porque debilitará a todos los dioses de la tierra(AH); y se inclinarán a Él(AI) todas las costas de las naciones cada una desde su lugar.
12 «También ustedes, etíopes, serán muertos por Mi espada(AJ)».
13 Él extenderá Su mano contra el norte(AK)
Y destruirá a Asiria(AL),
Y hará de Nínive una desolación(AM),
árida como el desierto.
14 Los rebaños se echarán en medio de ella,
Toda clase de animales.
Tanto el pelícano como el erizo(AN)
Pasarán la noche en los capiteles;
El ave cantará en la ventana,
Habrá desolación en el umbral,
Porque Él ha dejado al descubierto el entablado de cedro.
15 Esta es la ciudad divertida(AO)
Que vivía confiada(AP),
Que decía en su corazón:
«Yo soy, y no hay otra más que yo(AQ)».
¡Cómo ha sido hecha una desolación(AR),
Una guarida de fieras!
Todo el que pase por ella silbará
Y agitará su mano(AS).
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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