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A Message for Philistia

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Philistia have acted against Judah out of bitter revenge and long-standing contempt.

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A Prophecy Against Philistia

15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines(A) acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice(B) in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah,

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A Message for Edom

12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Edom have sinned greatly by avenging themselves against the people of Judah.

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A Prophecy Against Edom

12 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom(A) took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so,

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“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you clapped and danced and cheered with glee at the destruction of my people,

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For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you have clapped your hands(A) and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,(B)

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29 Do not rejoice, you Philistines,
    that the rod that struck you is broken—
    that the king who attacked you is dead.
For from that snake a more poisonous snake will be born,
    a fiery serpent to destroy you!
30 I will feed the poor in my pasture;
    the needy will lie down in peace.
But as for you, I will wipe you out with famine
    and destroy the few who remain.
31 Wail at the gates! Weep in the cities!
    Melt with fear, you Philistines!
A powerful army comes like smoke from the north.
    Each soldier rushes forward eager to fight.

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29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,(A)
    that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,(B)
    its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.(C)
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
    and the needy(D) will lie down in safety.(E)
But your root I will destroy by famine;(F)
    it will slay(G) your survivors.(H)

31 Wail,(I) you gate!(J) Howl, you city!
    Melt away, all you Philistines!(K)
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,(L)
    and there is not a straggler in its ranks.(M)

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The city of Ashkelon will see Tyre fall
    and will be filled with fear.
Gaza will shake with terror,
    as will Ekron, for their hopes will be dashed.
Gaza’s king will be killed,
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
Foreigners will occupy the city of Ashdod.
    I will destroy the pride of the Philistines.
I will grab the bloody meat from their mouths
    and snatch the detestable sacrifices from their teeth.
Then the surviving Philistines will worship our God
    and become like a clan in Judah.[a]
The Philistines of Ekron will join my people,
    as the ancient Jebusites once did.
I will guard my Temple
    and protect it from invading armies.
I am watching closely to ensure
    that no more foreign oppressors overrun my people’s land.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:7 Hebrew like a leader in Judah.

Ashkelon(A) will see it and fear;
    Gaza will writhe in agony,
    and Ekron too, for her hope will wither.
Gaza will lose her king
    and Ashkelon will be deserted.
A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod,
    and I will put an end(B) to the pride of the Philistines.
I will take the blood from their mouths,
    the forbidden food from between their teeth.
Those who are left will belong to our God(C)
    and become a clan in Judah,
    and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.(D)
But I will encamp(E) at my temple
    to guard it against marauding forces.(F)
Never again will an oppressor overrun my people,
    for now I am keeping watch.(G)

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20 along with all the foreigners living in that land. I also gave it to all the kings of the land of Uz and the kings of the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod.

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20 and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz;(A) all the kings of the Philistines(B) (those of Ashkelon,(C) Gaza,(D) Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod);

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18 And the Philistines had raided towns located in the foothills of Judah[a] and in the Negev of Judah. They had already captured and occupied Beth-shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and Gimzo with its villages.

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Footnotes

  1. 28:18 Hebrew the Shephelah.

18 while the Philistines(A) had raided towns in the foothills and in the Negev of Judah. They captured and occupied Beth Shemesh, Aijalon(B) and Gederoth,(C) as well as Soko,(D) Timnah(E) and Gimzo, with their surrounding villages.

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Judgment against Philistia

Gaza and Ashkelon will be abandoned,
    Ashdod and Ekron torn down.
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.
The Philistine coast will become a wilderness pasture,
    a place of shepherd camps
    and enclosures for sheep and goats.
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.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:5 Hebrew Kerethites.

Philistia

Gaza(A) will be abandoned
    and Ashkelon(B) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
    and Ekron uprooted.
Woe to you who live by the sea,
    you Kerethite(C) people;
the word of the Lord is against you,(D)
    Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
    and none will be left.”(E)
The land by the sea will become pastures
    having wells for shepherds
    and pens for flocks.(F)
That land will belong
    to the remnant(G) of the people of Judah;
    there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
    in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
    he will restore their fortunes.[a](H)

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives

This is what the Lord says:

“The people of Gaza have sinned again and again,
    and I will not let them go unpunished!
They sent whole villages into exile,
    selling them as slaves to Edom.
So I will send down fire on the walls of Gaza,
    and all its fortresses will be destroyed.
I will slaughter the people of Ashdod
    and destroy the king of Ashkelon.
Then I will turn to attack Ekron,
    and the few Philistines still left will be killed,”
    says the Sovereign Lord.

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This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Gaza,(A)
    even for four, I will not relent.(B)
Because she took captive whole communities
    and sold them to Edom,(C)
I will send fire on the walls of Gaza
    that will consume her fortresses.
I will destroy the king[a] of Ashdod(D)
    and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon.
I will turn my hand(E) against Ekron,
    till the last of the Philistines(F) are dead,”(G)
says the Sovereign Lord.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 1:8 Or inhabitants

“What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and you cities of Philistia? Are you trying to take revenge on me? If you are, then watch out! I will strike swiftly and pay you back for everything you have done. You have taken my silver and gold and all my precious treasures, and have carried them off to your pagan temples. You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,[a] so they could take them far from their homeland.

“But I will bring them back from all the places to which you sold them, and I will pay you back for everything you have done. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the people of Arabia,[b] a nation far away. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Say to the nations far and wide:
    “Get ready for war!
Call out your best warriors.
    Let all your fighting men advance for the attack.
10 Hammer your plowshares into swords
    and your pruning hooks into spears.
    Train even your weaklings to be warriors.
11 Come quickly, all you nations everywhere.
    Gather together in the valley.”

And now, O Lord, call out your warriors!

12 “Let the nations be called to arms.
    Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I, the Lord, will sit
    to pronounce judgment on them all.
13 Swing the sickle,
    for the harvest is ripe.[c]
Come, tread the grapes,
    for the winepress is full.
The storage vats are overflowing
    with the wickedness of these people.”

14 Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision.
    There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.
15 The sun and moon will grow dark,
    and the stars will no longer shine.
16 The Lord’s voice will roar from Zion
    and thunder from Jerusalem,
    and the heavens and the earth will shake.
But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,
    a strong fortress for the people of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God,
    live in Zion, my holy mountain.
Jerusalem will be holy forever,
    and foreign armies will never conquer her again.
18 In that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine,
    and the hills will flow with milk.
Water will fill the streambeds of Judah,
    and a fountain will burst forth from the Lord’s Temple,
    watering the arid valley of acacias.[d]
19 But Egypt will become a wasteland
    and Edom will become a wilderness,
because they attacked the people of Judah
    and killed innocent people in their land.

20 “But Judah will be filled with people forever,
    and Jerusalem will endure through all generations.
21 I will pardon my people’s crimes,
    which I have not yet pardoned;
and I, the Lord, will make my home
    in Jerusalem[e] with my people.”

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Footnotes

  1. 3:6 Hebrew to the peoples of Javan.
  2. 3:8 Hebrew to the Sabeans.
  3. 3:13 Greek version reads for the harvest time has come. Compare Mark 4:29.
  4. 3:18 Hebrew valley of Shittim.
  5. 3:21 Hebrew Zion.

“Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon(A) and all you regions of Philistia?(B) Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done.(C) For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples.[a](D) You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks,(E) that you might send them far from their homeland.

“See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them,(F) and I will return(G) on your own heads what you have done. I will sell your sons(H) and daughters to the people of Judah,(I) and they will sell them to the Sabeans,(J) a nation far away.” The Lord has spoken.(K)

Proclaim this among the nations:
    Prepare for war!(L)
Rouse the warriors!(M)
    Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
    and your pruning hooks(N) into spears.(O)
Let the weakling(P) say,
    “I am strong!”(Q)
11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side,
    and assemble(R) there.

Bring down your warriors,(S) Lord!

12 “Let the nations be roused;
    let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,(T)
for there I will sit
    to judge(U) all the nations on every side.
13 Swing the sickle,(V)
    for the harvest(W) is ripe.
Come, trample the grapes,(X)
    for the winepress(Y) is full
    and the vats overflow—
so great is their wickedness!”

14 Multitudes,(Z) multitudes
    in the valley(AA) of decision!
For the day of the Lord(AB) is near
    in the valley of decision.(AC)
15 The sun and moon will be darkened,
    and the stars no longer shine.(AD)
16 The Lord will roar(AE) from Zion
    and thunder from Jerusalem;(AF)
    the earth and the heavens will tremble.(AG)
But the Lord will be a refuge(AH) for his people,
    a stronghold(AI) for the people of Israel.

Blessings for God’s People

17 “Then you will know(AJ) that I, the Lord your God,(AK)
    dwell in Zion,(AL) my holy hill.(AM)
Jerusalem will be holy;(AN)
    never again will foreigners invade her.(AO)

18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine,(AP)
    and the hills will flow with milk;(AQ)
    all the ravines of Judah will run with water.(AR)
A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house(AS)
    and will water the valley of acacias.[b](AT)
19 But Egypt(AU) will be desolate,
    Edom(AV) a desert waste,
because of violence(AW) done to the people of Judah,
    in whose land they shed innocent blood.
20 Judah will be inhabited forever(AX)
    and Jerusalem through all generations.
21 Shall I leave their innocent blood unavenged?(AY)
    No, I will not.(AZ)

The Lord dwells in Zion!(BA)

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 3:5 Or palaces
  2. Joel 3:18 Or Valley of Shittim

A Message about Philistia

47 This is the Lord’s message to the prophet Jeremiah concerning the Philistines of Gaza, before it was captured by the Egyptian army. This is what the Lord says:

“A flood is coming from the north
    to overflow the land.
It will destroy the land and everything in it—
    cities and people alike.
People will scream in terror,
    and everyone in the land will wail.
Hear the clatter of stallions’ hooves
    and the rumble of wheels as the chariots rush by.
Terrified fathers run madly,
    without a backward glance at their helpless children.

“The time has come for the Philistines to be destroyed,
    along with their allies from Tyre and Sidon.
Yes, the Lord is destroying the remnant of the Philistines,
    those colonists from the island of Crete.[a]
Gaza will be humiliated, its head shaved bald;
    Ashkelon will lie silent.
You remnant from the Mediterranean coast,[b]
    how long will you cut yourselves in mourning?

“Now, O sword of the Lord,
    when will you be at rest again?
Go back into your sheath;
    rest and be still.

“But how can it be still
    when the Lord has sent it on a mission?
For the city of Ashkelon
    and the people living along the sea
    must be destroyed.”

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Footnotes

  1. 47:4 Hebrew from Caphtor.
  2. 47:5 Hebrew the plain.

A Message About the Philistines

47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines(A) before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:(B)

This is what the Lord says:

“See how the waters are rising in the north;(C)
    they will become an overflowing torrent.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
    the towns and those who live in them.
The people will cry out;
    all who dwell in the land will wail(D)
at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
    at the noise of enemy chariots(E)
    and the rumble of their wheels.
Parents will not turn to help their children;
    their hands will hang limp.(F)
For the day has come
    to destroy all the Philistines
and to remove all survivors
    who could help Tyre(G) and Sidon.(H)
The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,(I)
    the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a](J)
Gaza will shave(K) her head in mourning;
    Ashkelon(L) will be silenced.
You remnant on the plain,
    how long will you cut(M) yourselves?

“‘Alas, sword(N) of the Lord,
    how long till you rest?
Return to your sheath;
    cease and be still.’(O)
But how can it rest
    when the Lord has commanded it,
when he has ordered it
    to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 47:4 That is, Crete

12 The Syrians[a] from the east and the Philistines from the west
    will bare their fangs and devour Israel.
But even then the Lord’s anger will not be satisfied.
    His fist is still poised to strike.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:12 Hebrew Arameans.

12 Arameans(A) from the east and Philistines(B) from the west
    have devoured(C) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger(D) is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(E)

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Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites;
    and people from Philistia and Tyre.

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Byblos,(A) Ammon(B) and Amalek,(C)
    Philistia,(D) with the people of Tyre.(E)

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