Tzefanyah 2
Orthodox Jewish Bible
2 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O shameful nation;
2 Before the decree brings forth, before the day passes like the chaff, before the charon af Hashem comes upon you, before the Yom Af Hashem (Day of Hashem’s Anger) comes upon you;
3 Seek ye Hashem, all ye anvei ha’aretz (humble of the land), which have wrought His mishpat; seek tzedek, seek anavah (meekness, humility); it may be ye shall be hid in the Yom Af Hashem.
4 For Azah (Gaza) shall be abandoned, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod in broad day, and Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Hoy (Woe) unto the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Keretim (Cretans)! The Devar Hashem is against you, O Kena’an, eretz of the Pelishtim (Philistines). I will even destroy thee, that there no inhabitant remains.
6 And the seacoast shall be dwellings and meadows for ro’im (shepherds), and pens for tzon.
7 And the coast shall be for the she’erit Bais Yehudah; they shall feed thereupon; in the batim (houses) of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the erev; for Hashem Eloheichem shall visit them, and restore their fortunes.
8 I have heard the reproach of Moav, and the revilings of the Bnei Ammon, whereby they have reproached My nation, and magnified themselves against their territory.
9 Therefore as I live, saith Hashem Tzva’os, Elohei Yisroel, Surely Moav shall be as Sodom, and the Bnei Ammon as Amora (Gomorrah), a place of weeds and salt pits, and desolation ad olam; the She’erit Ami shall plunder them, and the remnant of My nation shall possess them.
10 This shall they have in return for their ga’on (pride), because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the Am Hashem Tzva’os.
11 Hashem will be terrible unto them; for He will reduce to nothing all the elohei ha’aretz (g-ds of the land); and men shall worship Hashem, everyone from his place, even all the coasts and islands of the Goyim.
12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by My cherev.
13 And Hashem will stretch out His hand against the tzafon (north), and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like a midbar.
14 And herds shall lie down in the midst of it, all the beasts of the Goyim; both the desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns; their voice shall hoot in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; the beams of cedar will be exposed.
15 This is HaIr HaAlizah (the rejoicing city) that dwelt carelessly, that said in her lev, I am, and there is none beside me; how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and shake his fist.
Zephaniah 2
English Standard Version
Judgment on Judah's Enemies
2 Gather together, yes, gather,
O (A)shameless nation,
2 (B)before the decree takes effect[a]
—before the day passes away (C)like chaff—
(D)before there comes upon you
the burning anger of the Lord,
before there comes upon you
the day of the anger of the Lord.
3 (E)Seek the Lord, (F)all you humble of the land,
who do his just commands;[b]
(G)seek righteousness; seek humility;
(H)perhaps (I)you may be hidden
on the day of the anger of the Lord.
4 (J)For Gaza shall be deserted,
and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;
Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon,
and Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to (K)you inhabitants of the seacoast,
you nation of (L)the Cherethites!
(M)The word of the Lord is against you,
(N)O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
and I will destroy you (O)until no inhabitant is left.
6 (P)And you, O seacoast, (Q)shall be pastures,
with meadows[c] for shepherds
and folds for flocks.
7 (R)The seacoast shall become the possession
of (S)the remnant of the house of Judah,
(T)on which they shall graze,
and in the houses of Ashkelon
they shall lie down at evening.
For the Lord their God (U)will be mindful of them
and (V)restore their fortunes.
8 “I have heard (W)the taunts of Moab
and (X)the revilings of the Ammonites,
how they have taunted my people
and made boasts (Y)against their territory.
9 Therefore, (Z)as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel,
“Moab shall become (AA)like Sodom,
and the Ammonites (AB)like Gomorrah,
a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,
and a waste forever.
The remnant of my people shall plunder them,
and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
10 This shall be their lot in return (AC)for their pride,
because they taunted and boasted
against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be awesome against them;
(AD)for he will famish all the gods of the earth,
and (AE)to him shall bow down,
each in its place,
all (AF)the lands of the nations.
12 (AG)You also, O Cushites,
shall be slain by my sword.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north
(AH)and destroy Assyria,
and he (AI)will make Nineveh a desolation,
a dry waste like the desert.
14 (AJ)Herds shall lie down in her midst,
all kinds of beasts;[d]
(AK)even the owl and the hedgehog[e]
shall lodge in her capitals;
a voice shall hoot in the window;
devastation will be on the threshold;
for (AL)her cedar work will be laid bare.
15 This is the exultant city
(AM)that lived securely,
that said in her heart,
“I am, and there is no one else.”
What a desolation she has become,
(AN)a lair for wild beasts!
(AO)Everyone who passes by her
hisses and (AP)shakes his fist.
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 2:2 Hebrew gives birth
- Zephaniah 2:3 Or who carry out his judgment
- Zephaniah 2:6 Or caves
- Zephaniah 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation
- Zephaniah 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain
Zefanja 2
Het Boek
Het oordeel over de volken
2 Kom tot inkeer, schaamteloos volk! 2 Nu kan het nog, straks is het te laat. Kom tot uzelf, voordat de toorn van de Here over u losbarst en de dag van zijn oordeel aanbreekt. 3 Laten de nederigen die de Here gehoorzamen, Hem om redding smeken. Wees nederig en rechtvaardig. Misschien zal de Here u op die dag sparen. 4 Gaza, Askelon, Asdod en Ekron, al deze Filistijnse steden zullen door verwoesting getroffen worden en veranderen in ruïnes. 5 Onheil komt over u, Filistijnen die aan de kust en in het land Kanaän wonen! Ook u wordt door het oordeel van de Here getroffen. Hij zal u tot de laatste man uitroeien. 6 De kuststreek zal veranderen in een weidegebied voor schapen en geiten. 7 De weinige overlevenden van de stam Juda zullen daar weidegrond vinden. Zij zullen ʼs nachts slapen in de verlaten huizen van Askelon. Want de Here, hun God, zal naar hen omzien en een verandering ten goede bewerken.
8 ‘Ik heb gehoord hoe de Moabieten en Ammonieten mijn volk uitlachten en bespotten en hoe zij het land van mijn volk verachtten. 9 Daarom, zo waar Ik leef,’ zegt de Here van de hemelse legers, de God van Israël, ‘Ik zal Moab en Ammon verwoesten, net zoals Ik met Sodom en Gomorra heb gedaan. Zij zullen voor eeuwig veranderen in een veld vol distels, in een zoutafgraving en in een woestenij. Wie van mijn volk zijn overgebleven, zullen hen plunderen en hun land in bezit nemen.’ 10 Dit zal het loon zijn voor hun overmoed, want zij hebben gespot en zijn tekeer gegaan tegen het volk van de Here van de hemelse legers. 11 De Here zal hun vreselijke dingen laten overkomen. Hij zal alle afgoden ter wereld laten wegteren en iedereen zal Hem aanbidden, ieder volk in zijn eigen land. 12 Ook u, Ethiopiërs, zult door zijn zwaard worden geveld 13 en hetzelfde zal de landen in het noorden overkomen. Hij zal Assur vernietigen en zijn hoofdstad Ninevé veranderen in een wildernis, in een dorre woestijn. 14 Deze stad zal weidegrond worden voor schapen en allerlei wilde dieren zullen daar hun holen hebben. Pelikanen en roerdompen zullen overnachten in de ruïnes. Hoor eens hoe zij krijsen door de kapotte vensters! Elk huis is een puinhoop en de cederhouten betimmering is totaal vernield. 15 Dat is nu de stad die eens zo uitgelaten en onbezorgd was! Dat zijn de restanten van de stad die bij zichzelf zei: ‘Ik ben de allergrootste stad ter wereld!’ Kijk eens wat een woestenij zij is geworden! Zij werd een plaats waar de wilde dieren wonen. Ieder die haar passeert, zal haar bespotten en vol afschuw met de handen schudden.
Zephaniah 2
King James Version
2 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you.
3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.
4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.
9 Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.
14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar work.
15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.
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