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Judgment of Judah’s Enemies

Gather yourselves together! Now gather together,
    O nation having no shame!
Before the birth of the decree,
    the day flies away like chaff;
before the fierce anger of Yahweh overtakes you;
    before the day of the anger of Yahweh overtakes you.
Seek Yahweh, all you afflicted of the land
    who have fulfilled his law;
seek righteousness;
    seek humility.
Perhaps you will be concealed
    on the day of the anger of Yahweh.
For Gaza will be abandoned,
    and Ashkelon as a desolation.
As for Ashdod, at noon they will drive her away,
    and Ekron shall be uprooted.
Woe to you, inhabitants of the region of the sea,
    people of the Kerethites!
The word of Yahweh is against you,
    O Canaan, land of the Philistines.
I will destroy you until there is no inhabitant.[a]
And you, O region of the sea, shall become
    pastures and meadows for shepherds
    and sheep pens for the flocks.
And it shall become a region
    for the remnant of the house of Judah;
    upon them they shall graze,
and in the houses of Ashkelon
    they shall lie down in the evening.
For Yahweh their God shall be mindful of them,
    and he will restore their fortunes.
I have heard the reproaches of Moab
    and the scorning of the Ammonites,[b]
with which they have taunted my nation
    and made boasts against their territory.
“Therefore, as I live”—a declaration of Yahweh of hosts,
    the God of Israel—
“Moab shall be as Sodom,
    and the Ammonites[c] like Gomorrah,
a place of weeds and salt pits
    and a desolation forever.
The remnant of my people shall plunder them,
    and the remainder of my nation shall possess them.”
10 This shall be for them in place of their pride
    because they mocked and boasted
    against the people of Yahweh of hosts.
11 Yahweh will be awesome against them,
    for he will destroy all the gods of the earth
and all the lands[d] of the nations;
    each in its place will bow down to him.
12 You also, O Cushites,
    they shall be killed by my sword.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north,
    and he will destroy Assyria
and will make Nineveh a desolation,
    a dry wasteland like the desert.
14 Herds shall lie down in her midst,
    every wild animal of a nation;
even the desert owl and the screech owl
    shall lodge on her capitals.
A voice shall hoot in the window;
    rubble[e] on the threshold;
for the cedar is laid bare.
15 This is the city of rejoicing
    that lived securely;
the one saying in her heart,
    I am, and there is none besides me.”[f]
How she has become a desolation,
    a lair for wild animals!
Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:5 Literally “from there is not an inhabitant”
  2. Zephaniah 2:8 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
  3. Zephaniah 2:9 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
  4. Zephaniah 2:11 Or “islands”
  5. Zephaniah 2:14 The traditional Hebrew text has “waste,” while LXX has “a raven,” reflecting a different word with one consonant changed
  6. Zephaniah 2:15 Literally “I am and none me”

Judgments on Judah’s Enemies

Gather yourselves together, yes, (A)join together,
You nation (B)without [a]shame,
Before the decree [b]takes effect—
The day passes (C)like chaff—
Before the (D)burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the (E)day of the Lords anger comes upon you.
(F)Seek the Lord,
All you (G)humble of the [c]earth
Who have practiced His [d]ordinances;
(H)Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will (I)remain hidden
On the day of the Lords anger.

For (J)Gaza will be abandoned,
And Ashkelon will become a desolation;
The inhabitants of (K)Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
And (L)Ekron will be uprooted.
Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the [e](M)Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is (N)against you,
(O)Canaan, land of the Philistines;
And I will (P)eliminate you
So that there will be (Q)no inhabitant.
So the seacoast will become (R)grazing places,
With pastures for shepherds and folds for flocks.
And the coast will be
For the (S)remnant of the house of Judah,
They will (T)drive sheep to pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the Lord their God will (U)care for them
And (V)restore their fortunes.

“I have heard the (W)taunting of Moab
And the (X)abusive speech of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have taunted My people
And (Y)boasted against their territory.
Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of armies,
The God of Israel,
(Z)Moab will assuredly be like (AA)Sodom,
And the sons of (AB)Ammon like (AC)Gomorrah—
Ground overgrown with weeds and full of salt mines,
And a permanent desolation.
The remnant of My people will (AD)plunder them,
And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

10 This they will have in return for their (AE)arrogance, because they have (AF)taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of armies. 11 The Lord will be (AG)terrifying to them, for He will [f]starve (AH)all the gods of the earth; and all the (AI)coastlands of the nations will (AJ)bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.

12 “You also, (AK)Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will (AL)stretch out His hand against the north
And eliminate (AM)Assyria,
And He will make (AN)Nineveh a desolation,
Parched like the wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
[g]All animals that range in herds;
Both the [h](AO)pelican and the hedgehog
Will spend their nights in [i]the tops of her pillars;
[j]Birds will sing in the window,
Devastation will be on the threshold;
For He has uncovered the cedar work.
15 This is the (AP)presumptuous city
That (AQ)dwells securely,
Who says in her heart,
(AR)I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a (AS)desolation,
A resting place for animals!
(AT)Everyone who passes by her will [k]hiss
And wave his hand in contempt.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:1 Or longing
  2. Zephaniah 2:2 Lit gives birth
  3. Zephaniah 2:3 Or land
  4. Zephaniah 2:3 Or justice
  5. Zephaniah 2:5 I.e., a segment of the Philistines with roots in Crete
  6. Zephaniah 2:11 Lit allow to dwindle
  7. Zephaniah 2:14 Or All kinds of beasts in crowds; lit Every kind of beast of a nation
  8. Zephaniah 2:14 Or owl; or jackdaw
  9. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit her capitals
  10. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit A voice
  11. Zephaniah 2:15 Or whistle