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Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation that has no shame, before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Yahweh comes on you, before the day of Yahweh’s anger comes on you. Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh’s anger. For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up. Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! Yahweh’s word is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy you, that there will be no inhabitant. The sea coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks. The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for Yahweh, their God,[a] will visit them, and restore them. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the children of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them. 10 This they will have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Yahweh of Armies. 11 Yahweh will be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations. 12 You Cushites also, you will be killed by my sword. 13 He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness. 14 Herds will lie down in the middle of her, all the animals of the nations. Both the pelican and the porcupine will lodge in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows. Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar beams. 15 This is the joyous city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a place for animals to lie down in! Everyone who passes by her will hiss, and shake their fists.

Footnotes

  1. 2:7 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

A Call to Repentance

Gather yourselves together;
gather together, undesirable[a] nation,
before the decree(A) takes effect
and the day passes like chaff,
before the burning of the Lord’s anger overtakes you,
before the day of the Lord’s anger overtakes you.
Seek the Lord,(B) all you humble(C) of the earth,
who carry out what He commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be concealed(D)
on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Judgment against the Nations

For Gaza will be abandoned,
and Ashkelon will become a ruin.
Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
and Ekron will be uprooted.(E)
Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast,
nation of the Cherethites![b](F)
The word of the Lord is against you,
Canaan, land of the Philistines:
I will destroy you until there is no one left.
The seacoast will become pasturelands
with caves for shepherds and folds for sheep.
The coastland will belong
to the remnant of the house of Judah;
they will find pasture there.
They will lie down in the evening
among the houses of Ashkelon,
for the Lord their God will return to them
and restore their fortunes.

I have heard the taunting of Moab
and the insults of the Ammonites,(G)
who have taunted My people
and threatened their territory.
Therefore, as I live—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts,
the God of Israel—
Moab will be like Sodom
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah(H)
a place overgrown with weeds,
a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland.
The remnant of My people will plunder them;
the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.
10 This is what they get for their pride,
because they have taunted and acted arrogantly(I)
against the people of the Lord of Hosts.
11 The Lord will be terrifying to them
when He starves all the gods of the earth.
Then all the distant coastlands of the nations
will bow in worship to Him,
each in its own place.

12 You Cushites will also be slain by My sword.(J)

13 He will also stretch out His hand against the north
and destroy Assyria;
He will make Nineveh a desolate ruin,(K)
dry as the desert.
14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it,
every kind of wild animal.[c]
Both the desert owl[d] and the screech owl[e]
will roost in the capitals of its pillars.
Their calls will sound[f] from the window,
but devastation[g] will be on the threshold,
for He will expose the cedar work.[h]
15 This is the self-assured(L) city
that lives in security,
that thinks to herself:
I exist, and there is no one else.
What a desolation she has become,
a place for wild animals to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
jeers[i] and shakes his fist.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:1 Or shameless
  2. Zephaniah 2:5 = Sea Peoples
  3. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit every wild animal of a nation
  4. Zephaniah 2:14 Or the pelican
  5. Zephaniah 2:14 Or the hedgehog
  6. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit sing
  7. Zephaniah 2:14 LXX, Vg read ravens
  8. Zephaniah 2:14 Hb obscure
  9. Zephaniah 2:15 Or hisses