Judgment on Judah's Enemies

Gather together, yes, gather,
    O (A)shameless nation,
(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.
(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.
(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.

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.
(P)And you, O seacoast, (Q)shall be pastures,
    with meadows[c] for shepherds
    and folds for flocks.
(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.

“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.
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

  1. Zephaniah 2:2 Hebrew gives birth
  2. Zephaniah 2:3 Or who carry out his judgment
  3. Zephaniah 2:6 Or caves
  4. Zephaniah 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation
  5. Zephaniah 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain

The Resurrection

24 (A)But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, (B)taking the spices they had prepared. And they found (C)the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, (D)two (E)men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were (F)frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, (G)while he was still in Galilee, (H)that the Son of Man (I)must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and (J)be crucified and on (K)the third day rise.” And (L)they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they (M)told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was (N)Mary Magdalene and (O)Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and (P)they did not believe them. 12 But (Q)Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw (R)the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

13 That very day (S)two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 (T)But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was (U)a prophet (V)mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and (W)how our chief priests and (X)rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was (Y)the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now (Z)the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. (AA)They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and (AB)when they did not find his body, they came back saying that (AC)they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 (AD)Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 (AE)Was it not necessary that (AF)the Christ should suffer these things and enter into (AG)his glory?” 27 And (AH)beginning with (AI)Moses and (AJ)all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. (AK)He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and (AL)the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and (AM)blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 (AN)And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And (AO)he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, (AP)“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he (AQ)opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they (AR)found the eleven and (AS)those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and (AT)has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and (AU)how he was known to them in (AV)the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

36 As they were talking about these things, (AW)Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were (AX)startled and (AY)frightened and (AZ)thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. (BA)Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, (BB)he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved (BC)for joy and were marveling, (BD)he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,[b] 43 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, (BE)“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, (BF)that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then (BG)he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus (BH)it is written, (BI)that the Christ should suffer and on the third day (BJ)rise from the dead, 47 and that (BK)repentance for[c] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed (BL)in his name (BM)to all nations, (BN)beginning from Jerusalem. 48 (BO)You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending (BP)the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you (BQ)are clothed with (BR)power (BS)from on high.”

The Ascension

50 And (BT)he led them out as far as (BU)Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, (BV)he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they (BW)worshiped him and (BX)returned to Jerusalem (BY)with great joy, 53 and (BZ)were continually in the temple (CA)blessing God.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 24:13 Greek sixty stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
  2. Luke 24:42 Some manuscripts add and some honeycomb
  3. Luke 24:47 Some manuscripts and

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