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
Zephaniah 2
New King James Version
A Call to Repentance
2 Gather(A) yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O [a]undesirable nation,
2 Before the decree is issued,
Or the day passes like chaff,
Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you,
Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
3 (B)Seek the Lord, (C)all you meek of the earth,
Who have upheld His justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
(D)It may be that you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger.
Judgment on Nations
4 For (E)Gaza shall be forsaken,
And Ashkelon desolate;
They shall drive out Ashdod (F)at noonday,
And Ekron shall be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of (G)the seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O (H)Canaan, land of the Philistines:
“I will destroy you;
So there shall be no inhabitant.”
6 The seacoast shall be pastures,
With [b]shelters for shepherds (I)and folds for flocks.
7 The coast shall be for (J)the remnant of the house of Judah;
They shall feed their flocks there;
In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening.
For the Lord their God will (K)intervene[c] for them,
And (L)return their captives.
8 “I(M) have heard the reproach of Moab,
And (N)the insults of the people of Ammon,
With which they have reproached My people,
And (O)made arrogant threats against their borders.
9 Therefore, as I live,”
Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
“Surely (P)Moab shall be like Sodom,
And (Q)the people of Ammon like Gomorrah—
(R)Overrun[d] with weeds and saltpits,
And a [e]perpetual desolation.
The residue of My people shall plunder them,
And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”
10 This they shall have (S)for their pride,
Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats
Against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be awesome to them,
For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
(T)People shall worship Him,
Each one from his place,
Indeed all (U)the shores of the nations.
13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north,
(X)Destroy Assyria,
And make Nineveh a desolation,
As dry as the wilderness.
14 The herds shall lie down in her midst,
(Y)Every beast of the nation.
Both the (Z)pelican and the bittern
Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars;
Their voice shall sing in the windows;
Desolation shall be at the threshold;
For He will lay bare the (AA)cedar work.
15 This is the rejoicing city
(AB)That dwelt securely,
(AC)That said in her heart,
“I am it, and there is none besides me.”
How has she become a desolation,
A place for beasts to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
(AD)Shall hiss and (AE)shake his fist.
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 2:1 Or shameless
- Zephaniah 2:6 Underground huts or cisterns, lit. excavations
- Zephaniah 2:7 Lit. visit them
- Zephaniah 2:9 Lit. Possessed by nettles
- Zephaniah 2:9 Or permanent ruin
Zephanja 2
Schlachter 1951
Gerichtsandrohung wider die Nachbarvölker
2 Tut euch zusammen, sammelt euch,
Volk ohne Scham,
2 ehe der Ratschluß sich erfüllt -
wie Spreu geht der Tag vorüber! -,
ehe der grimmige Zorn des Herrn über euch kommt,
ehe der Tag des Zornes des Herrn euch ereilt!
3 Suchet den Herrn, alle ihr Demütigen im Lande,
die ihr sein Recht übet!
Suchet Gerechtigkeit, befleißiget euch der Demut;
vielleicht werdet ihr Bergung finden am Tage des Zornes des Herrn!
Wider Kanaan und Philisterland
4 Denn Gaza wird verlassen
und Askalon verödet werden,
Asdod soll am hellen Mittag fortgetrieben
und Ekron ausgerottet werden.
5 Wehe den Bewohnern der Meeresküste, dem Kretervolk!
Das Wort des Herrn ergeht wider dich, Kanaan, du Philisterland:
Ich will dich also zu Grunde richten, daß niemand mehr da wohnen soll!
6 Und es soll der Landstrich am Meere zu Hirtenwohnungen und Schafhürden werden;
7 und dieser Landstrich soll den Übriggebliebenen vom Hause Juda als Erbteil zufallen,
daß sie darauf weiden
und sich des Abends in den Häusern von Askalon lagern sollen,
denn der Herr, ihr Gott, wird sie heimsuchen
und ihr Gefängnis wenden.
Wider Moab und Ammon
8 Ich habe die Beschimpfung Moabs gehört
und die Lästerungen der Kinder Ammon,
womit sie mein Volk geschmäht
und sich wider ihr Gebiet gerühmt haben.
9 Darum, so wahr ich lebe, spricht der Herr der Heerscharen, der Gott Israels,
soll Moab wie Sodom und die Kinder Ammon wie Gomorra werden,
nämlich ein Besitz der Nesseln und eine Salzgrube und eine ewige Wüstenei;
die Übriggebliebenen meines Volkes sollen sie berauben
und der Rest meiner Nation sie beerben.
10 Solches soll ihnen widerfahren für ihren Stolz,
daß sie gelästert
und wider das Volk des Herrn der Heerscharen großgetan haben.
11 Furchtbar wird der Herr über ihnen sein;
denn er wird allen Göttern auf Erden ein Ende machen,
und es werden ihn anbeten alle Inseln der Heiden,
jedermann von seinem Orte aus;
Wider Kusch (Äthiopien) und Assur
12 auch ihr Kuschiten, -
die mein Schwert verwundet hat.
13 Er wird auch seine Hand nach Norden ausstrecken
und wird Assur vernichten
und Ninive zur Wüste machen,
dürr wie eine Steppe;
14 daß sich mitten darin Herden lagern werden,
Tiere aller Art;
Pelikan und Rohrdommel
werden auf ihren Säulenknäufen übernachten,
[Vogel-]geschrei wird in den Fenstern ertönen,
auf der Schwelle wird ein Schutthaufen liegen,
da das Zedernwerk bloßgelegt ist.
15 Das ist die lustige Stadt,
die so sicher wohnte,
die in ihrem Herzen sprach:
«Ich und keine sonst!»
Wie ist sie zur Wildnis geworden,
zum Lagerplatz der Tiere!
Wer vorübergeht,
zischt über sie und schwenkt seine Hand.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1951 by Geneva Bible Society