Print Page Options

Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation that hath no [a]shame; before the decree bring forth, [b]before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah’s anger come upon you. Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of Jehovah’s anger.

For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe unto the inhabitants of [c]the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of Jehovah is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines; I will destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. And the sea-coast shall be pastures, with [d]cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed their flocks thereupon; in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for Jehovah their God will visit them, and [e]bring back their captivity.

I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, wherewith they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of [f]nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall make a prey of them, and the remnant of my nation shall inherit them. 10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Jehovah of hosts. 11 Jehovah 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 [g]isles of the nations.

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 the wilderness. 14 And herds shall lie down in the midst of her, [h]all the beasts of the nations: both the pelican and the porcupine shall lodge in the capitals thereof; their voice shall sing in the windows; [i]desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he hath laid bare the cedar-work. 15 This is the joyous city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none besides 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.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:1 Or, longing
  2. Zephaniah 2:2 Or (the day passeth as the chaff)
  3. Zephaniah 2:5 Or, the region of the sea
  4. Zephaniah 2:6 Or, caves
  5. Zephaniah 2:7 Or, return to
  6. Zephaniah 2:9 Or, wild vetches
  7. Zephaniah 2:11 Or, coast-lands
  8. Zephaniah 2:14 Or, all beasts of every kind
  9. Zephaniah 2:14 Or, drought

A Call to Repentance

Gather(A) yourselves together, yes, gather together,
O [a]undesirable nation,
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!
(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

For (E)Gaza shall be forsaken,
And Ashkelon desolate;
They shall drive out Ashdod (F)at noonday,
And Ekron shall be uprooted.
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.”

The seacoast shall be pastures,
With [b]shelters for shepherds (I)and folds for flocks.
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.

“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.
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.

12 “You(V) Ethiopians also,
You shall be slain by (W)My sword.”

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

  1. Zephaniah 2:1 Or shameless
  2. Zephaniah 2:6 Underground huts or cisterns, lit. excavations
  3. Zephaniah 2:7 Lit. visit them
  4. Zephaniah 2:9 Lit. Possessed by nettles
  5. Zephaniah 2:9 Or permanent ruin

Judgment on the Nations

Gather together, yes, gather together,
    O shameless nation,
before the decree takes effect,
    before the day passes like chaff,
before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you,
    before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    who carry out His judgment.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
    Perhaps you will be hidden
    on the day of the Lord’s anger.

For Gaza will be forsaken,
    and Ashkelon a desolation;
Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
    and Ekron will be uprooted.
Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
    the nation of Kerethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
    O Canaan, land of the Philistines:
I will destroy you,
    so that there will be no inhabitant.
The seacoast will be pastures,
    with meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.
The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah,
    on which they will feed.
In the houses of Ashkelon
    they will lie down at evening.
For the Lord their God will visit them
    and restore their fortunes.

I have heard these taunts of Moab,
    and the revilings of the Ammonites,
by which they have reproached My people,
    and made boasts against their territory.
Therefore, as I live,
    says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel,
surely Moab will be like Sodom,
    and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—
a land of weeds and salt pits,
    and a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of My people will plunder them,
    and the survivors of My nation will possess them.

10 This will they have for their pride,
    because they taunted and boasted against
    the people of the Lord of Hosts.
11 The Lord will be dreadful to them,
    for He will weaken all the gods of the earth;
men will worship Him, every one from his place,
    all the lands of the nations.

12 You also, O Ethiopians,
    will be slain by My sword.

13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north
    and destroy Assyria;
and He will make Nineveh a desolation,
    and dry like the desert.
14 Herds will lie down in her midst,
    beasts of every kind;
the cormorant and the bittern
    will lodge on her pillars.
Their voice will sing in the windows;
    desolation will be on the threshold;
    for He will lay bare the cedar work.
15 This is the rejoicing city
    that dwelt securely,
that said in her heart,
    “I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How has she become a desolation,
    a place for beasts to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her will hiss
    and shake his fist.

Juicios contra las naciones vecinas

Congregaos y meditad, oh nación sin pudor, antes que tenga efecto el decreto, y el día se pase como el tamo; antes que venga sobre vosotros el furor de la ira de Jehová, antes que el día de la ira de Jehová venga sobre vosotros. Buscad a Jehová todos los humildes de la tierra, los que pusisteis por obra su juicio; buscad justicia, buscad mansedumbre; quizá seréis guardados en el día del enojo de Jehová. Porque Gaza será desamparada, y Ascalón asolada; saquearán a Asdod en pleno día, y Ecrón será desarraigada.

¡Ay de los que moran en la costa del mar, del pueblo de los cereteos! La palabra de Jehová es contra vosotros, oh Canaán, tierra de los filisteos,(A) y te haré destruir hasta no dejar morador. Y será la costa del mar praderas para pastores, y corrales de ovejas. Será aquel lugar para el remanente de la casa de Judá; allí apacentarán; en las casas de Ascalón dormirán de noche; porque Jehová su Dios los visitará, y levantará su cautiverio.

Yo he oído las afrentas de Moab,(B) y los denuestos de los hijos de Amón(C) con que deshonraron a mi pueblo, y se engrandecieron sobre su territorio. Por tanto, vivo yo, dice Jehová de los ejércitos, Dios de Israel, que Moab será como Sodoma, y los hijos de Amón como Gomorra;(D) campo de ortigas, y mina de sal, y asolamiento perpetuo; el remanente de mi pueblo los saqueará, y el remanente de mi pueblo los heredará. 10 Esto les vendrá por su soberbia, porque afrentaron y se engrandecieron contra el pueblo de Jehová de los ejércitos. 11 Terrible será Jehová contra ellos, porque destruirá a todos los dioses de la tierra, y desde sus lugares se inclinarán a él todas las tierras de las naciones.

12 También vosotros los de Etiopía(E) seréis muertos con mi espada. 13 Y extenderá su mano sobre el norte, y destruirá a Asiria,(F) y convertirá a Nínive en asolamiento y en sequedal como un desierto. 14 Rebaños de ganado harán en ella majada, todas las bestias del campo; el pelícano también y el erizo dormirán en sus dinteles; su voz cantará en las ventanas; habrá desolación en las puertas, porque su enmaderamiento de cedro será descubierto. 15 Esta es la ciudad alegre que estaba confiada, la que decía en su corazón: Yo, y no más. ¡Cómo fue asolada, hecha guarida de fieras! Cualquiera que pasare junto a ella, se burlará y sacudirá su mano.

Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together,
O nation not desired;
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.
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.

For Gaza shall be forsaken,
and Ashkelon a desolation:
they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day,
and Ekron shall be rooted up.
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.
And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
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.

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.
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.