Zephaniah 2:13-15
Expanded Bible
13 Then the Lord will ·turn [L stretch out his hand] against the north
and destroy Assyria.
He will make Nineveh
a ·ruin [desolation] as dry as a desert.
14 Flocks and herds will lie down there,
and all ·wild animals [kinds of beasts].
The ·owls [horned owls; or pelicans] and ·crows [or screech owls; or hedgehogs] will sit
on ·the stone pillars [her columns/capitals].
The owl will hoot through the windows,
·trash [rubble; devastation] will be in the ·doorways [thresholds],
and the ·wooden boards [cedar work] of the buildings will be ·gone [or exposed].
15 This is the ·happy [boisterous; exultant] and ·safe [secure] city
that ·thinks [L said in her heart] ·there is no one else as strong as it is [L “I am it, and there is no one besides me”].
But what a ruin it will be,
a place where wild animals live.
All those who pass by will ·make fun [scoff; L hiss]
and shake their fists.
Zephaniah 2:13-15
New American Standard Bible
13 And He will (A)stretch out His hand against the north
And eliminate (B)Assyria,
And He will make (C)Nineveh a desolation,
Parched like the wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
[a]All animals that range in herds;
Both the [b](D)pelican and the hedgehog
Will spend their nights in [c]the tops of her pillars;
[d]Birds will sing in the window,
Devastation will be on the threshold;
For He has uncovered the cedar work.
15 This is the (E)presumptuous city
That (F)dwells securely,
Who says in her heart,
“(G)I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a (H)desolation,
A resting place for animals!
(I)Everyone who passes by her will [e]hiss
And wave his hand in contempt.
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 2:14 Or All kinds of beasts in crowds; lit Every kind of beast of a nation
- Zephaniah 2:14 Or owl; or jackdaw
- Zephaniah 2:14 Lit her capitals
- Zephaniah 2:14 Lit A voice
- Zephaniah 2:15 Or whistle
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
