Zephaniah 2

Modern

Literal

A Call to Repentance

¹Gather yourselves, gather together,

O shameful nation,

¹Gather together, and gather together, O nation not desired,

²before the decree takes effect^a

and the day passes like chaff,

before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you,

before the Day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you.

²before the bringing forth of the decree—the day passes like chaff—before the burning of the anger of YHWH comes upon you, before the day of the anger of YHWH comes upon you.

³Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth

who carry out His justice.

Seek righteousness; seek humility.

Perhaps you will be sheltered

on the day of the LORD’s anger.

³Seek YHWH, all humble ones of the earth, who have done His justice; seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be hidden away on the day of the nose of YHWH.

Judgment on the Philistines

⁴For Gaza will be abandoned,

and Ashkelon left in ruins.

Ashdod will be driven out at noon,

and Ekron will be uprooted.

⁴For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon as a desolation; they will drive out Ashdod at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.

⁵Woe to the dwellers of the seacoast,

O nation of the Cherethites!

The word of the LORD is against you,

O Canaan, land of the Philistines:

“I will destroy you,

and no one will be left.”

⁵Woe to those dwelling on the coast of the sea, O nation of Cherethites. The word of YHWH is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines, “And I will make you perish and no one will be dwelling!”

⁶So the seacoast will become a land of pastures,

with wells^a for shepherds and folds for sheep.

⁶And the coast of the sea will become pastures, with wells for shepherds and folds the flock.

⁷The coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah;

there they will find pasture.

They will lie down in the evening

among the houses of Ashkelon,

for the LORD their God will attend to them

and restore their captives.^a

⁷And the coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah; upon them they will shepherd; in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening. For YHWH their God will attend to them and turn back their captivity.

Judgment on Moab and Ammon

⁸“I have heard the reproach of Moab

and the insults of the Ammonites,

who have taunted My people

and threatened their borders.

⁸“I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the sons of Ammon, with which they have scorned My people, and magnified themselves against their border.

⁹Therefore, as surely as I live,”

declares the LORD of Hosts,

the God of Israel,

“surely Moab will be like Sodom

and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—

a place of weeds and salt pits,

a perpetual wasteland.

The remnant of My people will plunder them;

the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.”

⁹Therefore, as I live,” a declaration of YHWH of Hosts the God of Israel, “Surely Moab will become like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, a possession of the nettle and the pit of salt, and a desolation even to forever! The remnant of My people will plunder them, and the remainder of My people will possess them.”

¹⁰This they shall have in return for their pride,

for taunting and mocking the people

of the LORD of Hosts.

¹⁰This is unto them in exchange for their pride, because they have scorned and magnified themselves against the people of YHWH of Hosts.

¹¹The LORD will be terrifying to them

when He starves all the gods of the earth.

Then the nations of every shore

will bow in worship to Him,

each in its own place.

¹¹Fearsome is YHWH against them, for he will starve all the gods of the earth; and will bow down to Him all the coasts of the nations, each man from his place.

Judgment on Cush and Assyria

¹²“You too, O Cushites,^a

will be slain by My sword.”

¹²“Also you, O Cushites—they will be slain by My sword.”

¹³And He will stretch out His hand against the north

and destroy Assyria;

He will make Nineveh a desolation,

as dry as a desert.

¹³And He will stretch out His hand against the north, and He will destroy Assyria; and He will set Nineveh as a desolation, as dry as the desert.

¹⁴Herds will lie down in her midst,

creatures of every kind.^a

Both the desert owl and screech owl^b

will roost atop her pillars.

Their calls will sound from the window,

but desolation will lie on the threshold,

for He will expose the beams of cedar.

¹⁴And the herds will lie down in her midst, every beast of the nation; even the desert owl and screech owl will lodge in her capitals. Their voice will sing in the window, desolation on the threshold; for He will lay bare the cedar work.

¹⁵This carefree city

that dwells securely,

that thinks to herself:

“I am it, and there is none besides me,”

what a ruin she has become,

a resting place for beasts.

Everyone who passes by her

hisses and shakes his fist.

¹⁵This is the jubilant city the one dwelling in security, saying in her heart, “I am, and ceases to be another!” How she has become as a desolation, a resting place for the beast! Everyone passing by her will hiss and shake his fist.