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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.

Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations

Judah Summoned to Repent

Gather together,(A) gather yourselves together,
    you shameful(B) nation,
before the decree takes effect
    and that day passes like windblown chaff,(C)
before the Lord’s fierce anger(D)
    comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s wrath(E)
    comes upon you.
Seek(F) the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness,(G) seek humility;(H)
    perhaps you will be sheltered(I)
    on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Philistia

Gaza(J) will be abandoned
    and Ashkelon(K) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
    and Ekron uprooted.
Woe to you who live by the sea,
    you Kerethite(L) people;
the word of the Lord is against you,(M)
    Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
    and none will be left.”(N)
The land by the sea will become pastures
    having wells for shepherds
    and pens for flocks.(O)
That land will belong
    to the remnant(P) of the people of Judah;
    there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
    in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
    he will restore their fortunes.[a](Q)

Moab and Ammon

“I have heard the insults(R) of Moab(S)
    and the taunts of the Ammonites,(T)
who insulted(U) my people
    and made threats against their land.(V)
Therefore, as surely as I live,”
    declares the Lord Almighty,
    the God of Israel,
“surely Moab(W) will become like Sodom,(X)
    the Ammonites(Y) like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
    a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder(Z) them;
    the survivors(AA) of my nation will inherit their land.(AB)

10 This is what they will get in return for their pride,(AC)
    for insulting(AD) and mocking
    the people of the Lord Almighty.(AE)
11 The Lord will be awesome(AF) to them
    when he destroys all the gods(AG) of the earth.(AH)
Distant nations will bow down to him,(AI)
    all of them in their own lands.

Cush

12 “You Cushites,[b](AJ) too,
    will be slain by my sword.(AK)

Assyria

13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
    and destroy Assyria,(AL)
leaving Nineveh(AM) utterly desolate
    and dry as the desert.(AN)
14 Flocks and herds(AO) will lie down there,
    creatures of every kind.
The desert owl(AP) and the screech owl(AQ)
    will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
    rubble will fill the doorways,
    the beams of cedar will be exposed.
15 This is the city of revelry(AR)
    that lived in safety.(AS)
She said to herself,
    “I am the one! And there is none besides me.”(AT)
What a ruin she has become,
    a lair for wild beasts!(AU)
All who pass by her scoff(AV)
    and shake their fists.(AW)

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives
  2. Zephaniah 2:12 That is, people from the upper Nile region