Zephaniah 2-3

New International Version - UK

2 Gather together, gather yourselves together,
    you shameful nation,
² before the decree takes effect
    and that day passes like windblown chaff,
before the Lord’s fierce anger
    comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s wrath
    comes upon you.
³ Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
    perhaps you will be sheltered
    on the day of the Lord’s anger.

⁴ Gaza will be abandoned
    and Ashkelon left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
    and Ekron uprooted.
⁵ Woe to you who live by the sea,
    you Kerethite people;
the word of the Lord is against you,
    Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, ‘I will destroy you,
    and none will be left.’
⁶ The land by the sea will become pastures
    having wells for shepherds
    and sheepfolds for flocks.
⁷ That land will belong
    to the remnant 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]

⁸ ‘I have heard the insults of Moab
    and the taunts of the Ammonites,
who insulted my people
    and made threats against their land.
⁹ Therefore, as surely as I live,’
    declares the Lord Almighty,
    the God of Israel,
‘surely Moab will become like Sodom,
    the Ammonites like Gomorrah –
a place of weeds and salt pits,
    a wasteland for ever.
The remnant of my people will plunder them;
    the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.’

¹² ‘You Cushites,^[b] too,
    will be slain by my sword.’

¹³ He will stretch out his hand against the north
    and destroy Assyria,
leaving Nineveh utterly desolate
    and dry as the desert.
¹⁴ Flocks and herds will lie down there,
    creatures of every kind.
The desert owl and the screech owl
    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
    that lived in safety.
She said to herself,
    ‘I am the one! And there is none besides me.’
What a ruin she has become,
    a lair for wild beasts!
All who pass by her scoff
    and shake their fists.

3 Woe to the city of oppressors,
    rebellious and defiled!
² She obeys no one,
    she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
    she does not draw near to her God.
³ Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;
her rulers are evening wolves,
    who leave nothing for the morning.
⁴ Her prophets are unprincipled;
    they are treacherous people.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
    and do violence to the law.
⁵ The Lord within her is righteous;
    he does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
    and every new day he does not fail,
    yet the unrighteous know no shame.

⁶ ‘I have destroyed nations;
    their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
    with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;
    they are deserted and empty.
⁷ Of Jerusalem I thought,
    “Surely you will fear me
    and accept correction!”
Then her place of refuge^[c] would not be destroyed,
    nor all my punishments come upon^[d] her.
But they were still eager
    to act corruptly in all they did.
⁸ Therefore wait for me,’
    declares the Lord,
    ‘for the day I will stand up to testify.^[e]
I have decided to assemble the nations,
    to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath on them –
    all my fierce anger.
The whole world will be consumed
    by the fire of my jealous anger.

⁹ ‘Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
    that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
    and serve him shoulder to shoulder.
¹⁰ From beyond the rivers of Cush^[f]
    my worshippers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.
¹¹ On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame
    for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from you
    your arrogant boasters.
Never again will you be haughty
    on my holy hill.
¹² But I will leave within you
    the meek and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust in the name of the Lord.
¹³ They will do no wrong;
    they will tell no lies.
A deceitful tongue
    will not be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
    and no one will make them afraid.’