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Zephaniah 2
New American Standard Bible 1995

Judgments on Judah’s Enemies

2 Gather yourselves together, yes, (A)gather,
O nation (B)without [a]shame,
2 Before the decree [b]takes effect—
The day passes (C)like the chaff—
Before the (D)burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the (E)day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.
3 (F)Seek the Lord,
All you (G)humble of the [c]earth
Who have carried out His [d]ordinances;
(H)Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will be (I)hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger.

4 For (J)Gaza will be abandoned
And Ashkelon a desolation;
(K)Ashdod will be driven out at noon
And (L)Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the [e](M)Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is (N)against you,
O (O)Canaan, land of the Philistines;
And I will (P)destroy you
So that there will be (Q)no inhabitant.
6 So the seacoast will be (R)pastures,
With [f]caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast will be
For the (S)remnant of the house of Judah,
They will (T)pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the Lord their God will (U)care for them
And (V)restore their fortune.

8 “I have heard the [g](W)taunting of Moab
And the (X)revilings of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have [h]taunted My people
And [i](Y)become arrogant against their territory.
9 “Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel,
“Surely (Z)Moab will be like (AA)Sodom
And the sons of (AB)Ammon like (AC)Gomorrah—
A place possessed by nettles and salt pits,
And a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of My people will (AD)plunder them
And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

10 This they will have in return for their (AE)pride, because they have [j](AF)taunted and [k]become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts. 11 The Lord will be (AG)terrifying to them, for He will [l]starve (AH)all the gods of the earth; and all the (AI)coastlands of the nations will (AJ)bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.

12 “You also, O (AK)Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will (AL)stretch out His hand against the north
And destroy (AM)Assyria,
And He will make (AN)Nineveh a desolation,
Parched like the wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
[m]All beasts which range in herds;
Both the [n](AO)pelican and the hedgehog
Will lodge in [o]the tops of her pillars;
[p]Birds will sing in the window,
Desolation will be on the threshold;
For He has laid bare the cedar work.
15 This is the (AP)exultant city
Which (AQ)dwells securely,
Who says in her heart,
“(AR)I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a (AS)desolation,
A resting place for beasts!
(AT)Everyone who passes by her will hiss
And wave his hand in contempt.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:1 Or longing
  2. Zephaniah 2:2 Lit is born
  3. Zephaniah 2:3 Or land
  4. Zephaniah 2:3 Or justice
  5. Zephaniah 2:5 I.e. a segment of the Philistines with roots in Crete
  6. Zephaniah 2:6 Or meadows or wells
  7. Zephaniah 2:8 Lit reproach
  8. Zephaniah 2:8 Lit reproached
  9. Zephaniah 2:8 Lit made themselves great
  10. Zephaniah 2:10 Lit reproached
  11. Zephaniah 2:10 Lit made themselves great
  12. Zephaniah 2:11 Lit make lean
  13. Zephaniah 2:14 Or All kinds of beasts in crowds; lit Every kind of beast of a nation
  14. Zephaniah 2:14 Or owl or jackdaw
  15. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit her capitals
  16. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit A voice
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Zephaniah 2
New International Version

Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations

Judah Summoned to Repent

2 Gather together,(A) gather yourselves together,
    you shameful(B) nation,
2 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.
3 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

4 Gaza(J) will be abandoned
    and Ashkelon(K) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
    and Ekron uprooted.
5 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)
6 The land by the sea will become pastures
    having wells for shepherds
    and pens for flocks.(O)
7 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

8 “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)
9 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
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Zephaniah 1
Zephaniah 3
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