Zephaniah 2

Revised Geneva Translation

2 Gather yourselves! Gather yourselves—O nation not worthy to be loved—

² before the decree comes forth and you are as chaff that passes in a day, before the fierce wrath of the LORD comes upon you, before the Day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you!

³ Let all the meek of the Earth who have upheld His judgment seek the LORD—seek righteousness, seek lowliness—if it so be that you may be hidden on the Day of the LORD’s wrath.

⁴ For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate. They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday. And Ekron shall be rooted up.

⁵ Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethims! The Word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you without an inhabitant!”

⁶ And the seacoast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds and sheepfolds.

⁷ And the coast shall be for the remnant of the House of Judah, to feed upon it. In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down at night. For the LORD their God shall visit them and turn away their captivity.

⁸ “I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the rebukes of the children of Ammon, by which they reproached My people and magnified themselves against their borders.

⁹ “Therefore, as I live,” says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, the breeding of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remains of My people shall plunder them. And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

¹⁰ This they shall have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the LORD of Host’s people.

¹¹ The LORD will be awesome to them. For He will consume all the gods of the Earth. And every man shall worship Him from his place, all the isles of the heathen.

¹² “Also, you Ethiopians shall be killed by My sword with them.”

¹³ And He will stretch out His Hand against the North and destroy Assyria and will make Nineveh desolate and waste like a wilderness.

¹⁴ And flocks shall lie in the midst of her. And all the beasts of the nations and the pelican and the owl shall abide in the upper pillars of it. The voice of birds shall sing in the windows. Desolation shall be upon the doorposts. For the cedars are uncovered.

¹⁵ This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, “I am! And there is none besides me!” How she has been made desolate, and the lodging of the beasts! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and wag his hand.9