Zephaniah 2

1 Be ashamed within yourselves, be ashamed,

Bend yourselves, indeed, bend, O nation not desired,

2 before you become as the drifting chaff, before the anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you.

Before the bringing forth of a statute, The day has passed on as chaff, While the heat of the anger of YHWH has not yet come in on you, While [the] Day of the anger of YHWH has not yet come in on you,

3 Seek the Lord all you meek of the earth, you who obey his law; Seek righteousness, seek meekness; perhaps you may be hidden in the day of the Lord’s wrath.

Seek YHWH, all you humble of the land, Who have done His judgment, Seek righteousness, seek humility, It may be you are hidden in the Day of the anger of YHWH.

4 For Gaza will be forsaken; Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod – by noon will they rout her and Ekron be torn up!

For Gaza is forsaken, And Ashkelon [is] for a desolation, Ashdod! At noon they cast her forth, And Ekron is rooted up.

5 Woe to those who live by the sea coast, people of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines! I will destroy you so that you will be without inhabitants,

Behold! O inhabitants of the seacoast, Nation of the Cherethites, A word of YHWH [is] against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines, “And I have destroyed you without an inhabitant.”

6 and you will become shepherds’ cots and folds for flocks.

And the seacoast has been habitations, Cottages [for] shepherds, and folds [for] a flock.

7 The sea coast will belong to the survivors of the house of Judah. They will pasture their flocks there. In the house of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening. The Lord their God will be with them and restore their fortunes.

And the coast has been for the remnant of the house of Judah, By them they have pleasure, In houses of Ashkelon they lie down at evening, For their God YHWH inspects them, And He has turned back [to] their captivity.

8 I have heard the taunts of Moab, and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people, and spoken boastfully concerning their border.

“I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, With which they reproached My people, And magnify [themselves] against their border.

9 Therefore as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Moab will be like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a pile of nettles and saltpits, and a desolation, forever. The residue of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

Therefore, [as] I live,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, “Surely Moab is as Sodom, And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits, And a desolation for all time. A remnant of My people seizes them, And a remnant of My nation inherits them.”

10 This will they have for their pride, because they have taunted and spoken boastfully against the people of the Lord of hosts.

This [is] to them for their arrogancy, Because they have reproached, And they magnify [themselves] against the people of YHWH of Hosts.

11 The Lord will terrify them; he will reduce all the gods of the earth; then all the peoples of the nations will worship him, each in their own land.

Fearful [is] YHWH against them, For He made all gods of the land bare, And all islanders of the nations bow themselves to Him, Each from his place.

12 You, also, Ethiopians, slain by his sword are you!

“Also you, O Cushim, they [are] pierced of My sword.”

13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria; And he will make Nineveh a desolation, dry as the wilderness.

And He stretches His hand against the north, And destroys Asshur, And He sets Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness.

14 Herds will lie down in it, every beast of the earth, Desert owl and screech owl will lodge in its capitals. The owl will hoot in the window, the raven on the doorstep, all stripped bare of cedar.

And droves have crouched in her midst, Every beast of the nation, Both pelican and hedgehog lodge in her knobs, A voice sings at the window, “Destruction [is] at the threshold, For the cedar-work is exposed.”

15 This is the exultant city which sat secure. The city who said to herself, I am and there is none else! How has she become a desolation! A lair of beasts! Every passerby hisses at her, shakes their hand.

This [is] the exulting city that is dwelling confidently, That is saying in her heart, “I [am], and there is none beside me,” How she has been for a desolation, A crouching-place for beasts, Everyone passing by her hisses, He shakes his hand!