The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Zephaniah 02
1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather
together, you nation that has no shame,
2 before the appointed time when the
day passes as the chaff, before the fierce
anger of Yahweh comes on you, before the
day of Yahweh’s anger comes on you.
3 Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the
land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek
righteousness. Seek humility. It may be
that you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh’s anger.
4 For Gaza will be forsaken, and
Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive
out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be
rooted up.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast,
the nation of the Cherethites! Yahweh’s
word is against you, Canaan, the land of
the Philistines. I will destroy you until
there is no inhabitant.
6 The sea coast will be pastures, with
cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 The coast will be for the remnant of the
house of Judah. They will find pasture. In
the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down
in the evening,for Yahweh, their God,† will
visit them and restore them.
8 I have heard the reproach of Moab and
the insults of the children of Ammon, with
which they have reproached my people
and magnified themselves against their
border.
9 Therefore, as I live, says Yahweh of
Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will
be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon
as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles and
salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The
remnant of my people will plunder them,
and the survivors of my nation will inherit
them.
10 This they will have for their pride,
because they have reproached and magnified
themselves against the people of Yahweh of Armies.
11 Yahweh will be awesome to them, for
he will famish all the gods of the land. Men
will worship him, everyone from his place,
even all the shores of the nations.
12 You Cushites also, you will be killed by
my sword.
13 He will stretchouthis hand againstthe
north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh
a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.
14 Herds will lie down in the middle of
her, all kinds of animals. Both the pelican
and the porcupine will lodge in its capitals.
Their calls will echo through the windows.
Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he
has laid bare the cedar beams.
15 This is the joyous city that lived carelessly,
that said in her heart, “I am, and
there is no one besides me.” How she has
become a desolation, a place for animals to
lie down in! Everyone who passes by her
will hiss and shake their fists.