Zephaniah 2

Judgment on Judah’s Enemies

1 Gather together, yes, gather,

O *Jer. 6:15shameless nation,

2 *[ch. 3:8] before the decree takes effect*2:2 Hebrew gives birth

—before the day passes away *Ps. 1:4like chaff—

*[2 Kgs. 23:26]before there comes upon you

the burning anger of the Lord,

before there comes upon you

the day of the anger of the Lord.

3 *See Amos 5:6Seek the Lord, *Ps. 76:9;Isa. 11:4all you humble of the land,

who do his just commands;*2:3 Or who carry out his judgment

*[Amos 5:14,15] seek righteousness; seek humility;

*[Amos 5:14,15] perhaps *[Isa. 2:10;26:20,21]you may be hidden

on the day of the anger of the Lord.

4 *Zech. 9:5,6;[Jer. 47:5]; See Amos 1:6-8For Gaza shall be deserted,

and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;

Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon,

and Ekron shall be uprooted.

5 Woe to *Jer. 47:7;Ezek. 25:16you inhabitants of the seacoast,

you nation of *See 1 Sam. 30:14the Cherethites!

*[Nah. 2:13] The word of the Lord is against you,

*[Josh. 13:3] O Canaan, land of the Philistines;

and I will destroy you *ch. 3:6until no inhabitant is left.

6 *ver. 7And you, O seacoast, *Isa. 65:10shall be pastures,

with meadows*2:6 Or caves for shepherds

and folds for flocks.

7 *[Josh. 19:29] The seacoast shall become the possession

of *[ch. 3:13;Obad. 19] the remnant of the house of Judah,

*[See ver. 6above] on which they shall graze,

and in the houses of Ashkelon

they shall lie down at evening.

For the Lord their God *Zech. 10:3;Luke 1:68will be mindful of them

and *ch. 3:20restore their fortunes.

8 "I have heard *[Jer. 48:27] the taunts of Moab

and *Ezek. 25:3,6the revilings of the Ammonites,

how they have taunted my people

and made boasts *[Jer. 49:1]against their territory.

9 Therefore, *Isa. 49:18;See Ezek. 16:48as I live," declares the Lord of hosts,

the God of Israel,

"Moab shall become *Deut. 29:23;See Isa. 13:19like Sodom,

and the Ammonites *Deut. 29:23;See Isa. 13:19like Gomorrah,

a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,

and a waste forever.

The remnant of my people shall plunder them,

and the survivors of my nation shall possess them."

10 This shall be their lot in return *Isa. 16:6for their pride,

because they taunted and boasted

against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11 The Lord will be awesome against them;

*[Isa. 17:4] for he will famish all the gods of the earth,

and *Ps. 22:27to him shall bow down,

each in its place,

all *See Gen. 10:5the lands of the nations.

12 *[ch. 3:10]You also, O Cushites,

shall be slain by my sword.

13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north

*[Isa. 10:12] and destroy Assyria,

and he *Nah. 3:7will make Nineveh a desolation,

a dry waste like the desert.

14 *Isa. 13:21,22;34:14Herds shall lie down in her midst,

all kinds of beasts;*2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation

*Isa. 34:11even the owl and the hedgehog*2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain

shall lodge in her capitals;

a voice shall hoot in the window;

devastation will be on the threshold;

for *[Jer. 22:14,15]her cedar work will be laid bare.

15 This is the exultant city

*Isa. 47:8that lived securely,

that said in her heart,

"I am, and there is no one else."

What a desolation she has become,

*[Ezek. 25:5] a lair for wild beasts!

*Jer. 19:8Everyone who passes by her

hisses and *[Nah. 3:19]shakes his fist.