Zephaniah 2

1Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O shameless nation;

2Before the decree bring forth The day when one passeth as the chaff, Before the fierce anger of YHWH come upon you, Before the day of YHWH's anger come upon you.

3Seek ye YHWH, all ye humble of the earth, That have executed His ordinance; Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be ye shall be hid in the day of YHWH's anger.

4For Gaza shall be forsaken, And Ashkelon a desolation; They shall drive out Ashdod at the noonday, And Ekron shall be rooted up.

5Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea-coast, The nation of the Cherethites! The word of YHWH is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines; I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

6And the sea-coast shall be pastures, Even meadows for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

7And it shall be a portion for the remnant of the house of Judah, Whereon they shall feed; In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; For YHWH their God will remember them, And turn their captivity.

8I have heard the taunt of Moab, And the revilings of the children of Ammon, Wherewith they have taunted My people, And spoken boastfully concerning their border.

9Therefore as I live, Saith YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel: Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, And the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, Even the breeding-place of nettles, and saltpits, And a desolation, for ever; The residue of My people shall spoil them, And the remnant of My nation shall inherit them.

10This shall they have for their pride, Because they have taunted and spoken boastfully Against the people of YHWH of hosts.

11YHWH will be terrible unto them; For He will famish all the gods of the earth; Then shall all the isles of the nations worship Him, Every one from its place.

12Ye Ethiopians also, Ye shall be slain by My sword.

13And He will stretch out His hand against the north, And destroy Assyria; And will make Nineveh a desolation, And dry like the wilderness.

14And all beasts of every kind Shall lie down in the midst of her in herds; Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge in the capitals thereof; Voices shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be in the posts; For the cedar-work thereof shall be uncovered.

15This is the joyous city That dwelt without care, That said in her heart: ‘I am, and there is none else beside me’; How is she become a desolation, A place for beasts to lie down in! Every one that passeth by her Shall hiss, and wag his hand.