Zephaniah 2

1Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O shameless nation,

2before the decree gives birth—before the day passes away like chaff—before the burning anger of Yahweh comes upon you, before the day of Yahweh’s anger comes upon you.

3Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the land, who have carried out his justice; seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh’s anger.

4For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod—they will drive her out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.

5Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast, nation of the Cherethites! The word of Yahweh is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant remains.

6And the seacoast shall become pastures, with wells for shepherds and enclosures for flocks.

7And the coastland shall belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; on it they shall pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening, for Yahweh their God will attend to them and restore their fortunes.

8I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the sons of Ammon, with which they reproached my people and magnified themselves against their border.

9Therefore, as I live, declares Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab will surely become like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah—a place overgrown with weeds, a salt pit, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the remainder of my nation will inherit them.

10This will be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and magnified themselves against the people of Yahweh of Armies.

11Yahweh will be fearsome against them, for he will make all the gods of the earth waste away; and they will bow down to him, each from his own place, all the coastlands of the nations.

12You Cushites also will be slain by my sword.

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

14Herds will lie down in her midst, every beast of the nations; both the desert owl and the hedgehog will spend the night among her capitals. A voice will sing in the window; devastation will be on the threshold, for her cedarwork has been laid bare.

15This is the exultant city that lived securely, that said in her heart, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ How she has become a desolation, a resting place for wild animals! Everyone who passes by her will hiss and wave his hand.