Zephaniah 2
2
1Come together, yes, gather together, you worthless nation— 2before the decree is issued, before you wither and die like a flower,#2:2. Septuagint reading, otherwise “before you are blown away like chaff in the wind.” before the burning anger of the Lord falls on you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes on you. 3Look to the Lord, all you people of the land who are humble and who follow his commands. Look to do what is right; look to live in humility. Perhaps you will be protected#2:3. Literally, “hidden.” on the day of the Lord's anger. 4Gaza will be abandoned, Ashkelon will become desolate, Ashdod will be emptied by noon, Ekron will be ripped up. 5What disaster is coming to you Philistines, you sea-people who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan! The Lord has passed judgment on you. I will destroy you—there will be no survivors. 6Your seacoast will become pastures, with meadows for shepherds and sheep pens for flocks. 7It will belong to those who remain of the people of Judah. They will graze their flocks there, and the shepherds will sleep in the abandoned houses of Ashkelon. For the Lord their God will be with them and make them prosperous again.
8I have heard the mocking taunts of the Moabites and the scornful derision of the Ammonites who have insulted my people and made threats against their territory. 9Consequently, as I live, declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, the Moabites will become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah. Their land will become a place of weeds and salt pits and ruins forever. Those who remain of my people will plunder them and occupy their land. 10This is what they will receive for their pride because they mocked and threatened the people of the Lord Almighty. 11The Lord will make them terribly afraid as he starves to death all the gods of the land. Every nation will worship the Lord wherever they are—all around the world.
12You Ethiopians will be killed by the sword. 13The Lord will strike the Assyrians in the north and destroy them. He will make Nineveh desolate, a dry wasteland like the desert. 14Herds will lie down in the middle of the city. It will become the home for every kind of wild animal. Eagle owls and screech owls#2:14. The actual birds mentioned here are uncertain, but are listed in Leviticus and Deuteronomy as unclean. will roost on its columns. Their calls will echo through the windows. Rubble will block the doors, and the cedar woodwork will be exposed. 15This is what will happen to this triumphant city that thought it was so secure. “Look at me!” it said proudly to itself. “There is no city as great as me!” But it has become a desolate place—just a home for wild animals. Everyone who passes by will point their finger and laugh in derision.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Zephaniah 2
2
Turn to the Lord
1You disgraceful nation,
gather around,
2before it's too late.
The Lord has set a time
when his fierce anger
will strike like a storm
and sweep you away.
3If you humbly obey the Lord,
then come and worship him.
If you do right and are humble,
perhaps you will be safe
on that day when the Lord
turns loose his anger.
Judgment on Philistia
4 #
Is 14.29-31; Jr 47.1-7; Ez 25.15-17; Jl 3.4-8; Am 1.6-8; Zec 9.5-7. Gaza and Ashkelon
will be deserted
and left in ruins.
Ashdod will be emptied
in broad daylight,
and Ekron#2.4 Gaza … Ekron: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath (not mentioned because it was already destroyed) were the five major Philistine towns. uprooted.
5To you people of Philistia#2.5 people of Philistia: The Hebrew text also mentions “Canaan” and “Cherethites,” which are other ways of referring to the Philistines.
who live along the coast,
the Lord has this to say:
“I am now your enemy,
and I'll wipe you out!”
6Your seacoast will be changed
into pastureland
and sheep pens.#2.6 pens: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 6.
7The Lord God hasn't forgotten
those survivors in Judah,
and he will help them—
his people will take your land
to use for pasture.
And when evening comes,
they will rest
in houses at Ashkelon.#2.7 Ashkelon: A Philistine town; see the note at 2.4.
Judgment on Moab and Ammon
* 8#Is 15.1—16.14; 25.10-12; Jr 48.1-47; Ez 25.8-11; Am 1.13-15; Jr 49.1-6; Ez 21.28-32; 25.1-7; Am 1.13-15. The Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel, said:
I've heard Moab and Ammon
insult my people
and threaten their nation.#2.8 threaten their nation: Or “boast about their own nation.”
9 #
Gn 19.24. And so, I swear by my very life
that Moab and Ammon will end up
like Sodom and Gomorrah—
covered with thornbushes
and salt pits forever.
Then my people who survive
will take their land.
10This is how Moab and Ammon
will at last be repaid
for their pride—
and for sneering at the nation
that belongs to me,
the Lord All-Powerful.
11I will fiercely attack.
Then every god on this earth
will shrink to nothing,
and everyone of every nation
will bow down to me,
right where they are.
Judgment on Ethiopia
12 #
Is 18.1-7. People of Ethiopia,#2.12 Ethiopia: The Hebrew text has “Cush,” which was a region south of Egypt that included parts of the present countries of Ethiopia and Sudan.
the sword of the Lord
will slaughter you!
Judgment on Assyria
13 #
Is 10.5-34; 14.24-27; Nh 1.1—3.19. The Lord will reach to the north
to crush Assyria
and overthrow Nineveh.#2.13 Nineveh: The capital of Assyria; Nineveh was protected by a moat filled with water from the nearby Tigris River.
14Herds of wild animals
will live in its rubble;
all kinds of desert owls
will perch on its stones
and hoot in the windows.
Noisy ravens will be heard
inside its buildings,
stripped bare of cedar.#2.14 stripped … cedar: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
15This is the glorious city
that felt secure and said,
“I am the only one!”
Now it's merely ruins,
a home for wild animals.
Every passerby simply sneers
and makes vulgar signs.
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