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.
The nations will be punished
Judgment on Philistia
4Gaza and Ashkelon#Is 14.29-31; Jr 47.1-7; Ez 25.15-17; Jl 3.4-8; Am 1.6-8; Zec 9.5-7.
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 coast will be changed
into pasture land
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
8-9The LORD All-Powerful,#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.#Gn 19.24.
the God of Israel, said:
I've heard Moab and Ammon
insult my people
and threaten their nation.#2.8,9 threaten their nation: Or “boast about their own nation”.
And so, I swear by my very life
that Moab and Ammon will end up
like Sodom and Gomorrah—
covered with thorn bushes
and salt pits for ever.
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
12People 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.#Is 18.1-7.
the sword of the LORD
will slaughter you!
Judgment on Assyria
13The LORD will reach to the north#Is 10.5-34; 14.24-27; Ne 1.1—3.19.
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 River Tigris.
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 passer-by simply sneers
and makes vulgar signs.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Zephaniah 2
2
God Asks People to Change Their Lives
1Shameless people, change your lives 2before you become like a dry and dying flower. In the heat of day, a flower will wilt and die. You will be like that when the Lord shows his terrible anger. So change your lives before the Lord shows his anger against you! 3All you humble people, come to the Lord! Obey his laws. Learn to do good things. Learn to be humble. Maybe then you will be safe when the Lord shows his anger.
The Lord Will Punish Israel’s Neighbors
4No one will be left in Gaza. Ashkelon will be destroyed. By noon, the people will be forced to leave Ashdod. Ekron#2:4 Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron Philistine cities. In Hebrew, Zephaniah is making wordplays on the names of these cities. will be empty.#2:4 empty In Hebrew this word is like the word meaning “Philistines.” Also in verse 6. 5You Cretans#2:5 Cretans People from Crete. The Philistines came from that island. living by the sea, this message from the Lord is about you. Canaan, land of the Philistines, you will be destroyed—no one will live there! 6Your land by the sea will become empty fields for shepherds and their sheep. 7Then the land will belong to the survivors from Judah. The Lord their God will remember the people from Judah and restore their fortunes. Then they will let their sheep eat the grass in those fields. In the evenings they will lie down in the empty houses of Ashkelon.
8The Lord says, “I know what the people of Moab and Ammon did. They embarrassed my people. They took their land to make their own countries larger. 9So, as surely as I am alive, Moab and the people of Ammon will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, and I promise those countries will be destroyed completely forever. Their land will be overgrown with weeds. It will be like the land covered with salt by the Dead Sea. The survivors of my people will take that land and everything left in it.”
10This will happen to the people of Moab and Ammon because they were so proud and cruel and humiliated the people of the Lord All-Powerful. 11They will be afraid of the Lord, because he will destroy their gods. Then everyone in all the faraway lands will worship the Lord. 12People of Ethiopia, this even means you! The Lord’s sword will kill your people. 13Then the Lord will turn north and punish Assyria. He will destroy Nineveh—that city will be like an empty, dry desert. 14Only sheep and wild animals will live in those ruins. Owls and crows will sit on the columns that are left standing. Their calls will be heard coming through the windows. Crows will sit on the doorsteps. Black birds#2:14 Black birds Or “cedar beams.” will make their homes in those empty houses. 15Nineveh is so proud now. It is such a happy city. The people think they are safe. They think Nineveh is the greatest place in the world, but it will be destroyed! It will be an empty place where only wild animals go to rest. People who pass by will whistle and shake their heads when they see how badly the city was destroyed.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International