- Zephaniah
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2
1 Come together, yes, gather together, you worthless nation— 2 before the decree is issued, before you wither and die like a flower,*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. 3 Look 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†Literally, “hidden.” on the day of the Lord's anger. 4 Gaza will be abandoned, Ashkelon will become desolate, Ashdod will be emptied by noon, Ekron will be ripped up. 5 What 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. 6 Your seacoast will become pastures, with meadows for shepherds and sheep pens for flocks. 7 It 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.
8 I 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. 9 Consequently, 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. 10 This is what they will receive for their pride because they mocked and threatened the people of the Lord Almighty. 11 The 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.
12 You Ethiopians will be killed by the sword. 13 The Lord will strike the Assyrians in the north and destroy them. He will make Nineveh desolate, a dry wasteland like the desert. 14 Herds 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‡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. 15 This 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.

- Zephaniah
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*2:2 Septuagint reading, otherwise “before you are blown away like chaff in the wind.”

†2:3 Literally, “hidden.”

‡2:14 The actual birds mentioned here are uncertain, but are listed in Leviticus and Deuteronomy as unclean.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher