Zephaniah 2:3-3:13

3Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD ’s anger.

Philistia 4Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted.

5Woe to you who live by the sea, you Kerethite people; the word of the LORD is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines. He says, “I will destroy you, and none will be left.”

6The land by the sea will become pastures having wells for shepherds and pens for flocks.

7That land will belong to the remnant of the people of Judah; there they will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The LORD their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes. Or will bring back their captives

Moab and Ammon 8“I have heard the insults of Moab and the taunts of the Ammonites, who insulted my people and made threats against their land.

9Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”

10This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty.

11The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands.

Cush 12“You Cushites, That is, people from the upper Nile region too, will be slain by my sword.”

Assyria 13He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert.

14Flocks and herds will lie down there, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. Their hooting will echo through the windows, rubble will fill the doorways, the beams of cedar will be exposed. 15This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, “I am the one! And there is none besides me.” What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts! All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists.

Jerusalem 1Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!

2She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God.

3Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning.

4Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.

5The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.

Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant 6“I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty.

7Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge Or her sanctuary would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon Or all those I appointed over her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.

8Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day I will stand up to testify. Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.

Restoration of Israel’s Remnant 9“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

10From beyond the rivers of Cush That is, the upper Nile region my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings.

11On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill.

12But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the LORD .

13They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.”