THE PROPHET
ZEPHANIAH
Zephaniah 2 ©
The prophet exhorts the Jews to repentance, before the judgments fall upon them, especially the godly ones who were remaining yet in the country, v. 1, etc. Some foreign nations are threatened, 4, etc. In the meantime he foretells the calling of the Gentiles to the knowledge of God and the true worship.
GATHER1 yourselves together, yea, 2gather together, O nation 3not desired;
4Before the decree bring forth, 5before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you.
Seek ye the LORD, all 6ye meek of the earth, which have wrought 7his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: 8it may be 9ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.
¶ 10For Gaza 11shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod 12at the noon day, and 13Ekron shall be rooted up.
Woe unto the inhabitants 14of the sea coast, the nation 15of the Cherethites! 16the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, 17I will even 18destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
And 19the sea coast shall be dwellings and 20cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
And 21the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed 22thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down 23in the evening: 24for the LORD their God shall 25visit them, and turn away their captivity.
¶I have heard 26the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified 27themselves against their border.
Therefore 28as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely 29Moab shall be 30as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and 31saltpits, and a 32perpetual desolation: the residue of my people 33shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people 34shall possess them.
This shall they have 35for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.
The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he 36will famish all the gods of the earth; and men 37shall worship him, 38every one from his place, even 39all the isles of the heathen.
¶ 40Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain 41by my sword.
And 42he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy 43Assyria; and will 44make Nineveh a desolation, and 45dry like a wilderness.
And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the 46nations: both 47the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the 48upper lintels of it; their 49voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be 50in the thresholds: for 51he 52shall uncover 53the cedar work.
54This is the rejoicing city 55that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, 56I am, and there is none beside me: 57how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her 58shall hiss, and 59wag his hand.