Zephaniah, Chapter 2

1. Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;    2. Before the decree is fulfilled, before the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you.    3. Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have obeyed his commands; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be you shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.    4. For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.    5. Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy you, that there shall be no inhabitant.    6. And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.    7. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed upon it: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.    8. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, by which they have reproached my people, and boasted themselves against their border.    9. Therefore as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the children of Ammon like Gomorrah, even for the growing of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation: the remainder of my people shall plunder them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.    10. This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.    11. The LORD will be terrible to them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the lands of the heathen beyond the sea.    12. You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by my sword.    13. And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.    14. And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the marsh bird shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.    15. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt without a care, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none besides me: how she has become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one who passes by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.