1Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

2Before the decree bring forth, before 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.

3Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

4For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

5Woe unto 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 thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

6And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

7And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: 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.

8I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

9Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

10This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.

11The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.

12Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

13And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

14And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall bein the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.

15This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.

1Gather your selues together, yea gather together, O nation not desired.

2Before the decree bring foorth, before the day passe as the chaffe, before the fierce anger of the Lord come vpon you, before the day of the Lords anger come vpon you.

3Seeke ye the Lord all ye meeke of the earth, which haue wrought his iudgement, seeke righteousnesse, seeke meeknesse: it may be, ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger.

4 For Gaza shall bee forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall driue out Ashdod at the noone day, and Ekron shall be rooted vp.

5Woe vnto 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 euen destroy thee, that there shal be no inhabitant.

6And the sea coast shall bee dwellings and cottages for shepheards, and foldes for flockes.

7And the coast shall bee for the remnant of the house of Iudah, they shall feede thereupon, in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie downe in the euening: for the Lord their God shall visite them, and turne away their captiuitie.

8 I haue heard the reproach of Moab, and the reuilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they haue reproched my people, and magnified themselues against their border.

9Therefore, as I liue, saith the Lord of hostes the God of Israel, surely Moab shalbe as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, euen the breeding of netles, and salt pits, and a perpetuall desolation, the residue of my people shall spoile them, and the remnant of my people shall possesse them.

10This shall they haue for their pride, because they haue reproched and magnified themselues against the people of the Lord of hostes.

11The Lord will be terrible vnto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and men shall worship him, euery one from his place, euen all the Iles of the heathen.

12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shalbe slaine by my sword.

13And he wil stretch out his hand against the North, and destroy Assyria, and wil make Nineueh a desolation, and dry like a wildernes.

14And flocks shall lie downe in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the Cormorant, and the Bitterne, shall lodge in the vpper lintels of it: their voice shal sing in the windowes, desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall vncouer the Cedar worke.

15This is the reioycing citie that dwelt carelessely, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is shee become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie downe in! euery one that passeth by her, shall hisse and wagge his hand.

I == Joel 2:16

 

II == Job 21:18 ; Ps 1:4 ; Hos 13:3

 

III == Ps 76:9 ; 105:4 ; Joel 2:14 ; Amos 5:6 , 15 ; John 3:9

 

 

IV == Jer 6:4 15:8 47:4-5 ; Ezek 25:15

 

V == Josh 13:3 ; Ezek 25:16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIII == Gen 19:25 ; Deut 29:23 ; Ezek 25:9 ; Amos 1:13 ; 2:1 ; Zeph 2:7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X == Isa 16:6 ; Jer 48:29

 

 

XI == Gen 10:5 ; Mal 1:11 ; John 4:21

 

 

XII == Ps 17:13 ; Isa 18:1 ; 20:4 ; Jer 46:9 ; Ezek 30:9

XIII == Isa 10:12 ; Ezek 31:3 ; Nah 1:1 ; 2:10 ; 3:15 , 18

 

XIV == Isa 13:21-22 ; 34:11 , 14 ; Jer 22:14 ; Zehp 2:XV == Isa 47:8 ; Lam 2:15 ; Ezek 27:36

1 Gather, gather yourselves together, O nation without shame!

2 Before you are driven away, like chaff that passes on; Before there comes upon you the blazing anger of the LORD: Before there comes upon you the day of the LORD'S anger.

3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who have observed his law; Seek justice, seek humility; perhaps you may be sheltered on the day of the LORD'S anger.

4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon shall be a waste, Ashdod they shall drive out at midday, and Ekron shall be uprooted.

5 Woe to you who dwell by the seacoast, to the Cretan folk! The word of the LORD is against you, I will humble you, land of the Philistines, and leave you to perish without an inhabitant!

6 The coastland of the Cretans shall become fields for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

7 The coast shall belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; by the sea they shall pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon at evening they shall couch their flocks, For the LORD their God shall visit them, and bring about their restoration.

8 I have heard the revilings uttered by Moab, and the insults of the Ammonites, When they reviled my people and made boasts against their territory.

9 Therefore, as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom, the land of Ammon like Gomorrah: A field of nettles and a salt pit and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, the survivors of my nation dispossess them.

10 Such shall be the requital of their pride, because they reviled and boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts.

11 The LORD shall inspire them with fear when he makes all the gods of earth to waste away; Then, each from its own place, all the coastlands of the nations shall adore him.

12 You too, O Cushites, shall be slain by the sword of the LORD.

13 He will stretch out his hand against the north, to destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a waste, dry as the desert.

14 In her midst shall settle in droves all the wild life of the hollows; The screech owl and the desert owl shall roost in her columns; Their call shall resound from the window, the raven's croak from the doorway.

15 Is this the exultant city that dwelt secure; That told herself, "There is no other than I!" How has she become a waste, a lair for wild beasts? Whoever passes by her hisses, and shakes his fist!

v 1,2. Zephaniah isn’t calling the people together to fear, but to repent, and that soon or they would be driven like chaff when the day of the Lord came upon them.

v 3. The remnant would be protected if they turned to righteousness and humility.

v 4-7. Judgment now turns to surrounding nations which polluted Israel with idols. Of five cities, Gath was already damaged and Ashdod would be surprised at noon. Cherethites were probably from Crete and would be destroyed with the rest of the coastal plain. Jewish survivors would some day occupy that territory.

 

 

 

 

v 8-11. Moab and Ammon, though related had been full of pride and consistently reproached Israel, so they would be brought to total ruin. The remnant will possess that area also, and in the Millennium, all nations will come to worship God.

 

 

 

 

 

v 12. West, east, now the southern surrounding nations are to be destroyed.

v 13-15. Now the nations to the north or northeast. Medes and Babylonians took the Assyrians, and Ninevah was brought to total devastation as told in Nahum 3.