Zephaniah 2:1

בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ לֶ֣דֶת חֹ֔ק כְּמֹ֖ץ עָ֣בַר י֑וֹם בְּטֶ֣רֶם ׀ לֹא־יָב֣וֹא עֲלֵיכֶ֗ם חֲרוֹן֙ אַף־יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙ לֹא־יָב֣וֹא עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם י֖וֹם אַף־יְהֹוָֽה׃ Before the day the decree is born—
The day flies by like chaff^aO nation … chaff Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields: “O straw [Aramaic gel] not gathered in, / Before you are driven like flying chaff”; cf. Ps. 35.5.—
Before GOD’s fierce anger
Overtakes you,
Before the day GOD’s anger
Overtakes you.

בַּקְּשׁ֤וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה֙ כׇּל־עַנְוֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִשְׁפָּט֖וֹ פָּעָ֑לוּ בַּקְּשׁוּ־צֶ֙דֶק֙ בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ עֲנָוָ֔ה אוּלַי֙ תִּסָּ֣תְר֔וּ בְּי֖וֹם אַף־יְהֹוָֽה׃ Seek GOD,
All you humble of the land
Who have fulfilled God’s law;
Seek righteousness,
Seek humility.
Perhaps you will find shelter
On the day of GOD’s anger.

כִּ֤י עַזָּה֙ עֲזוּבָ֣ה תִֽהְיֶ֔ה וְאַשְׁקְל֖וֹן לִשְׁמָמָ֑ה אַשְׁדּ֗וֹד בַּֽצׇּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ יְגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּהָ וְעֶקְר֖וֹן תֵּעָקֵֽר׃ {ס}         Indeed, Gaza shall be deserted
And Ashkelon desolate;
Ashdod’s people shall be expelled in broad daylight,
And Ekron shall be uprooted.

ה֗וֹי יֹ֥שְׁבֵ֛י חֶ֥בֶל הַיָּ֖ם גּ֣וֹי כְּרֵתִ֑ים דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֣ה עֲלֵיכֶ֗ם כְּנַ֙עַן֙ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֖יךְ מֵאֵ֥ין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ Ah, nation of Cherethites
Who inhabit the seacoast!
There is a word of GOD against you,
O Canaan,^bCanaan Or “Phoenicia,” of which Philistia is regarded as an extension southward. land of the Philistines:
I will lay you waste
Without inhabitants.

וְֽהָיְתָ֞ה חֶ֣בֶל הַיָּ֗ם נְוֺ֛ת כְּרֹ֥ת רֹעִ֖ים וְגִדְר֥וֹת צֹֽאן׃ The seacoast Cheroth^cCheroth Meaning of Heb. uncertain. shall become
An abode for shepherds and folds for flocks,

וְהָ֣יָה חֶ֗בֶל לִשְׁאֵרִ֛ית בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם יִרְע֑וּן בְּבָתֵּ֣י אַשְׁקְל֗וֹן בָּעֶ֙רֶב֙ יִרְבָּצ֔וּן כִּ֧י יִפְקְדֵ֛ם יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם וְשָׁ֥ב (שבותם) [שְׁבִיתָֽם]׃ And shall be a portion for the remnant of the House of Judah;
On these [pastures] they shall graze [their flocks],
They shall lie down^dlie down Change of vocalization yields “rest [them]”; cf. Song 1.7. at eventide
In the houses of Ashkelon.
For the ETERNAL their God will take note of them
And restore their fortunes.

שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ חֶרְפַּ֣ת מוֹאָ֔ב וְגִדֻּפֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן אֲשֶׁ֤ר חֵֽרְפוּ֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י וַיַּגְדִּ֖ילוּ עַל־גְּבוּלָֽם׃ I have heard the insults of Moab
And the jeers of the Ammonites,
Who have insulted My people
And gloated over their country.

לָכֵ֣ן חַי־אָ֡נִי נְאֻם֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כִּי־מוֹאָ֞ב כִּסְדֹ֤ם תִּֽהְיֶה֙ וּבְנֵ֤י עַמּוֹן֙ כַּעֲמֹרָ֔ה מִמְשַׁ֥ק חָר֛וּל וּמִכְרֵה־מֶ֥לַח וּשְׁמָמָ֖ה עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם שְׁאֵרִ֤ית עַמִּי֙ יְבׇזּ֔וּם וְיֶ֥תֶר גּוֹיִ֖ יִנְחָלֽוּם׃ Assuredly, as I live
—declares GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel—
Moab shall become like Sodom
And the Ammonites like Gomorrah:
Clumps^eClumps Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of weeds and patches^fpatches Meaning of Heb. uncertain. of salt,
And desolation evermore.
The remnant of My people shall plunder them,
The remainder of My nation shall possess them.

זֹ֥את לָהֶ֖ם תַּ֣חַת גְּאוֹנָ֑ם כִּ֤י חֵֽרְפוּ֙ וַיַּגְדִּ֔לוּ עַל־עַ֖ם יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ That is what they’ll get for their haughtiness,
For insulting and jeering
At the people of GOD of Hosts.

נוֹרָ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֣י רָזָ֔ה אֵ֖ת כׇּל־אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לוֹ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִמְּקוֹמ֔וֹ כֹּ֖ל אִיֵּ֥י הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ GOD will appear terrible against them,
Causing all the gods on earth to shrivel;^gshrivel Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
And all the coastlands of the nations
Shall bow in homage—
Everyone in their own home.

גַּם־אַתֶּ֣ם כּוּשִׁ֔ים חַֽלְלֵ֥י חַרְבִּ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃ You Cushites too—
They shall be slain by My sword.

וְיֵ֤ט יָדוֹ֙ עַל־צָפ֔וֹן וִֽיאַבֵּ֖ד אֶת־אַשּׁ֑וּר וְיָשֵׂ֤ם אֶת־נִֽינְוֵה֙ לִשְׁמָמָ֔ה צִיָּ֖ה כַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ [God] will reach out against the north
And destroy Assyria—
Making Nineveh a desolation,
Arid as the desert.

וְרָבְצ֨וּ בְתוֹכָ֤הּ עֲדָרִים֙ כׇּל־חַיְתוֹ־ג֔וֹי גַּם־קָאַת֙ גַּם־קִפֹּ֔ד בְּכַפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָ יָלִ֑ינוּ ק֠וֹל יְשׁוֹרֵ֤ר בַּֽחַלּוֹן֙ חֹ֣רֶב בַּסַּ֔ף כִּ֥י אַרְזָ֖הֿ עֵרָֽה׃ In it flocks shall lie down,
Every species of beast,
While jackdaws and owls roost on its capitals,
The great owl hoots in the window,
And the raven [croaks] on the threshold.
For its cedarwork is laid bare.^hspecies of beast … laid bare Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

זֹ֞֠את הָעִ֤יר הָעַלִּיזָה֙ הַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת לָבֶ֔טַח הָאֹֽמְרָה֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔הּ אֲנִ֖י וְאַפְסִ֣י ע֑וֹד אֵ֣יךְ ׀ הָיְתָ֣ה לְשַׁמָּ֗ה מַרְבֵּץ֙ לַֽחַיָּ֔ה כֹּ֚ל עוֹבֵ֣ר עָלֶ֔יהָ יִשְׁרֹ֖ק יָנִ֥יעַ יָדֽוֹ׃ {פ}
Is this the exultant city
That dwelt secure,
That thought in her heart,
“I am, and there is none but me”?
Alas, she is become a waste,
A lair of wild beasts!
Everyone who passes by her
Hisses and makes a hand gesture.ⁱHisses and makes a hand gesture To ward off a like fate from themselves; cf. Jer. 18.16 and note.