Darby Bible Translation

New Living Translation

A Call to Repentance

Collect yourselves and gather together, O nation without shame,

A Call to Repentance

Gather together — yes, gather together,
you shameless nation.

before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass away as chaff, before the fierce anger of Jehovah come upon you, before the day of Jehovah's anger come upon you.

2

Gather before judgment begins,
before your time to repent is blown away like chaff.
Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls
and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins.

3

Seek Jehovah, all ye meek of the land, who have performed his ordinance; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of Jehovah's anger.

3

Seek the LORD, all who are humble,
and follow his commands.
Seek to do what is right
and to live humbly.
Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you —
protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.
Judgment against Philistia

4

The Judgment on the Philistines

For Gazah shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon shall be a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

4

Gaza and Ashkelon will be abandoned,
Ashdod and Ekron torn down.

5

Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of Jehovah is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: I will destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant;

5

And what sorrow awaits you Philistinesa
who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan,
for this judgment is against you, too!
The LORD will destroy you
until not one of you is left.

6

and the sea-coast shall be cave-dwellings for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

6

The Philistine coast will become a wilderness pasture,
a place of shepherd camps
and enclosures for sheep and goats.

7

And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for Jehovah their God shall visit them, and turn again their captivity.

7

The remnant of the tribe of Judah will pasture there.
They will rest at night in the abandoned houses in Ashkelon.
For the LORD their God will visit his people in kindness
and restore their prosperity again.
Judgment against Moab and Ammon

8

The Judgment on Moab and Ammon

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

8

“I have heard the taunts of the Moabites
and the insults of the Ammonites,
mocking my people
and invading their borders.

9

Therefore, [as] I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall certainly be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt-pits, and a perpetual desolation; the remnant of my people shall spoil them, and the residue of my nation shall possess them.

9

Now, as surely as I live,”
says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,
“Moab and Ammon will be destroyed —
destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah.
Their land will become a place of stinging nettles,
salt pits, and eternal desolation.
The remnant of my people will plunder them
and take their land.”

10

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

10

They will receive the wages of their pride,
for they have scoffed at the people of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

11

Jehovah will be terrible unto them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and all the isles of the nations shall worship him, every one from his place.

11

The LORD will terrify them
as he destroys all the gods in the land.
Then nations around the world will worship the LORD,
each in their own land.
Judgment against Ethiopia and Assyria

12

The Judgment on Ethiopia and Assyria

Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be the slain of my sword.

12

“You Ethiopiansb will also be slaughtered
by my sword,” says the LORD.

13

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

13

And the LORD will strike the lands of the north with his fist,
destroying the land of Assyria.
He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland,
parched like a desert.

14

And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the crowd of beasts; both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge in the chapiters thereof; a voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be on the thresholds: for he hath laid bare the cedar work.

14

The proud city will become a pasture for flocks and herds,
and all sorts of wild animals will settle there.
The desert owl and screech owl will roost on its ruined columns,
their calls echoing through the gaping windows.
Rubble will block all the doorways,
and the cedar paneling will be exposed to the weather.

15

This is the rejoicing city that dwelt in security, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none else beside me: how is she become a desolation, a couching-place for beasts! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss, shall wave his hand.

15

This is the boisterous city,
once so secure.
“I am the greatest!” it boasted.
“No other city can compare with me!”
But now, look how it has become an utter ruin,
a haven for wild animals.
Everyone passing by will laugh in derision
and shake a defiant fist.

Parallel

Darby Bible Translation

New Living Translation

Zephaniah 2

Zephaniah 2