Zephaniah 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Gather together, gather together, nations without shame,	1 Gather, gather yourselves together, O nation without shame!
2 before you are dispersed like chaff which disappears in a day; before Yahweh's burning angerovertakes you (before the Day of Yahweh's anger overtakes you).	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 Yahweh, al you humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek uprightness, seek humility:you may perhaps find shelter on the Day of Yahweh'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 wil be abandoned and Ashkelon reduced to ruins; Ashdod wil be driven out in broad daylightand Ekron uprooted.	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 Disaster to the members of the coastal league, to the nation of the Cherethites! This is the word of Yahweh against you: I shal subdue you, land of the Philistines, I shal destroy you til there are no inhabitantsleft;	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 and the coastal league wil be reduced to pasture land, to grazing grounds for shepherds and folds forsheep;	6 The coastland of the Cretans shall become fields for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
7 and the league will belong to the remnant of the House of Judah; they will pasture their flocks there, atnight they wil rest in the houses of Ashkelon; for, when Yahweh their God has punished them, he wil restoretheir fortunes.	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 taunt of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, as they taunted my people andboasted of their own domains.	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 For this, as I live -- declares Yahweh Sabaoth, God of Israel -- Moab wil become like Sodom and theAmmonites like Gomorrah: a realm of nettles, a heap of salt, a desolation for ever. What is left of my people willplunder them, the survivors of my nation wil take their heritage.	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 This will be the price of their pride for having taunted and boasted over the people of YahwehSabaoth.	10 Such shall be the requital of their pride, because they reviled and boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts.
11 Yahweh wil be fearsome to them, for he wil scatter al the gods of the earth, and they wil bow downto him, each from his own place -- al the islands of the nations.	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 Ethiopians too wil be run through by my sword.	12 You too, O Cushites, shall be slain by the sword of the LORD.
13 He will raise his hand against the north and bring Assyria down in ruins; he will make Nineveh a waste,as dry as a desert.	13 He will stretch out his hand against the north, to destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a waste, dry as the desert.
14 Flocks will rest inside there, so will wild animals; pelican and porcupine wil nest round her cornices atnight; the owl wil hoot at the window and the raven croak on the doorstep -- for the cedar has been torn down.	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 This is what the city wil be like, once living happy and carefree and thinking to itself, 'I have no rival --not I!' And what will it be now? A ruin, a lair for wild beasts to rest in, and everyone who passes by wil whistleand throw up his hands.	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!