2 Come together!
Yes, you people, come together and think.
You do not know how to be ashamed!
2-3 The wind takes away the dry parts of a plant that covered the seed.
It will be like that when I punish you.
Before it is the time for me to punish you, look for me.
Before this time is past, look for me.
Look for me, before I become very, very angry with you.
There will be a day when the Lord will be angry. Look for me, before that day.
Yes, look for the Lord , all you people who want to make him happy.
You have done what the Lord wants.
Continue to do what is good.
But do not think that you are great.
Perhaps you will find a safe place
on the day when the Lord is angry.
4 Then, the people who have lived in Gaza city and Ashkelon city will not be there.
Enemies will also send away the people in Ashdod city at midday. And those enemies will destroy Ekron city.
5 Terrible trouble will come to you people who came from Crete,
you people who live beside the sea!
The Lord has said this against you:
I will kill all you Philistines who live in the land of Canaan!
You will all die. So nobody will live there.
6 By the sea, there will be houses for people who feed sheep.
There will be safe places for their sheep.
7 Those people in Judah who love God will live there, by the sea.
They will have food there.
They will lie down to sleep in Ashkelon city's houses.
The Lord , their God, will be with them.
He will stop their troubles.
8 The Lord of all his armies says, ‘I have heard the cruel people in the countries called Moab and Ammon.
They laugh about you and they say cruel things about you, my people.
They have thought that they were greater than you.
They have come against you.’
9 The Lord Almighty, Israel's God, says,
‘You can be sure that I live.
In the same way, you can also be sure that my people will take everything for themselves.
God will destroy Moab as he destroyed Sodom.
He will destroy Ammon as he destroyed Gomorrah.
After this, the ground will have lots of salt on it. Weeds will grow there.
Nobody will build anything there again.
My people who are still alive will take for themselves the Ammonites' things and the Moabites' things.’
10 That will happen to all proud people.
The proud people said cruel words to God's people.
The cruel people thought that they were greater than the people of the Lord Almighty.
11 The Lord will make them afraid.
He will destroy all the false gods.
People will worship him instead. Every person, in his own place, will worship God.
They will also worship him in the places where the people now believe in false gods.
12 ‘I will also punish you people in the country called Ethiopia.
Other people will kill you with a big knife,’ the Lord says.
13 The Lord will go against the north.
There, he will destroy the country called Assyria.
He will also destroy Nineveh city. That place will become as dry as a desert.
14 Sheep will lie down there.
All the wild animals of that place will live together there.
Vultures and owls will rest on top of the high, thin parts of the buildings.
They will sing in the windows.
Bits of doors will lie on the ground.
The Lord will tear down all the things in the houses that they have made from valuable wood.
15 All this will happen to that city, the proud city.
That city's people said in their minds,
‘Here we are. We are greater than all the other people.’
But then, other people will destroy their city! Only bits of it will still be there.
Then wild animals will come and they will lie down in it. People will see this.
So any people who pass by the city will make noises with their lips.
And they will hold their fists up. In this way, they will show that they think bad things about the city.
2 Shameless people, change your lives 2 before you become like a dry and dying flower. In the heat of day, a flower will wilt and die. You will be like that when the Lord shows his terrible anger. So change your lives before the Lord shows his anger against you! 3 All you humble people, come to the Lord ! Obey his laws. Learn to do good things. Learn to be humble. Maybe then you will be safe when the Lord shows his anger.
4 No one will be left in Gaza. Ashkelon will be destroyed. By noon, the people will be forced to leave Ashdod. Ekron [ a ] will be empty. [ b ] 5 You Cretans [ c ] living by the sea, this message from the Lord is about you. Canaan, land of the Philistines, you will be destroyed—no one will live there! 6 Your land by the sea will become empty fields for shepherds and their sheep. 7 Then the land will belong to the survivors from Judah. The Lord their God will remember the people from Judah and restore their fortunes. Then they will let their sheep eat the grass in those fields. In the evenings they will lie down in the empty houses of Ashkelon.
8 The Lord says, “I know what the people of Moab and Ammon did. They embarrassed my people. They took their land to make their own countries larger. 9 So, as surely as I am alive, Moab and the people of Ammon will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, and I promise those countries will be destroyed completely forever. Their land will be overgrown with weeds. It will be like the land covered with salt by the Dead Sea. The survivors of my people will take that land and everything left in it.”
10 This will happen to the people of Moab and Ammon because they were so proud and cruel and humiliated the people of the Lord All-Powerful. 11 They will be afraid of the Lord , because he will destroy their gods. Then everyone in all the faraway lands will worship the Lord. 12 People of Ethiopia, this even means you! The Lord’s sword will kill your people. 13 Then the Lord will turn north and punish Assyria. He will destroy Nineveh—that city will be like an empty, dry desert. 14 Only sheep and wild animals will live in those ruins. Owls and crows will sit on the columns that are left standing. Their calls will be heard coming through the windows. Crows will sit on the doorsteps. Black birds [ d ] will make their homes in those empty houses. 15 Nineveh is so proud now. It is such a happy city. The people think they are safe. They think Nineveh is the greatest place in the world, but it will be destroyed! It will be an empty place where only wild animals go to rest. People who pass by will whistle and shake their heads when they see how badly the city was destroyed.
2 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
2 Before 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.
3 Seek 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.
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 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.
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 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.
8 I 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.
9 Therefore 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.
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 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.
12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye 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 bittern 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 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.
2 Gather yourselves together, yes, ( A ) join together,
You nation ( B ) without [ a ] shame,
2 Before the decree [ b ] takes effect—
The day passes ( C ) like chaff—
Before the ( D ) burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the ( E ) day of the Lord ’ s anger comes upon you.
3 ( F ) Seek the Lord ,
All you ( G ) humble of the [ c ] earth
Who have practiced His [ d ] ordinances;
( H ) Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will ( I ) remain hidden
On the day of the Lord ’ s anger.
4 For ( J ) Gaza will be abandoned,
And Ashkelon will become a desolation;
The inhabitants of ( K ) Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
And ( L ) Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the [ e ] ( M ) Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is ( N ) against you,
( O ) Canaan, land of the Philistines;
And I will ( P ) eliminate you
So that there will be ( Q ) no inhabitant.
6 So the seacoast will become ( R ) grazing places,
With pastures for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast will be
For the ( S ) remnant of the house of Judah,
They will ( T ) drive sheep to pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the Lord their God will ( U ) care for them
And ( V ) restore their fortunes.
8 “I have heard the ( W ) taunting of Moab
And the ( X ) abusive speech of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have taunted My people
And ( Y ) boasted against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of armies,
The God of Israel,
“ ( Z ) Moab will assuredly be like ( AA ) Sodom,
And the sons of ( AB ) Ammon like ( AC ) Gomorrah—
Ground overgrown with weeds and full of salt mines,
And a permanent desolation.
The remnant of My people will ( AD ) plunder them,
And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”
10 This they will have in return for their ( AE ) arrogance, because they have ( AF ) taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of armies. 11 The Lord will be ( AG ) terrifying to them, for He will [ f ] starve ( AH ) all the gods of the earth; and all the ( AI ) coastlands of the nations will ( AJ ) bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.
12 “You also, ( AK ) Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will ( AL ) stretch out His hand against the north
And eliminate ( AM ) Assyria,
And He will make ( AN ) Nineveh a desolation,
Parched like the wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
[ g ] All animals that range in herds;
Both the [ h ] ( AO ) pelican and the hedgehog
Will spend their nights in [ i ] the tops of her pillars;
[ j ] Birds will sing in the window,
Devastation will be on the threshold;
For He has uncovered the cedar work.
15 This is the ( AP ) presumptuous city
That ( AQ ) dwells securely,
Who says in her heart,
“ ( AR ) I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a ( AS ) desolation,
A resting place for animals!
( AT ) Everyone who passes by her will [ k ] hiss
And wave his hand in contempt .
2 Gather together, ( A ) gather yourselves together,
you shameful ( B ) nation,
2 before the decree takes effect
and that day passes like windblown chaff, ( C )
before the Lord ’s fierce anger ( D )
comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord ’s wrath ( E )
comes upon you.
3 Seek ( F ) the Lord , all you humble of the land,
you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, ( G ) seek humility; ( H )
perhaps you will be sheltered ( I )
on the day of the Lord ’s anger.
4 Gaza ( J ) will be abandoned
and Ashkelon ( K ) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
and Ekron uprooted.
5 Woe to you who live by the sea,
you Kerethite ( L ) people;
the word of the Lord is against you, ( M )
Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
and none will be left.” ( N )
6 The land by the sea will become pastures
having wells for shepherds
and pens for flocks. ( O )
7 That land will belong
to the remnant ( P ) of the people of Judah;
there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
he will restore their fortunes. [ a ] ( Q )
8 “I have heard the insults ( R ) of Moab ( S )
and the taunts of the Ammonites, ( T )
who insulted ( U ) my people
and made threats against their land. ( V )
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,”
declares the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel,
“surely Moab ( W ) will become like Sodom, ( X )
the Ammonites ( Y ) like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder ( Z ) them;
the survivors ( AA ) of my nation will inherit their land. ( AB ) ”
10 This is what they will get in return for their pride, ( AC )
for insulting ( AD ) and mocking
the people of the Lord Almighty. ( AE )
11 The Lord will be awesome ( AF ) to them
when he destroys all the gods ( AG ) of the earth. ( AH )
Distant nations will bow down to him, ( AI )
all of them in their own lands.
13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria, ( AL )
leaving Nineveh ( AM ) utterly desolate
and dry as the desert. ( AN )
14 Flocks and herds ( AO ) will lie down there,
creatures of every kind.
The desert owl ( AP ) and the screech owl ( AQ )
will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
rubble will fill the doorways,
the beams of cedar will be exposed.
15 This is the city of revelry ( AR )
that lived in safety. ( AS )
She said to herself,
“I am the one! And there is none besides me.” ( AT )
What a ruin she has become,
a lair for wild beasts! ( AU )
All who pass by her scoff ( AV )
and shake their fists. ( AW )
