1 C ollect your thoughts, yes, unbend yourselves, O shameless nation!

Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation,

2 T herefore consider, before God’s decree brings forth, before the time is gone like the drifting chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you—yes, before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you!

Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord ’s fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord ’s anger comes upon you!

3 S eek the Lord, all you humble of the land who have acted in compliance with His revealed will and have kept His commandments; seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord ’s anger. Judgment on Nations

4 F or Gaza shall be forsaken and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; the people of Ashdod shall be driven out at noonday and Ekron shall be uprooted.

For Gaza shall be forsaken, And Ashkelon desolate; They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, And Ekron shall be uprooted.

5 W oe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.

Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, The nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you; So there shall be no inhabitant.”

6 A nd the seacoast shall be pastures, with dwelling places and caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.

The seacoast shall be pastures, With shelters for shepherds and folds for flocks.

7 T he seacoast shall belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall pasture their flocks upon it; in the houses of Ashkelon shall they of Judah lie down in the evening. For the Lord their God shall visit them and restore them from their captivity.

The coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; They shall feed their flocks there; In the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the Lord their God will intervene for them, And return their captives.

8 I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites by which they have reproached My people, and magnified themselves and made boasts against their territory.

“I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the insults of the people of Ammon, With which they have reproached My people, And made arrogant threats against their borders.

9 T herefore, as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and wild vetches and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people shall make a prey of them and what is left of My nation shall possess them.

Therefore, as I live,” Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah— Overrun with weeds and saltpits, And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

10 T his shall they have for their pride, because they have taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of hosts.

This they shall have for their pride, Because they have reproached and made arrogant threats Against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11 T he Lord will be terrible to them, for He will make lean and famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship Him, every one from his place, even all the isles and coastlands of the nations.

The Lord will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations.

12 Y ou Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword.

“You Ethiopians also, You shall be slain by My sword.”

13 A nd will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria and will make Nineveh a desolation, dry as the desert.

And He will stretch out His hand against the north, Destroy Assyria, And make Nineveh a desolation, As dry as the wilderness.

14 H erds shall lie down in the midst of, all the beasts of the nations and of every kind; both the pelican and the hedgehog shall lodge on the upper part of her pillars; the voice shall sing in the windows; desolation and drought shall be on the thresholds, for her cedar paneling will He lay bare.

The herds shall lie down in her midst, Every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; Their voice shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be at the threshold; For He will lay bare the cedar work.

15 T his is the joyous and exultant city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am and there is none beside me. What a desolation she has become, a lair for beasts! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and wave his hand.

This is the rejoicing city That dwelt securely, That said in her heart, “I am it, and there is none besides me.” How has she become a desolation, A place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her Shall hiss and shake his fist.