1 ¶ Search yourselves and one another, O unfriendly people;

Bend yourselves, yea, bend ye, O nation not desired,

2 b efore the decree is executed, before the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you.

Before the bringing forth of a statute, As chaff hath the day passed on, While yet not come in upon you doth the heat of the anger of Jehovah, While yet not come in upon you doth a day of the anger of Jehovah,

3 S eek ye the LORD, all ye humble of the earth, who have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek humility: it may be ye shall be kept in the day of the LORD’s anger.

Seek Jehovah, all ye humble of the land, Who His judgment have done, Seek ye righteousness, seek humility, It may be ye are hidden in a day of the anger of Jehovah.

4 ¶ For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall spoil Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

For Gaza is forsaken, And Ashkelon for a desolation, Ashdod! at noon they do cast her forth, And Ekron is rooted up.

5 W oe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the people of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Palestinians, I will cause thee to be destroyed until there shall be no inhabitant left.

Ho! O inhabitants of the sea-coast, Nation of the Cherethites, A word of Jehovah against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines, And I have destroyed thee without an inhabitant.

6 A nd the sea coast shall be for dwellings and cottages for pastors, and sheepfolds.

And the sea-coast hath been habitations, Cottages shepherds, and folds a flock.

7 A nd the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon they shall sleep for the night; for the LORD their God shall visit them and return their captives.

And the coast hath been for the remnant of the house of Judah, By them they have pleasure, In houses of Ashkelon at even they lie down, For inspect them doth Jehovah their God, And He hath turned back their captivity.

8 ¶ I have heard the reproaches of Moab, and the revilings of the sons of Ammon, by which they have dishonoured my people and magnified themselves over their border.

I have heard the reproach of Moab, And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, Wherewith they reproached My people, And magnify against their border.

9 T herefore as I live, said the LORD of the hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, even a field of nettles and saltpits and a perpetual desolation; the remnant of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my Gentiles shall inherit them.

Therefore, I live, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Surely, Moab is as Sodom, And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits, And a desolation -- unto the age. A residue of My people do seize them, And a remnant of My nation inherit them.

10 T his shall come upon them for their pride because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of the hosts.

This to them for their arrogancy, Because they have reproached, And they magnify against the people of Jehovah of Hosts.

11 T he LORD shall be terrible against them for he will weaken all the gods of the earth; and each one from his place shall worship him, even all the isles of the Gentiles.

Fearful Jehovah against them, For He made bare all gods of the land, And bow themselves to Him, each from his place, Do all islanders of the nations.

12 ¶ Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

Also ye, O Cushim, pierced of My sword they.

13 A nd he will stretch out his hand over the north wind and destroy Assyria and will make Nineveh a desolation and dry like a wilderness.

And He stretcheth His hand against the north, And doth destroy Asshur, And he setteth Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness.

14 A nd flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the Gentiles; both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in her thresholds; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the gates: for her cedar work shall be uncovered.

And crouched in her midst have droves, Every beast of the nation, Both pelican and hedge-hog in her knobs lodge, A voice doth sing at the window, `Destruction at the threshold, For the cedar-work is exposed.'

15 T his 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! anyone that passes by her shall hiss and wag his hand.

This the exulting city that is dwelling confidently, That is saying in her heart, `I, and beside me there is none,' How hath she been for a desolation, A crouching-place for beasts, Every one passing by her doth hiss, He doth shake his hand!