Judgment Of Judah's Enemies
2 Before the decree takes effect [and the time for repentance is lost]—The day passes like the chaff [whirled by the wind]—Before the burning and fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you,Before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you.
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.
2 Before the decree (b)takes effect—The day passes (C)like the chaff—Before the (D)burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,Before the (E)day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.
2 before the decree(A) takes effectand the day passes like chaff,before the burning of the Lord’s anger overtakes you,before the day of the Lord’s anger overtakes you.
2 Before the decree is carried out, before the day flies away like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD visits you, before the Day of the LORD's wrath surprises you,
3 Seek the Lord [search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life],All you humble of the landWho have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments;Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital].Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued]In the day of the Lord’s anger.
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.
3 (F)Seek the Lord,All you (G)humble of the (c)earthWho have carried out His (d)ordinances;(H)Seek righteousness, seek humility.Perhaps you will be (I)hiddenIn the day of the Lord’s anger.
3 Seek the Lord,(B) all you humble(C) of the earth,who carry out what He commands.Seek righteousness, seek humility;perhaps you will be concealed(D)on the day of the Lord’s anger.
3 seek the LORD, all you humble people of the land, who do what he commands. Seek righteousness! Seek humility! Maybe you will be protected in the Day of the LORD's anger."
The Doom Of The Nations Around Israel
4 For [this is the fate of the Philistines:] Gaza will be abandonedAnd Ashkelon a desolation;[The people of] Ashdod will be driven out at noon [in broad daylight]And Ekron will be uprooted and destroyed.
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.
4 For (J)Gaza will be abandonedAnd Ashkelon a desolation;(K)Ashdod will be driven out at noonAnd (L)Ekron will be uprooted.
4 For Gaza will be abandoned,and Ashkelon will become a ruin.Ashdod will be driven out at noon,and Ekron will be uprooted.(E)
4 "For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon deserted Ashdod will be emptied at high noon; even Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe (judgment is coming) to the inhabitants of the seacoast,The nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]!The word of the Lord is against you,O Canaan, land of the Philistines;I will destroy youSo that no inhabitant will be left.
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.
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 (O)Canaan, land of the Philistines;And I will (P)destroy youSo that there will be (Q)no inhabitant.
5 Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast,nation of the Cherethites!(b)(F)The word of the Lord is against you,Canaan, land of the Philistines:I will destroy you until there is no one left.
5 Woe to those who live along the coast, the people of Philistia! This message from the LORD is being spoken against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines: "I'll destroy you until no one lives there!'
6 So the [depopulated] seacoast shall be pastures,With [deserted] meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.
6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
6 The seacoast will become pasturelandswith caves for shepherds and folds for sheep.
6 The Philistine coast will become meadows for shepherds and sheep pens.
7 The (a)seacoast will belongTo the remnant of the house of Judah;They will pasture [their flocks] on it.In the [deserted] houses of Ashkelon [in Philistia] they [of Judah] will lie down and rest in the evening,For the Lord their God will care for them;And restore their fortune [permitting them to occupy the land].(A)
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.
7 And the coast will beFor the (S)remnant of the house of Judah,They will (T)pasture on it.In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;For the Lord their God will (U)care for themAnd (V)restore their fortune.
7 The coastland will belongto the remnant of the house of Judah;they will find pasture there.They will lie down in the eveningamong the houses of Ashkelon,for the Lord their God will return to themand restore their fortunes.
7 The survivors of Judah will find pasture on it; at twilight they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon, for the LORD their God will visit them, restoring their prosperity."
Moab And Ammon Will Be Punished
8 “I have heard the taunting of MoabAnd the revilings of the sons of Ammon,With which they have taunted My peopleAnd become arrogant against their territory [by violating Israel’s boundary and trying to seize its land].
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.
8 “I have heard the (g)(W)taunting of MoabAnd the (X)revilings of the sons of Ammon,With which they have (h)taunted My peopleAnd (i)(Y)become arrogant against their territory.
8 I have heard the taunting of Moaband the insults of the Ammonites,(G)who have taunted My peopleand threatened their territory.
8 "I've heard Moab's insults and the curses from those Ammonites by which they defame my people and boast about their territory.
9 “Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,The God of Israel,“(b)Moab will in fact become like SodomAnd the (c)sons of Ammon like Gomorrah,A land possessed by nettles and salt pits,And a perpetual desolation.The remnant of My people will plunder themAnd what is left of My nation will inherit them [as their own].”
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.
9 “Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,The God of Israel,“Surely (Z)Moab will be like (AA)SodomAnd the sons of (AB)Ammon like (AC)Gomorrah—A place possessed by nettles and salt pits,And a perpetual desolation.The remnant of My people will (AD)plunder themAnd the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”
9 Therefore, as I live—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts,the God of Israel—Moab will be like Sodomand the Ammonites like Gomorrah(H)—a place overgrown with weeds,a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland.The remnant of My people will plunder them;the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.
9 Therefore as I'm alive and living," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, "Moab will surely become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a place overrun by weeds and salty marshes, unpopulated forever. The survivors of my people will confiscate their property, and those who remain of my nation will inherit what was theirs.
10 This they shall have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts.
10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.
10 This they will have in return for their (AE)pride, because they have (j)(AF)taunted and (k)become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts.
10 This is what they get for their pride,because they have taunted and acted arrogantly(I)against the people of the Lord of Hosts.
10 This they will have in lieu of their pride, because they have insulted and mocked the people of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.
11 The Lord will be terrifying and awesome to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down and worship Him, everyone from his own place.(B)
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.
11 The Lord will be (AG)terrifying to them, for He will (l)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.
11 The Lord will be terrifying to themwhen He starves all the gods of the earth.Then all the distant coastlands of the nationswill bow in worship to Him,each in its own place.
11 The LORD will incite them to terror, because he will cause all the gods of the earth to waste away. They will worship him, every person in his own home, including even the coastlands of the nations."
Cush And Assyria Will Be Destroyed
13 And the Lord will stretch out His hand against the northAnd destroy Assyria,And He will make Nineveh a desolation [a wasteland],Parched as the desert.(D)
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.
13 And He will (AL)stretch out His hand against the northAnd destroy (AM)Assyria,And He will make (AN)Nineveh a desolation,Parched like the wilderness.
13 He will also stretch out His hand against the northand destroy Assyria;He will make Nineveh a desolate ruin,(K)dry as the desert.
13 "And the LORD will attack the north, destroying Assyria. He will turn Nineveh into a desolate ruin, as dry as a desert wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,All the animals which range in herds;Both the pelican and the short-eared owlWill roost on the top of Nineveh’s pillars.Birds will sing in the window,Desolation will be on the threshold;For He has uncovered the cedar paneling.
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.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,(m)All beasts which range in herds;Both the (n)(AO)pelican and the hedgehogWill lodge in (o)the tops of her pillars;(p)Birds will sing in the window,Desolation will be on the threshold;For He has laid bare the cedar work.
14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it,every kind of wild animal.(c)Both the desert owl(d) and the screech owl(e)will roost in the capitals of its pillars.Their calls will sound(f) from the window,but devastation(g) will be on the threshold,for He will expose the cedar work.(h)
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst, along with animals of every kind. Desert owls and screeching owls will nest at the top of the pillars, hooting through the vacant windows, "Ruin sits at these doorsills,' for he will expose even the cedar framework.
15 This is the joyous cityWhich dwells carelessly [feeling so secure],Who says in her heart,“I am, and there is no one besides me.”What a desolation she has become,A lair for [wild] animals!Everyone who passes by her will hiss [in scorn]And wave his hand in contempt.(E)
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.
15 This is the (AP)exultant cityWhich (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 beasts!(AT)Everyone who passes by her will hissAnd wave his hand in contempt.
15 This is the self-assured(L) citythat lives in security,that thinks to herself:I exist, and there is no one else.What a desolation she has become,a place for wild animals to lie down!Everyone who passes by herjeers(i) and shakes his fist.
15 This is that carefree city that lived irresponsibly, that told herself, "Me first!' and, "There will be no one else!' How ruined she has become a habitat for wild animals! Everyone who passes by her will sneer at her and make obscene gestures!"