Zephaniah 2

Zephaniah · Chapter 2

Zephaniah 2:4

1Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;2Before 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.3Seek 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.4For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.5Woe 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.6And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.7And 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.8I 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.9Therefore 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.10This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.11The 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.12Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.13And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.14And 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.15This 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
4For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon left in ruins. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

In context

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Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
forכִּ֤יkiH3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

Gazaעַזָּה֙'a-ZAHH5804
Gaza

עַזָּה (az.zah) § Azzah = "the strong" another name for 'Gaza', a city of the Philistines located in the extreme southwest of Palestine close to the Mediterranean

abandonedעֲזוּבָ֣ה'a-zu-VAHH5800A
to leave: forsake

עָזַב (a.zav) 1) to leave, loose, forsake 1a) (Qal) to leave 1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone 1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise 1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be left to 1b2) to be forsaken 1c) (Pual) to be deserted

it will beתִֽהְיֶ֔הtih-YEHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

and Ashkelonוְאַשְׁקְל֖וֹןve-'ash-ke-LONH0831
Ashkelon

אַשְׁקְלוֹן (ash.qe.lon) Askelon or Ashkelon = "the fire of infamy: I shall be weighed" a maritime city of the Philistines, southwest of Jerusalem Also named: esh.qe.lo.ni (אֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי "Ashkelon" H0832)

[will become] into a desolationלִשְׁמָמָ֑הlish-ma-MAHH8077A
devastation

שְׁמָמָה (she.ma.mah) devastation, waste, desolation Also means: shi.me.mah (שִֽׁמְמָה "desolation" H8077B)

Ashdodאַשְׁדּ֗וֹד'ash-DODH0795
Ashdod

אַשְׁדּוֹד (ash.dod) § Ashdod = "powerful" a major Philistine city on the Mediterranean Sea west from Jerusalem, modern Esdud

at the noontidesבַּֽצָּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ba-tzo-ho-RA-yimH6672A
midday

צֹ֫הַר (tso.har) 1) noon, midday 1a) noon (as specific time of day) 1b) noon (in simile as bright of happiness, blessing)

people will drive out itיְגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּהָye-GA-re-SHU-haH1644G
to drive out: drive out

גָּרַשׁ (ga.rash) : drive out 1) to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up 1a) (Qal) to thrust out, cast out 1b) (Niphal) to be driven away, be tossed 1c) (Piel) to drive out, drive away 1d) (Pual) to be thrust out Also means: ga.rash (גָּרַשׁ ": divorce" H1644H)

and Ekronוְעֶקְר֖וֹןve-'ek-RONH6138
Ekron

עֶקְרוֹן (eq.ron) Ekron = "emigration" or "torn up by the roots" the most northerly of the 5 principal cities of the Philistines; located in the lowlands of Judah and later given to Dan Also named: eq.ro.ni (עֶקְרוֹנִי "Ekron" H6139)

it will be plucked upתֵּעָקֵֽר׃ סte-'a-KERH6131A
to uproot

עָקַר (a.qar) 1) to pluck up, root up 1a) (Qal) to pluck up, root up 1b) (Niphal) to be plucked up Aramaic equivalent: a.qar (עֲקַר "be uprooted" H6132)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.