Zephaniah 2

Zephaniah · Chapter 2

Zephaniah 2:9

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
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.Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.”Therefore as I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall make a prey of them, and the remnant of my nation shall inherit them.

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Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
to thereforeלָכֵ֣ןla-KHENH3651C
right

כֵּן (ken) adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

[by] [the] lifeחַי־chai-H2416A
alive

חַי (chay) adj 1) living, alive 1a) green (of vegetation) 1b) flowing, fresh (of water) 1c) lively, active (of man) 1d) reviving (of the springtime) Aramaic equivalent: chay (חַי "living" H2417)

of meאָ֡נִי'A-niH0589
me

אֲנָא (a.na) I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis) Aramaic of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)

[the] utterance ofנְאֻם֩ne-'UMH5002
utterance

נְאֻם (ne.um) 1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet) 1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state) 1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name)

Yahwehיְהוָ֨הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

of hostsצְבָא֜וֹתtze-va-'otH6635B
Hosts

צָבָא (tsa.va) The Hosts (of the Lord) Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

[the] God ofאֱלֹהֵ֣י'e-lo-HEIH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYIS-ra-'ELH3478
Jacob

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" …

thatכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
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

Moabמוֹאָ֞בmo-'AVH4124G
Moab

מוֹאָב (mo.av) Moab = "of his father" the nation descended from the son of Lot Also named: mo.a.vi (מוֹאָבִי "Moab" H4125)

like Sodomכִּסְדֹ֤םkis-DOMH5467
Sodom

סְדֹם (se.dom) Sodom = "burning" a Canaanite city, usually paired with Gomorrah, located in the area of the Dead Sea and the Jordan river; both cities destroyed by God in judgment Also named: Sodoma (Σόδομα "Sodom" G4670)

it will beתִּֽהְיֶה֙tih-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 [the] people ofוּבְנֵ֤יu-ve-NEIH1121GNo entry
Ammonעַמּוֹן֙'a-mOnH5983
Ham

הָ֑ם (ham) Ham = "hot" or "sunburnt" the place where Chedorlaomer and his allies smote the Zuzim, probably in the territory of the Ammonites, east of the Jordan; site uncertain Another name of am.mon (עַמּוֹן "Ammon" H5983)

like Gomorrahכַּֽעֲמֹרָ֔הka-'a-mo-RAHH6017
Gomorrah

עֲמֹרָה (a.mo.rah) Gomorrah = "submersion" the twin-city in evil with Sodom, both destroyed in judgment by God with fire from heaven Also named: Gomorra (Γόμορρα "Gomorrah" G1116)

a place possessed ofמִמְשַׁ֥קmi-SHAKH4476
possession

מִמְשָׁק (mim.shaq) possession, place possessed

nettle[s]חָר֛וּלcha-RULH2738
nettle

חָרוּל (cha.rul) nettles, weeds, kind of weed (perhaps chickpea)

and a pit ofוּמִכְרֵה־u-mikh-reh-H4379
pit

מִכְרֶה (mikh.reh) 1) pit, salt pit 1a) meaning uncertain

saltמֶ֥לַחME-lachH4417M
salt

מֶ֫לַח (me.lach) salt

and a wasteוּשְׁמָמָ֖הu-she-ma-MAHH8077A
devastation

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

untilעַד־'ad-H5704
till

עַד (ad) prep 1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as 1a) of space 1a1) as far as, up to, even to 1b) in combination 1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from) 1c) of time 1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end 1d) of degree 1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like conj 2) until, while, to the point that, so that even Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)

perpetuityעוֹלָ֑םo-LAMH5769G
forever: enduring

עוֹלָם (o.lam) : enduring/eternal 1) long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world 1a) ancient time, long time (of past) 1b) (of future) 1b1) for ever, always 1b2) continuous existence, perpetual 1b3) everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

[the] remnant ofשְׁאֵרִ֤יתshe-'e-RITH7611
remnant

שְׁאֵרִית (she.e.rit) 1) rest, residue, remainder, remnant 1a) rest, what is left 1b) remainder, descendants

people myעַמִּי֙'a-MIH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

they will plunder themיְבָזּ֔וּםye-va-ZUMH0962
to plunder

בָּזַז (ba.zaz) 1) to spoil, plunder, prey upon, seize 1a) (Qal) to spoil, plunder, despoil 1b) (Niphal) to be spoiled, plundered 1c) (Pual) to be taken as spoil

and [the] rest ofK: וְיֶ֥תֶרve-YE-terH3499A
remainder

יֶ֫תֶר (ye.ter) 1) remainder, excess, rest, remnant, excellence 1a) remainder, remnant 1b) remainder, rest, other part 1c) excess 1d) abundantly (adv) 1e) abundance, affluence 1f) superiority, excellency

nation myגּוֹיִ֖יgoyiH1471A
nation

גּוֹי (goy) 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)

they will take possession of themיִנְחָלֽוּם׃yin-cha-LUMH5157
to inherit

נָחַל (na.chal) 1) to get as a possession, acquire, inherit, possess 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take possession, inherit 1a2) to have or get as a possession or property (fig.) 1a3) to divide the land for a possession 1a4) to acquire (testimonies) (fig.) 1b) (Piel) to divide for a possession 1c) (Hithpael) to possess oneself of 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to give as a possession 1d2) to cause to inherit, give as an inheritance 1e) (Hophal) to be allotted, be made to possess

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