Revised Literal Translation

Zephaniah 2

1Gather yourselves togetherהִֽתְקוֹשְׁשׁ֖וּhit.ko.she.ShuH7197,yea, gather togetherוָק֑וֹשּׁוּva.Ko.o.shuH7197,O nationהַגּ֖וֹיha.GoyH1471not desiredנִכְסָֽף׃nikh.SafH3700;

2Before the decreeחֹ֔קChokH2706bring forthלֶ֣דֶתLe.detH3205, beforethe dayי֑וֹםYomH3117passעָ֣בַר'A.varH5674as the chaffכְּמֹ֖ץke.MotzH4671,beforeH3808the fierceחֲרוֹן֙cha.rOnH2740angerאַף־'af-H639of Yhwhיְהוָ֔הYah.wehH3068comeיָב֣וֹאya.Vo'H935upon you, before the dayי֖וֹםYomH3117of Yhwh'sיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068angerאַף־'af-H639comeיָב֣וֹאya.Vo'H935upon you.

3Seekבַּקְּשׁ֤וּba.ke.ShuH1245ye Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068,all ye meekעַנְוֵ֣י'an.VeiH6035of the earthהָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzH776,which have wroughtפָּעָ֑לוּpa.'A.luH6466his judgmentמִשְׁפָּט֖וֹmish.pa.ToH4941;seekבַּקְּשׁוּ־ba.ke.shu-H1245righteousnessצֶ֙דֶק֙tze.dekH6664,seekבַּקְּשׁ֣וּba.ke.ShuH1245meeknessעֲנָוָ֔ה'a.na.VahH6038:it may beאוּלַי֙'u.LaiH194ye shall be hidתִּסָּ֣תְר֔וּti.Sa.te.RuH5641in the dayבְּי֖וֹםbe.YomH3117of Yhwh'sיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068angerאַף־'af-H639.

4For Gazaעַזָּה֙'a.ZahH5804shall be forsakenעֲזוּבָ֣ה'a.zu.VahH5800,and Ashkelonוְאַשְׁקְל֖וֹןve.'ash.ke.LonH831a desolationלִשְׁמָמָ֑הlish.ma.MahH8077:they shall drive outיְגָ֣רְשׁ֔וּהָye.Ga.re.Shu.haH1644Ashdodאַשְׁדּ֗וֹד'ash.DodH795at the noon dayבַּֽצָּהֳרַ֙יִם֙ba.tzo.ho.Ra.yimH6672,and Ekronוְעֶקְר֖וֹןve.'ek.RonH6138shall be rooted upתֵּעָקֵֽר׃ סte.'a.KerH6131.

5Woeה֗וֹיHoH1945unto the inhabitantsיֹֽשְׁבֵ֛יyo.she.VeiH3427of the seaהַיָּ֖םhai.YamH3220coastחֶ֥בֶלChe.velH2256,the nationגּ֣וֹיGoyH1471of the Cherethitesכְּרֵתִ֑יםke.re.TimH3774!the wordדְּבַר־de.var-H1697of Yhwhיְהוָ֣הYah.wehH3068isagainst you; O Canaanכְּנַ֙עַן֙ke.Na.'anH3667,the landאֶ֣רֶץ'E.retzH776of the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםpe.lish.TimH6430,I will even destroyוְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֖יךְve.ha.'a.vad.TikhH6thee, that there shall be no inhabitantיוֹשֵֽׁב׃yo.ShevH3427.

6And the seaהַיָּ֗םhai.YamH3220coastחֶ֣בֶלChe.velH2256shall be dwellingsנְוֹ֛תne.VotH5116andcottagesכְּרֹ֥תke.RotH3741for shepherdsרֹעִ֖יםro.'ImH7462,and foldsוְגִדְר֥וֹתve.gid.RotH1448for flocksצֹֽאן׃TzonH6629.

7And the coastחֶ֗בֶלChe.velH2256shall be for the remnantלִשְׁאֵרִ֛יתlish.'e.RitH7611of the houseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004of Judahיְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.DahH3063;they shall feedיִרְע֑וּןyir.'UnH7462thereupon: in the housesבְּבָתֵּ֣יbe.va.TeiH1004of Ashkelonאַשְׁקְל֗וֹן'ash.ke.LonH831shall they lie downיִרְבָּצ֔וּןyir.ba.TzunH7257in the eveningבָּעֶ֙רֶב֙ba.'E.revH6153:for Yhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068their Godאֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם'e.lo.hei.HemH430shall visitיִפְקְדֵ֛םyif.ke.DemH6485them, and turn awayוְשָׁ֥בve.ShavH7725their captivityשְׁבִיתָֽם׃she.vu.tamH7622.

8I have heardשָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙sha.Ma'.tiH8085the reproachחֶרְפַּ֣תcher.PatH2781of Moabמוֹאָ֔בmo.'AvH4124,and the revilingsוְגִדּוּפֵ֖יve.gi.du.FeiH1421of the childrenבְּנֵ֣יbe.NeiH1121of Ammonעַמּ֑וֹןa.MonH5983,whereby they have reproachedחֵֽרְפוּ֙che.re.FuH2778my peopleעַמִּ֔י'a.MiH5971,and magnifiedוַיַּגְדִּ֖ילוּvai.yag.Di.luH1431themselvesagainst their borderגְּבוּלָֽם׃ge.vu.LamH1366.

9Therefore asI liveחַי־chai-H2416,saithנְאֻם֩ne.'UmH5002Yhwhיְהוָ֨הYah.wehH3068of Armiesצְבָא֜וֹתtze.va.'otH6635,the Godאֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.HeiH430of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElH3478,Surely Moabמוֹאָ֞בmo.'AvH4124shall be as Sodomכִּסְדֹ֤םkis.DomH5467,and the childrenוּבְנֵ֤יu.ve.NeiH1121of Ammonעַמּוֹן֙'a.mOnH5983as Gomorrahכַּֽעֲמֹרָ֔הka.'a.mo.RahH6017, eventhe breedingמִמְשַׁ֥קmi.ShakH4476of nettlesחָר֛וּלcha.RulH2738,and saltpitsוּמִכְרֵה־ מֶ֥לַחu.mikh.reh- Me.lachH4417 H4379,and a perpetualעַד־ עוֹלָ֑ם'ad- o.LamH5769 H5704desolationוּשְׁמָמָ֖הu.she.ma.MahH8077:the residueשְׁאֵרִ֤יתshe.'e.RitH7611of my peopleעַמִּי֙'a.MiH5971shall spoilיְבָזּ֔וּםye.va.ZumH962them, and the remnantוְיֶ֥תֶרve.Ye.terH3499of my peopleגּוֹיִ֖יgoyiH1471shall possessיִנְחָלֽוּם׃yin.cha.LumH5157them.

10This shall they have for their prideגְּאוֹנָ֑םge.'o.NamH1347,because they have reproachedחֵֽרְפוּ֙che.re.FuH2778and magnifiedוַיַּגְדִּ֔לוּvai.yag.Di.luH1431themselvesagainst the peopleעַ֖ם'amH5971of Yhwhיְהוָ֥הYah.wehH3068of Armiesצְבָאֽוֹת׃tze.va.'otH6635.

11Yhwhיְהוָה֙Yah.wehH3068will beterribleנוֹרָ֤אno.Ra'H3372unto them: for he will famishרָזָ֔הra.ZahH7329all the godsאֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.HeiH430of the earthהָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzH776; and menshall worshipוְיִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־ve.yish.ta.cha.vu-H7812him, every oneאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376from his placeמִמְּקוֹמ֔וֹmi.me.ko.MoH4725, evenall the islesאִיֵּ֥י'i.YeiH339of the heathenהַגּוֹיִֽם׃ha.go.YimH1471.

12Ye Ethiopiansכּוּשִׁ֔יםku.ShimH3569also, yeהֵֽמָּה׃He.mahH1992shall beslainחַֽלְלֵ֥יcha.LeiH2491by my swordחַרְבִּ֖יchar.BiH2719.

13And he will stretch outוְיֵ֤טve.YetH5186his handיָדוֹ֙ya.DoH3027against the northצָפ֔וֹןtza.FonH6828,and destroyוִֽיאַבֵּ֖דvi.'a.BedH6Assyriaאַשּׁ֑וּר'a.ShurH804;and will makeוְיָשֵׂ֤םve.ya.SemH7760Ninevehנִֽינְוֵה֙ni.ne.VehH5210a desolationלִשְׁמָמָ֔הlish.ma.MahH8077, anddryצִיָּ֖הtzi.YahH6723like a wildernessכַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ka.mid.BarH4057.

14And flocksעֲדָרִים֙'a.da.RimH5739shall lie downוְרָבְצ֨וּve.ra.ve.TzuH7257in the midstבְתוֹכָ֤הּve.to.KhahH8432of her, all the beastsחַיְתוֹ־chay.tov-H2416of the nationsג֔וֹיGoyH1471:both the cormorantקָאַת֙ka.'AtH6893and the bitternקִפֹּ֔דki.PodH7090shall lodgeיָלִ֑ינוּya.Li.nuH3885in the upper lintelsבְּכַפְתֹּרֶ֖יהָbe.khaf.to.Rei.haH3730of it; theirvoiceק֠וֹלKolH6963shall singיְשׁוֹרֵ֤רye.sho.RerH7891in the windowsבַּֽחַלּוֹן֙ba.cha.lOnH2474;desolationחֹ֣רֶבCho.revH2721shall bein the thresholdsבַּסַּ֔ףba.SafH5592:for he shall uncoverעֵרָֽה׃'e.RahH6168the cedar workאַרְזָ֖ה'ar.ZahH731.

15This isthe rejoicingהָעַלִּיזָה֙ha.'a.li.ZahH5947cityהָעִ֤ירha.'IrH5892that dweltהַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶתhai.yo.She.vetH3427carelesslyלָבֶ֔טַחla.Ve.tachH983,that saidהָאֹֽמְרָה֙ha.'o.me.RahH559in her heartבִּלְבָבָ֔הּbil.va.VahH3824, I am, and there isnone besideוְאַפְסִ֣יve.'af.SiH657me: how is she become a desolationלְשַׁמָּ֗הle.sha.MahH8047,a place for beastsלַֽחַיָּ֔הla.chai.YahH2416to lie down inמַרְבֵּץ֙mar.BetzH4769!every one that passeth byעוֹבֵ֣רo.VerH5674her shall hissיִשְׁרֹ֖קyish.RokH8319, andwagיָנִ֥יעַya.Ni.a'H5128his handיָדֽוֹ׃ סya.DoH3027.

Commentaries on Zephaniah 2