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Verse 1

Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation without shame!

Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

Verse 2

Before the decree takes effect, before the day passes like chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you.

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.

Verse 3

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land who follow His commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger.

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.

Verse 4

For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon will become a ruin. At noon Ashdod will be driven out, and Ekron will be uprooted.

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

Verse 5

Woe to you who live by the sea, O nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines. I will destroy you, and there will be no inhabitants left.

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.

Verse 6

The seacoast will become pasturelands, with meadows for shepherds and sheepfolds.

And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

Verse 7

The land along the coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; there they will graze. In the evening, they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will care for them and restore their fortunes.

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.

Verse 8

I have heard the taunts of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have reproached My people and enlarged their borders.

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.

Verse 9

Therefore, as surely as I live—declares the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel—Moab will become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual ruin. The remnant of My people will plunder them, and the survivors of My nation will inherit their land.

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.

Verse 10

This will be their lot in return for their pride, because they have taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of Hosts.

This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.

Verse 11

The Lord will be awesome to them when He destroys all the gods of the earth. People from every shore and nation will bow down to Him, each from their own place.

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.

Verse 12

You too, O Cushites, will be slain by My sword.

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

Verse 13

He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate, as dry as the desert.

And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

Verse 14

Flocks and all kinds of wild animals will lie down in her midst; even the pelican and the hedgehog will lodge on her columns. Their voices will echo through the windows, rubble will fill the thresholds, for her cedar paneling has been laid bare.

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.

Verse 15

This is the jubilant city that dwelled securely and said in her heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me.' How she has become a desolation, a resting place for wild animals! Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.

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.

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Chapter 2
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