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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Zephaniah 2 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/zephaniah/2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/zephaniah/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Zephaniah 2</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../zephaniah/1.htm" title="Zephaniah 1">◄</a> Zephaniah 2 <a href="../zephaniah/3.htm" title="Zephaniah 3">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/zephaniah/2.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">A Call to Repentance</p><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Gather together—yes, gather together,</p><p class="line2">you shameless nation.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Gather before judgment begins,</p><p class="line2">before your time to repent is blown away like chaff.</p><p class="line1">Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls</p><p class="line2">and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Seek the LORD, all who are humble,</p><p class="line2">and follow his commands.</p><p class="line1">Seek to do what is right</p><p class="line2">and to live humbly.</p><p class="line1">Perhaps even yet the LORD will protect you—</p><p class="line2">protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.</p><p class="hdg">Judgment against Philistia</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Gaza and Ashkelon will be abandoned,</p><p class="line2">Ashdod and Ekron torn down.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>And what sorrow awaits you Philistines<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a></p><p class="line2">who live along the coast and in the land of Canaan,</p><p class="line2">for this judgment is against you, too!</p><p class="line1">The LORD will destroy you</p><p class="line2">until not one of you is left.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>The Philistine coast will become a wilderness pasture,</p><p class="line2">a place of shepherd camps</p><p class="line2">and enclosures for sheep and goats.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>The remnant of the tribe of Judah will pasture there.</p><p class="line2">They will rest at night in the abandoned houses in Ashkelon.</p><p class="line1">For the LORD their God will visit his people in kindness</p><p class="line2">and restore their prosperity again.</p><p class="hdg">Judgment against Moab and Ammon</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>“I have heard the taunts of the Moabites</p><p class="line2">and the insults of the Ammonites,</p><p class="line1">mocking my people</p><p class="line2">and invading their borders.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Now, as surely as I live,”</p><p class="line2">says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,</p><p class="line1">“Moab and Ammon will be destroyed—</p><p class="line2">destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah.</p><p class="line1">Their land will become a place of stinging nettles,</p><p class="line2">salt pits, and eternal desolation.</p><p class="line1">The remnant of my people will plunder them</p><p class="line2">and take their land.”</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>They will receive the wages of their pride,</p><p class="line2">for they have scoffed at the people of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>The LORD will terrify them</p><p class="line2">as he destroys all the gods in the land.</p><p class="line1">Then nations around the world will worship the LORD,</p><p class="line2">each in their own land.</p><p class="hdg">Judgment against Ethiopia and Assyria</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>“You Ethiopians<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a> will also be slaughtered</p><p class="line2">by my sword,” says the LORD.</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>And the LORD will strike the lands of the north with his fist,</p><p class="line2">destroying the land of Assyria.</p><p class="line1">He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland,</p><p class="line2">parched like a desert.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>The proud city will become a pasture for flocks and herds,</p><p class="line2">and all sorts of wild animals will settle there.</p><p class="line1">The desert owl and screech owl will roost on its ruined columns,</p><p class="line2">their calls echoing through the gaping windows.</p><p class="line1">Rubble will block all the doorways,</p><p class="line2">and the cedar paneling will be exposed to the weather.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/2-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>This is the boisterous city,</p><p class="line2">once so secure.</p><p class="line1">“I am the greatest!” it boasted.</p><p class="line2">“No other city can compare with me!”</p><p class="line1">But now, look how it has become an utter ruin,</p><p class="line2">a haven for wild animals.</p><p class="line1">Everyone passing by will laugh in derision</p><p class="line2">and shake a defiant fist.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">2:5 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">Kerethites.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">2:12 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">Cushites.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of <a href="http://www.tyndale.com">Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.</a>, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../zephaniah/1.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Zephaniah 1"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Zephaniah 1" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../zephaniah/3.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Zephaniah 3"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Zephaniah 3" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/zephaniah/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>