Sofonias 2

¹ GatherHe exhorts them to repentance, and wills them to descend into themselves and gather themselves, lest they be scattered like chaff.yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

² Before the decree come foorth, and ye be as chaffe that passeth in a day, and before the fierce wrath of the Lord come vpon you, and before the day of the Lords anger come vpon you.

³ Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, whichThat is, who have lived uprightly and godly according as he prescribes by his word.have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

⁴ ForHe comforts the faithful in that God would change his punishments from them to the Philistines their enemies, and other nations.Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

⁵ Woe unto the inhabitants of the seaThat is, Galilee: by these nations he means the people that dwelt near to the Jews, and instead of friendship were their enemies: therefore he calls them Canaanites, whom the Lord appointed to be slain.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.

⁶ And the sea coast shal be dwellings and cotages for shepheardes and sheepefoldes.

⁷ And the coast shall be for theHe shows why God would destroy their enemies, because their country would be a resting place for his Church.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.

⁸ I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, andThese nations presumed to take from the Jews that country which the Lord had given them.magnified [themselves] against their border.

⁹ Therefore, as I liue, saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall bee as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorah, euen the breeding of nettels and salt pittes, and a perpetuall desolation: the residue of my folke shall spoyle them, and the remnant of my people shall possesse them.

¹⁰ This shall they haue for their pride, because they haue reproched and magnified themselues against the Lord of hostes people.

¹¹ The LORD [will be] terrible unto them:When he will deliver his people and destroy their enemies and idols, his glory will shine throughout all the world.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.

¹² Ye Morians also shalbe slaine by my sword with them.

¹³ And he wil stretch out his hand against the North, and destroy Asshur, and will make Nineueh desolate, and waste like a wildernesse.

¹⁴ And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both theRead (Isa_34:11)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.

¹⁵ This [is] theMeaning, Nineveh, which rejoicing so much of her strength and prosperity, should be thus made waste, and God's people delivered.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.