4 For aGaza will be abandoned

And Ashkelon a desolation;

aAshdod will be driven out at noon

And aEkron will be uprooted.

5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,

The nation of the 1aCherethites!

The word of the Lord is bagainst you,

O cCanaan, land of the Philistines;

And I will ddestroy you

So that there will be eno inhabitant.

6 So the seacoast will be apastures,

With 1caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.

7 And the coast will be

For the aremnant of the house of Judah,

They will bpasture on it.

In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;

For the Lord their God will ccare for them

And drestore their fortune.

8 “I have heard the 1ataunting of Moab

And the brevilings of the sons of Ammon,

With which they have 2taunted My people

And 3cbecome arrogant against their territory.

9 “Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,

The God of Israel,

“Surely aMoab will be like bSodom

And the sons of cAmmon like dGomorrah—

A place possessed by nettles and salt pits,

And a perpetual desolation.

The remnant of My people will eplunder them

And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

10 This they will have in return for their apride, because they have 1btaunted and 2become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11 The Lord will be aterrifying to them, for He will 1starve ball the gods of the earth; and all the ccoastlands of the nations will dbow down to Him, everyone from his own place.

12 “You also, O aEthiopians, will be slain by My sword.”

13 And He will astretch out His hand against the north

And destroy bAssyria,

And He will make cNineveh a desolation,

Parched like the wilderness.

14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,

1All beasts which range in herds;

Both the 2apelican and the hedgehog

Will lodge in 3the tops of her pillars;

4Birds will sing in the window,

Desolation will be on the threshold;

For He has laid bare the cedar work.

15 This is the aexultant city

Which bdwells securely,

Who says in her heart,

“cI am, and there is no one besides me.”

How she has become a ddesolation,

A resting place for beasts!

eEveryone who passes by her will hiss

And wave his hand in contempt.

Chapter 3

Woe to Jerusalem and the Nations

1 Woe to her who is arebellious and bdefiled,

The ctyrannical city!

2 She aheeded no voice,

She baccepted no instruction.

She did not ctrust in the Lord,

She did not ddraw near to her God.

3 Her aprinces within her are roaring lions,

Her judges are bwolves at evening;

They leave nothing for the morning.

4 Her prophets are areckless, treacherous men;

Her bpriests have profaned the sanctuary.

They have done violence to the law.

5 The Lord is arighteous bwithin her;

He will cdo no injustice.

dEvery morning He brings His justice to light;

He does not fail.

But the unjust eknows no shame.

6 “I have cut off nations;

Their corner towers are in ruins.

I have made their streets adesolate,

With no one passing by;

Their bcities are laid waste,

Without a man, cwithout an inhabitant.

7 “I said, ‘Surely you will revere Me,

aAccept instruction.’

So her dwelling will bnot be cut off

According to all that I have appointed concerning her.

But they were eager to ccorrupt all their deeds.

8 “Therefore await for Me,” declares the Lord,

“For the day when I rise up as a witness.

Indeed, My decision is to bgather nations,

To assemble kingdoms,

To pour out on them My indignation,

All My burning anger;

For call the earth will be devoured

By the fire of My zeal.