1 Gather yourselves, even gather you, O nation not worthy to be loved,
2 Before the decree come forth, and ye be as chaff that passeth in a day, and before the fierce wrath of the Lord come upon you, and before the day of the Lord’s anger come upon you.
3 Seek ye the Lord all the meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment: seek righteousness, seek lowliness, if so be that ye may be hid in the day of the Lord’s wrath.
4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 [Woe] unto the inhabitants of the sea coast. the nation of the Cherethims, the word of the Lord is against you: O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee without an inhabitant.
6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds and sheepfolds.
7 And that coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah, to feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they judge toward night: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the rebukes of the children of Ammon, whereby they upbraided my people, and magnified themselves against their borders.
9 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 salt pits, and a perpetual desolation, the residue of my folk shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached, and magnified themselves against the Lord of host’s people.
11 The Lord will be terrible unto them: for he will consume all the gods of the earth, and every man shall worship him from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
12 Ye Morians also shall be slain by my sword with them.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the North, and destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh desolate, and waste like a wilderness.
14 And flocks shall lie in the midst of her, and all the beasts of the nations, and the pelican and the owl shall abide in the upper posts of it: the voice of birds shall sing in the windows, and desolations shall be upon the posts: for the cedars are uncovered.
15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt careless, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none besides me: how is she made waste, and the lodging of the beasts! everyone that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his hand.
