Zephaniah 2:3-5

Easy-to-Read Version

³All you humble people, come to the Lord! Obey his laws. Learn to do good things. Learn to be humble. Maybe then you will be safe when the Lord shows his anger.

The Lord Will Punish Israel’s Neighbors

⁴No one will be left in Gaza. Ashkelon will be destroyed. By noon, the people will be forced to leave Ashdod. Ekron^[a] will be empty.^[b] ⁵You Cretans^[c] living by the sea, this message from the Lord is about you. Canaan, land of the Philistines, you will be destroyed—no one will live there!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Zephaniah 2:4 Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron Philistine cities. In Hebrew, Zephaniah is making wordplays on the names of these cities.
Zephaniah 2:4 empty In Hebrew this word is like the word meaning “Philistines.” Also in verse 6.
Zephaniah 2:5 Cretans People from Crete. The Philistines came from that island.