1“Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O shameless nation; 2before the decree brings forth the day when one passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of יהוה comes upon you, before the day of the anger of יהוה comes upon you. 3Seek יהוה , all you humble of the earth, that have executed His justice; seek tzedaka, seek humility. It may be you shall be hidden in the day of the anger of יהוה . For4 Azah shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at the noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up. 5Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Keretim! The D’var יהוה is against you, O Kena’an, the land of the P’lishtim; I will even destroy you, that there shall be no inhabitant. 6And the sea-coast shall be pastures, even meadows for shepherds, and folds for flocks. 7And it shall be a portion for the remnant of Beit Yehudah, whereon they shall feed; in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for יהוה their Elohim will remember them, and turn their captivity. 8I have heard the taunt of Mo’av, and the revilings of the children of Amon, wherewith they have taunted My people, and spoken boastfully concerning their border. 9Therefore, as I live, says יהוה Tzeva’ot, Elohei Yisra’el, surely Mo’av shall be as S’dom, and the children of Amon as Amorah, even the breeding-place of nettles, and saltpits, and a desolation, forever; the residue of My people shall spoil them, and the remnant of My nation shall inherit them. 10This shall they have for their pride, because they have taunted and spoken boastfully against the people of יהוה Tzeva’ot. 11 יהוה will be terrible unto them; for He will famish all the gods of the earth; then shall all the isles of the nations worship Him, every one from its place. 12You Kushim also, you shall be slain by My sword. 13And He will stretch out His hand against the north, and destroy Ashur; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like the wilderness. 14And all beasts of every kind shall lie down in the midst of her in herds; both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge in the capitals thereof; voices shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the posts; for the cedar-work thereof shall be uncovered. 15This is the joyous city that dwelt without care, that said in her heart, ‘I am, and there is none else beside me’; how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Every one that passes by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.”
אהִתְקוֹשְׁשׁוּ וָקוֹשּׁוּ הַגּוֹי לֹא נִכְסָף. בבְּטֶרֶם לֶדֶת חֹק כְּמֹץ עָבַר יוֹם; בְּטֶרֶם לֹא יָבוֹא עֲלֵיכֶם חֲרוֹן אַף יהוה בְּטֶרֶם לֹא יָבוֹא עֲלֵיכֶם יוֹם אַף יהוה . גבַּקְּשׁוּ אֶת יהוה כָּל עַנְוֵי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר מִשְׁפָּטוֹ פָּעָלוּ; בַּקְּשׁוּ צֶדֶק בַּקְּשׁוּ עֲנָוָה אוּלַי תִּסָּתְרוּ בְּיוֹם אַף יהוה . דכִּי עַזָּה עֲזוּבָה תִהְיֶה וְאַשְׁקְלוֹן לִשְׁמָמָה; אַשְׁדּוֹד בַּצָּהֳרַיִם יְגָרְשׁוּהָ וְעֶקְרוֹן תֵּעָקֵר. ההוֹי יֹשְׁבֵי חֶבֶל הַיָּם גּוֹי כְּרֵתִים; דְּבַר יהוה עֲלֵיכֶם כְּנַעַן אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְהַאֲבַדְתִּיךְ מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב. ווְהָיְתָה חֶבֶל הַיָּם נְוֹת כְּרֹת רֹעִים וְגִדְרוֹת צֹאן. זוְהָיָה חֶבֶל לִשְׁאֵרִית בֵּית יְהוּדָה עֲלֵיהֶם יִרְעוּן: בְּבָתֵּי אַשְׁקְלוֹן בָּעֶרֶב יִרְבָּצוּן כִּי יִפְקְדֵם יהוה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְשָׁב שבותם (שְׁבִיתָם). חשָׁמַעְתִּי חֶרְפַּת מוֹאָב וְגִדֻּפֵי בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּ כִּסְדֹם תִּהְיֶה וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן כַּעֲמֹרָה מִמְשַׁק חָרוּל וּמִכְרֵה מֶלַח וּשְׁמָמָה עַד עוֹלָם; שְׁאֵרִית עַמִּי יְבָזּוּם וְיֶתֶר גּוֹיִ יִנְחָלוּם. יזֹאת לָהֶם תַּחַת גְּאוֹנָם: כִּי חֵרְפוּ וַיַּגְדִּלוּ עַל עַם יהוה צְבָאוֹת. יאנוֹרָא יהוה עֲלֵיהֶם כִּי רָזָה אֵת כָּל אֱלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ; וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ אִישׁ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ כֹּל אִיֵּי הַגּוֹיִם. יבגַּם אַתֶּם כּוּשִׁים חַלְלֵי חַרְבִּי הֵמָּה. יגוְיֵט יָדוֹ עַל צָפוֹן וִיאַבֵּד אֶת אַשּׁוּר; וְיָשֵׂם אֶת נִינְוֵה לִשְׁמָמָה צִיָּה כַּמִּדְבָּר. ידוְרָבְצוּ בְתוֹכָהּ עֲדָרִים כָּל חַיְתוֹ גוֹי גַּם קָאַת גַּם קִפֹּד בְּכַפְתֹּרֶיהָ יָלִינוּ; קוֹל יְשׁוֹרֵר בַּחַלּוֹן חֹרֶב בַּסַּף כִּי אַרְזָה עֵרָה. טוזֹאת הָעִיר הָעַלִּיזָה הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת לָבֶטַח הָאֹמְרָה בִּלְבָבָהּ אֲנִי וְאַפְסִי עוֹד; אֵיךְ הָיְתָה לְשַׁמָּה מַרְבֵּץ לַחַיָּה כֹּל עוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ יִשְׁרֹק יָנִיעַ יָדוֹ.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 