2:8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts
and the Ammonites’ insults.
They 1 taunted my people
and verbally harassed those living in Judah. 2
2:9 Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the Lord who commands armies, the God of Israel,
“be certain that Moab will become like Sodom
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah.
They will be overrun by weeds, 3
filled with salt pits, 4
and permanently desolate.
Those of my people who are left 5 will plunder their belongings; 6
those who are left in Judah 7 will take possession of their land.”
2:10 This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance, 8
for they taunted and verbally harassed 9 the people of the Lord who commands armies.
2:11 The Lord will terrify them, 10
for 11 he will weaken 12 all the gods of the earth.
All the distant nations will worship the Lord in their own lands. 13
2:12 “You 14 Ethiopians 15 will also die by my sword!” 16
2:13 The Lord 17 will attack the north 18
and destroy Assyria.
He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins;
it will be as barren 19 as the desert.
2:14 Flocks and herds 20 will lie down in the middle of it,
as well as every kind of wild animal. 21
Owls 22 will sleep in the tops of its support pillars;
they will hoot through the windows. 23
Rubble will cover the thresholds; 24
even the cedar work 25 will be exposed to the elements. 26
2:15 This is how the once-proud city will end up 27 –
the city that was so secure. 28
She thought to herself, 29 “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” 30
What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!
Everyone who passes by her taunts her 31 and shakes his fist. 32
3:1 The filthy, 33 stained city is as good as dead;
the city filled with oppressors is finished! 34
3:2 She is disobedient; 35
she refuses correction. 36
She does not trust the Lord;
she does not seek the advice of 37 her God.
3:3 Her princes 38 are as fierce as roaring lions; 39
her rulers 40 are as hungry as wolves in the desert, 41
who completely devour their prey by morning. 42
3:4 Her prophets are proud; 43
they are deceitful men.
Her priests defile what is holy; 44
they break God’s laws. 45
3:5 The just Lord resides 46 within her;
he commits no unjust acts. 47
Every morning he reveals 48 his justice.
At dawn he appears without fail. 49
Yet the unjust know no shame.
3:6 “I destroyed 50 nations;
their walled cities 51 are in ruins.
I turned their streets into ruins;
no one passes through them.
Their cities are desolate; 52
no one lives there. 53
3:7 I thought, 54 ‘Certainly you will respect 55 me!
Now you will accept correction!’
If she had done so, her home 56 would not be destroyed 57
by all the punishments I have threatened. 58
But they eagerly sinned
in everything they did. 59
3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 60 for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder. 61
I have decided 62 to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 63 the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable
the nations to give me acceptable praise. 64
All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, 65
and will worship him in unison. 66
3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, 67
those who pray to me 68 will bring me tribute.
3:11 In that day you 69 will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, 70
for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, 71
and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill.
3:12 I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people, 72
and they will find safety in the Lord’s presence. 73
3:13 The Israelites who remain 74 will not act deceitfully.
They will not lie,
and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.
Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep 75 and lie down;
no one will terrify them.”
3:14 Shout for joy, Daughter Zion! 76
Shout out, Israel!
Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
3:15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you; 77
he has turned back your enemy.
Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!
You no longer need to fear disaster.
3:16 On that day they will say 78 to Jerusalem,
“Don’t be afraid, Zion!
Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic! 79
3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you; 80
he renews you by his love; 81
he shouts for joy over you.” 82
3:18 “As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals –
I took them away from you;
they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. 83
3:19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.
I will rescue the lame sheep 84
and gather together the scattered sheep.
I will take away their humiliation
and make the whole earth admire and respect them. 85
3:20 At that time I will lead you –
at the time I gather you together. 86
Be sure of this! 87 I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you 88
when you see me restore you,” 89 says the Lord.