<p class="poetry">That day will be a day of God&#8217;s anger,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">a day of distress and hardship,p> <p class="poetry">a day of devastation and ruin,p> <p class="poetry">a day of darkness and gloom,p> <p class="poetry">a day of clouds and dark skies,p>

<p class="poetry">On that day,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;a loud cry will go up<n id="1" /> from the Fish Gate,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">wailing from the city&#8217;s newer district,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and a loud crash<n id="4" /> from the hills.p>

<p class="poetry">a day of trumpet blasts<n id="1" /> and battle cries.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Judgment will fall on<n id="3" /> the fortified cities and the high corner towers.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> will attack the north<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and destroy Assyria.p> <p class="poetry">He will make Nineveh a heap of ruins;p> <p class="poetry">it will be as barren<n id="3" /> as the desert.p>

<p class="poetry">I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and they will find safety in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s presence.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">I took them away from you;p> <p class="poetry">they became tribute and were a source of shame to you.<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="1" /> Gaza will be deserted<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and Ashkelon will become a heap of ruins.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Invaders will drive away the people of Ashdod by noon,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and Ekron will be overthrown.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">This is how the once-proud city will end up<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the city that was so secure.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">She thought to herself,<n id="3" /> &#8220;I am unique! No one can compare to me!&#8221;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!p> <p class="poetry">Everyone who passes by her taunts her<n id="5" /> and shakes his fist.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Be silent before the Lord <sc>Godsc>,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">for the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s day of judgment<n id="2" /> is almost here.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has prepared a sacrificial meal;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">he has ritually purified<n id="5" /> his guests.p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> your God is in your midst;p> <p class="poetry">he is a warrior who can deliver.p> <p class="poetry">He takes great delight in you;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he renews you by his love;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he shouts for joy over you.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The Israelites who remain<n id="1" /> will not act deceitfully.p> <p class="poetry">They will not lie,p> <p class="poetry">and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.p> <p class="poetry">Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep<n id="2" /> and lie down;p> <p class="poetry">no one will terrify them.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s great day of judgment<n id="1" /> is almost here;p> <p class="poetry">it is approaching very rapidly!p> <p class="poetry">There will be a bitter sound on the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s day of judgment;p> <p class="poetry">at that time warriors will cry out in battle.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore, as surely as I live,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies, the God of Israel,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;be certain that Moab will become like Sodomp> <p class="poetry">and the Ammonites like Gomorrah.p> <p class="poetry">They will be overrun by weeds,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">filled with salt pits,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and permanently desolate.p> <p class="poetry">Those of my people who are left<n id="3" /> will plunder their belongings;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">those who are left in Judah<n id="5" /> will take possession of their land.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Know for sure that I will then enablep> <p class="poetry">the nations to give me acceptable praise.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">All of them will invoke the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s name when they pray,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and will worship him in unison.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">At that time I will lead you &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">at the time I gather you together.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Be sure of this!<n id="2" /> I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you<n id="3" />p> <p class="bodytext">when you see me restore you,&#8221;<n id="4" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

<p class="poetry">Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver themp> <p class="poetry">in the day of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s angry judgment.p> <p class="poetry">The whole earth<n id="1" /> will be consumed by his fiery wrath.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="3" /> he will bring terrifying destruction<n id="4" /> on all who live on the earth.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The seacoast<n id="1" /> will be used as pasture lands<n id="2" /> by the shepherdsp> <p class="poetry">and as pens for their flocks.p>

<p class="poetry">Their wealth will be stolenp> <p class="poetry">and their houses ruined!p> <p class="poetry">They will not live in the houses they have built,p> <p class="poetry">nor will they drink the wine from the vineyards they have planted.p>

<p class="poetry">Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.p> <p class="poetry">I will rescue the lame sheep<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and gather together the scattered sheep.p> <p class="poetry">I will take away their humiliationp> <p class="poetry">and make the whole earth admire and respect them.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore you must wait patiently<n id="1" /> for me,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;for the day when I attack and take plunder.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I have decided<n id="3" /> to gather nations togetherp> <p class="poetry">and assemble kingdoms,p> <p class="poetry">so I can pour out my fury on them &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">all my raging anger.p> <p class="poetry">For<n id="4" /> the whole earth will be consumedp> <p class="poetry">by my fiery anger.p>