<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">&#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">&#8220;On the day of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sacrificial meal,p> <p class="poetry">I will punish the princes<n id="1" /> and the king&#8217;s sons,p> <p class="poetry">and all who wear foreign styles of clothing.<n id="2" />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">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">Those who are left from the kingdom of Judah<n id="1" /> will take possession of it.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">By the sea<n id="3" /> they<n id="4" /> will graze,p> <p class="poetry">in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening,p> <p class="poetry">for the <sc>Lordsc> their God will intervene for them<n id="5" /> and restore their prosperity.<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">This is the prophetic message that the <sc>Lordsc> gave to<n id="1" /> Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of<n id="2" /> King Josiah son of Amon of Judah:p>

<p class="poetry">At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.p> <p class="poetry">I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">those who think to themselves,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> neither rewards nor punishes.&#8217;<n id="3" />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">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>