Zephaniah 2:9
New International Version
Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”

New Living Translation
Now, as surely as I live,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab and Ammon will be destroyed— destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah. Their land will become a place of stinging nettles, salt pits, and eternal desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them and take their land.”

English Standard Version
Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.”

King James Bible
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

New King James Version
Therefore, as I live,” Says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah— Overrun with weeds and saltpits, And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

New American Standard Bible
“Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of armies, The God of Israel, “Moab will assuredly be like Sodom, And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah— Ground overgrown with weeds and full of salt mines, And a permanent desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them, And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

NASB 1995
“Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, “Surely Moab will be like Sodom And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah— A place possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

NASB 1977
“Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, “Surely Moab will be like Sodom, And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah— A place possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them, And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, as I live,” declares Yahweh of hosts, The God of Israel, “Surely Moab will be like Sodom And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah— A place possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them, And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

Amplified Bible
“Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, “Moab will in fact become like Sodom And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, A land possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them And what is left of My nation will inherit them [as their own].”

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore, as I live — this is the declaration of the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel — Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah: a place overgrown with weeds, a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the remainder of my nation will dispossess them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore, as I live— this is the declaration of the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel— Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place overgrown with weeds, a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.

American Standard Version
Therefore as I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall make a prey of them, and the remnant of my nation shall inherit them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because of these things, I live, says LORD JEHOVAH of Hosts, the God of Israel, that Moab will be like Sadom and the children of Amon like Amora, whose plantation was destroyed, and I shall destroy their sea weed and it shall be desolation to eternity; the remnant of my people shall plunder them and that which is left of my people shall inherit them

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall be as Sodoma, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrha; and Damascus shall be left as a heap of the threshing-floor, and desolate for ever: and the remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the remnant of my nations shall inherit them.

Contemporary English Version
And so, I swear by my very life that Moab and Ammon will end up like Sodom and Gomorrah--covered with thornbushes and salt pits forever. Then my people who survive will take their land.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrha, the dryness of thorns, and heaps of salt, and a desert even for ever: the remnant of my people shall make a spoil of them, and the residue of my nation shall possess them.

English Revised Version
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my nation shall inherit them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Therefore, I solemnly swear, as I live," declares the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, "Moab will become like Sodom, and Ammon will become like Gomorrah: a place of weeds, salt pits, and ruins forever. The faithful few of my people will loot them, and those who are left in my nation will take possession of them."

Good News Translation
As surely as I am the living LORD, the God of Israel, I swear that Moab and Ammon are going to be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. They will become a place of salt pits and everlasting ruin, overgrown with weeds. Those of my people who survive will plunder them and take their land."

International Standard Version
Therefore as I'm alive and living," declares the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel, "Moab will surely become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a place overrun by weeds and salty marshes, unpopulated forever. The survivors of my people will confiscate their property, and those who remain of my nation will inherit what was theirs.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore as I live, Saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, And the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, Even the breeding-place of nettles, and saltpits, And a desolation, for ever; The residue of My people shall spoil them, And the remnant of My nation shall inherit them.

Literal Standard Version
Therefore, [as] I live,” | A declaration of YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, | “Surely Moab is as Sodom, | And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, | An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits, | And a desolation for all time. A remnant of My people seizes them, | And a remnant of My nation inherits them.”

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.”

New American Bible
Therefore, as I live— oracle of the LORD of hosts— the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah: A field of weeds, a salt pit, a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, the survivors of my nation dispossess them.

NET Bible
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, filled with salt pits, and permanently desolate. Those of my people who are left will plunder their belongings; those who are left in Judah will take possession of their land."

New Revised Standard Version
Therefore, as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the people of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and salt-pits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall lay them waste, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

World English Bible
Therefore, as I live, says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

Young's Literal Translation
Therefore, I live, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel, Surely, Moab is as Sodom, And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, An overrunning of nettles and salt-pits, And a desolation -- unto the age. A residue of My people do seize them, And a remnant of My nation inherit them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Moab and Ammon
8“I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted My people and threatened their borders. 9Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland. The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.” 10This they shall have in return for their pride, for taunting and mocking the people of the LORD of Hosts.…

Cross References
Genesis 19:24
Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah--from the LORD out of the heavens.

Deuteronomy 29:23
All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt, unsown and unproductive, with no plant growing on it, just like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His fierce anger.

Isaiah 11:14
They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines to the west; together they will plunder the sons of the east. They will lay their hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

Isaiah 15:1
This is the burden against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is devastated, destroyed in a night!

Isaiah 25:10
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain. But Moab will be trampled in his place as straw is trodden into the dung pile.

Jeremiah 48:1
Concerning Moab, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "Woe to Nebo, for it will be devastated. Kiriathaim will be captured and disgraced; the fortress will be shattered and dismantled.

Jeremiah 49:1
Concerning the Ammonites, this is what the LORD says: "Has Israel no sons? Is he without heir? Why then has Milcom taken possession of Gad? Why have his people settled in their cities?


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore as I live, said the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

as I.

Numbers 14:21
But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

Isaiah 49:18
Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

Jeremiah 46:18
As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

Surely.

Isaiah 11:14
But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

Isaiah 15:1-16:14
The burden of Moab. Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to silence; …

Isaiah 25:10
For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

as Gomorrah.

Zephaniah 2:14
And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.

Genesis 19:24,25
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; …

Deuteronomy 29:23
And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

the residue.

Zephaniah 2:7
And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

Zephaniah 3:13
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

Joel 3:19,20
Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land…

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Ammon Armies Breeding Children Desolation Gomorrah Hosts Inherit Israel Live Moab Nation Nettles Perpetual Pits Plunder Possess Possession Remnant Residue Salt Sodom Surely Survivors Waste
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Zephaniah 2
1. An exhortation to repentance.
4. The judgment of the Philistines,
8. of Moab and Ammon,
12. of Ethiopia,
13. and of Assyria.














Verse 9. - As I live. This is a common formulary to express certainty, God, as it were, pledging his existence to the truth of his declaration (Deuteronomy 32:40; Isaiah 49:18, etc.).. God calls himself, The Lord of hosts, therefore able to fulfil his threats; and the God of Israel, and therefore ready to punish wrongs done to his chosen people. As Sodom. This threat came home with particular force to the Moabites and Am. monites who dwelt in the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea, and had before their eyes this awful proof of the chastisement with which sin meets, and which had happened in the time of their forefather Lot. "There are no settled inhabitants," says Dr. Porter, writing of Moab, "but the hillsides and glens are studded with the ruins of ancient towns and villages. We at length pitched our tents by the lonely fountain of Heshbon. The site of this royal city is commanding - a rounded hilt on the edge of avast plateau, which extends on the south and east to the horizon, and on the west breaks down in steep slopes, jagged cliffs, and wild ravines, to the Dead Sea and Jordan valley, nearly four thousand feet below. The hill was the nucleus of the city. Its sides are covered with ruins, and remains of houses, temples, and other buildings are strewn over a considerable section of the adjoining plain. All is desolate. Not a building, and scarcely a fragment of a wall, is standing; yet, though deserted for centuries, it bears its ancient name. I looked from Heshbon far and wide over the ancient territory of the Moabites, and saw desolation everywhere. The old towns and villages are all deserted and in ruins. In fact, there is not at this moment a single inhabited town or village in Moab, except Kerak, which stands on the extreme southern border. The sites of many were visible - grey mounds dotting the plain" ('Illust. of Bible Proph.,' pp. 24, 25). "The cities, towns, villages, are all in ruins. ... And no attempt is ever made to rebuild or repair; no man ventures to seek even a temporary abode among the ruined cities of Moab. The local Arab avoids the old sites, and seeks rest and security amid rocks and ravines; the powerful desert tribes sweep over the country periodically, and devour and destroy all in their track" (ibid., p. 28). Even the breeding of nettles; rather, a possession of nettles; a place where nettles only grow. Vulgate, siccitas spinarum. The identification of the plant kharul is uncertain. In Job (Job 30:7) it is represented as of sufficient growth to conceal fugitives; hence some think it is the wild mustard. Dr. Pusey, relying on a notice of Professor Palmer, considers it to be the mallow, which grows in rank luxuriance in Moab. The LXX., reading daleth instead of mem in the ἅπαξ λεγόμενον mimshaq, rendered "breeding," has Δαμασκὸς ἐκλελειμμένη, "Damascus shall be left." Salt pits. All travellers note the abundance of rock salt in the vicinity of the Dead Sea (see Deuteronomy 29:23; and comp. Psalm 107:34; Jeremiah 17:6). A perpetual desolation. The prophecy intimates that this country should never recover its prosperity (comp. Ezekiel 25.). The residue of my people shall spoil them. A partial fulfilment of this prophecy occurred when Judas Maccabaeus smote Ammon (1 Macc. 5:6, etc.), and Alexander Jannaeus subdued the Moabites (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 13:13. 5); but the prophet looks forward to a spiritual fulfilment under the Messiah, as we see from ver. 11 (comp. Isaiah 14:1, 2; Isaiah 49:23, etc.). The faithful remnant shall win possession of the heathen strongholds, and convert the nations to Christ, and incorporate them in the Church.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Therefore,
לָכֵ֣ן (lā·ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

as surely as I
אָ֡נִי (’ā·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

live,
חַי־ (ḥay-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

declares
נְאֻם֩ (nə·’um)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5002: An oracle

the LORD
יְהוָ֨ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

of Hosts,
צְבָא֜וֹת (ṣə·ḇā·’ō·wṯ)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

the God
אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

surely
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Moab
מוֹאָ֞ב (mō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4124: Moab -- a son of Lot,also his descendants and the territory where they settled

will be
תִּֽהְיֶה֙ (tih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

like Sodom
כִּסְדֹ֤ם (kis·ḏōm)
Preposition-k | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5467: Sodom -- a Canaanite city near the Dead Sea

and the Ammonites
וּבְנֵ֤י (ū·ḇə·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

like Gomorrah—
כַּֽעֲמֹרָ֔ה (ka·‘ă·mō·rāh)
Preposition-k | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6017: Gomorrah -- a city in the Jordan Valley

a place
מִמְשַׁ֥ק (mim·šaq)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4476: Perhaps possession

of weeds
חָר֛וּל (ḥā·rūl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2738: Pointed, a bramble, other thorny weed

and
וּמִכְרֵה־ (ū·miḵ·rêh-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 953: A pit, cistern, well

saltpits,
מֶ֥לַח (me·laḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4417: Powder, salt

and a perpetual
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

wasteland.
וּשְׁמָמָ֖ה (ū·šə·mā·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8077: Devastation, astonishment

The remnant
שְׁאֵרִ֤ית (šə·’ê·rîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7611: Rest, residue, remnant, remainder

of My people
עַמִּי֙ (‘am·mî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

will plunder them;
יְבָזּ֔וּם (yə·ḇāz·zūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 962: To spoil, plunder

the remainder
וְיֶ֥תֶר (wə·ye·ṯer)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3499: An overhanging, an excess, superiority, remainder, a small rope

of My nation
גּוֹיִ֖י (gō·w·yî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

will dispossess them.
יִנְחָלֽוּם׃ (yin·ḥā·lūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5157: To inherit, to occupy, to bequeath, distribute, instate


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OT Prophets: Zephaniah 2:9 Therefore as I live says Yahweh (Zeph. Zep Zp)
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