Zephaniah 2:1
New International Version
Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation,

New Living Translation
Gather together—yes, gather together, you shameless nation.

English Standard Version
Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation,

Berean Standard Bible
Gather yourselves, gather together, O shameful nation,

King James Bible
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

New King James Version
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation,

New American Standard Bible
Gather yourselves together, yes, join together, You nation without shame,

NASB 1995
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame,

NASB 1977
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame,

Legacy Standard Bible
Gather yourselves together, indeed, gather, O nation without shame,

Amplified Bible
Gather yourselves together [in repentance], yes, gather [in submission], O nation without shame,

Christian Standard Bible
Gather yourselves together; gather together, undesirable nation,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Gather yourselves together; gather together, undesirable nation,

American Standard Version
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation that hath no shame;

Contemporary English Version
You disgraceful nation, gather around,

English Revised Version
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation that hath no shame;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Gather yourselves together! Yes, gather together, you shameless nation,

Good News Translation
Shameless nation, come to your senses

International Standard Version
"Gather together! Yes, indeed, gather together, you shameless nation!

Majority Standard Bible
Gather yourselves, gather together, O shameful nation,

NET Bible
Bunch yourselves together like straw, you undesirable nation,

New Heart English Bible
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation that has no shame,

Webster's Bible Translation
Assemble yourselves, yes, assemble, O nation not desired;

World English Bible
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation that has no shame,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Bend yourselves, indeed, bend, "" O nation not desired,

Young's Literal Translation
Bend yourselves, yea, bend ye, O nation not desired,

Smith's Literal Translation
Collect yourselves together and be ye collected, O nation not ashamed;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Assemble yourselves together, be gathered together, O nation not worthy to be loved:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Assemble, be gathered together, O people not worthy to be loved.

New American Bible
Gather, gather yourselves together, O nation without shame!

New Revised Standard Version
Gather together, gather, O shameless nation,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
GATHER yourselves, bind yourselves together, O people without discipline;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Be gathered and bind yourselves, people without discipline!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O shameless nation;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Be ye gathered and closely joined together, O unchastened nation;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Call to Repentance
1Gather yourselves, gather together, O shameful nation, 2before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the Day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you.…

Cross References
Joel 2:12-14
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” / So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster. / Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him—grain and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. / Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Jeremiah 4:1-2
“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver, / and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”

Amos 5:4-6
For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live! / Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing. / Seek the LORD and live, or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph; it will devour everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.

Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

Ezekiel 18:30-32
Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so that your iniquity will not become your downfall. / Cast away from yourselves all the transgressions you have committed, and fashion for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? / For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live!

2 Chronicles 7:14
and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Isaiah 1:16-18
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil! / Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.” / “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

Jeremiah 3:12-14
Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be angry forever. / Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God. You have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice,’” declares the LORD. / “Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion.

Matthew 3:2
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Luke 13:3
No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,

James 4:8-10
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. / Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. / Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

Romans 13:11-14
And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. / The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. / Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O nation not desired;

gather together.

2 Chronicles 20:4
And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

Nehemiah 8:1
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

Nehemiah 9:1
Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

O nation.

Isaiah 1:4-6,10-15
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward…

Jeremiah 12:7-9
I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies…

Zechariah 11:8
Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

desired.

Isaiah 26:8,9
Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee…

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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.














Gather yourselves
The Hebrew root for "gather" is "קָשַׁשׁ" (qashash), which conveys the idea of collecting or assembling. In the context of Zephaniah, this call to gather is not merely a physical assembly but a spiritual one, urging the people of Judah to come together in repentance and unity. Historically, this reflects a time when the nation was facing imminent judgment due to their idolatry and moral decay. The call to gather is a divine invitation to seek collective repentance and renewal, emphasizing the importance of community in spiritual restoration.

gather together
The repetition of the command to gather underscores the urgency and importance of the action. The Hebrew word "קָשַׁשׁ" (qashash) is used again, reinforcing the need for a concerted effort in coming together. This phrase suggests a deeper level of introspection and communal solidarity. In the conservative Christian perspective, this can be seen as a call for the church to unite in prayer and repentance, recognizing the power of collective intercession and the strength found in unity.

O shameful nation
The term "shameful" is translated from the Hebrew word "לֹא כָּסַף" (lo kasaph), which literally means "not desired" or "unworthy." This reflects the spiritual state of Judah at the time, as they had turned away from God and were engaging in practices that were detestable in His sight. The historical context here is crucial, as Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah, a time of attempted reform amidst widespread corruption. The phrase serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and the need for national repentance. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, it highlights the importance of living a life that is pleasing to God, avoiding the pitfalls of sin that lead to spiritual disgrace.

Verse 1-ch.3:8. - Part II. EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE AND TO PERSEVERANCE. Verses 1-3. - § 1. The prophet urges all to examine their ways before the day of the Lord come; and he prays the righteous to seek the Lord more earnestly, in order that they may be safe in the judgment. Verse 1. - Gather yourselves together. So the versions; and this rendering is probably correct. The prophet calls upon his nation to assemble themselves together in order to take mutual counsel or to make general confession and supplication to God. Another rendering, based on some alteration of letters, is, "Set yourselves to be ashamed; yea, be ashamed" (comp. Isaiah 46:8). Yea, gather together. The LXX. renders the two words, συνάχθητε καὶ συνδέθητε, "be ye gathered and bound together;" "Id est," says Jerome, "estote vobis caritatis vinculo copulati." O nation not desired; Vulgate, gens non amabilis - a litotes for abominable, hated for its sins, unworthy of God's love and care. The Septuagint rendering, ἀπαίδευτον, "unchastened," points to the meaning affixed by the Chaldee paraphrase, that does not wish to be converted," having no desire for amendment; like what is said in Jeremiah 2:30, "they received no correction." Others render, "which does not turn pale," i.e. which is not ashamed, comparing Isaiah 29:22. The verb kasaph seems to have this meaning in niphal, according to Talmudic use; but its usual signification is "to pine" or "long for." The Revised Version gives in the margin, "that hath no longing" - a rendering adopted by Professor Gandell, implying that the people are quite satisfied with their present condition, and have no aspiration for anything better or higher (comp. Hosea 12:8). This is a very apposite interpretation; but there is no sufficient ground for rejecting the translation of the Authorized Version, which is supported by high authority, is agreeable to the use of the word, and affords a satisfactory sense.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Gather yourselves,
הִֽתְקוֹשְׁשׁ֖וּ (hiṯ·qō·wō·šə·šū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7197: To forage for, straw, stubble, wood, to assemble

gather together,
וָק֑וֹשּׁוּ (wā·qō·wōš·šū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7197: To forage for, straw, stubble, wood, to assemble

O shameful
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

nation,
הַגּ֖וֹי (hag·gō·w)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts


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OT Prophets: Zephaniah 2:1 Gather yourselves together yes gather together you (Zeph. Zep Zp)
Zephaniah 1:18
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