A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

CHAP. II.

1 GAther your selves to∣gether, yea, gather together, O nation not de∣sired.

2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day passe as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lords anger come upon you.

3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judge∣ment, seek righteousnesse, seek meeknesse: it may be, ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger.

4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

5 Wo unto the inhabi∣tants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites: the word of the Lord is against you: O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inha∣bitant.

6 And the sea-coast shall be dwellings and cot∣tages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Iudah, they shall feed thereupon, in the houses of Ashkelon shall they ly down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

8 I have heard the re∣proach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves a∣gainst

their borders.

9 Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall he as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Go∣morrah, 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 possesse them.

10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and mag∣nified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11 The Lord will be ter∣rible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and men shall wor∣ship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.

12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wildernesse.

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 win∣dows, desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar-works.

15. This is the rejoycing city that dwelt carelesly, that said in their heart, I am, and there is none be∣side me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her, shall hiss and wag his hand.