Zephaniah 2

Having warned them Jehovah would bring His wrath upon all the known world in the previous chapter, Zephaniah warns the people of Judah they may as well gather themselves and save God the trouble. Like stalks and chaff from the wheat, they would be collected for disposal. It would only be worse if they tried to hide, and perhaps they could take the opportunity to repent. Meanwhile, those who humble themselves before Him and obeyed the Covenant may yet escape the worst. If they do not repent, they are no different than any other nation, except for their much higher accountability to God, since they claim Him and He made them from nothing.
What would happen to the other nations, the ones with no special responsibility to God?
With a delicious poet assonance, Zephaniah talks about the Philistine coast. Gaza would be a ghost town, Ashkelon an ash heap. Ashdod would be the half-day town, driven out by noon. Ekron would be evacuated, too. The invading forces would leave no permanent buildings standing, and the surviving faithful remnant of God would use the ruins for their sheep pens at night.
The Lord never forgot the arrogant taunting of Moab and Ammon, making obscene suggestions about Jehovah and His people. He promises to make their homes about as habitable as the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Their possessions would be plunder for the faithful. The taunting would be turned around, and all the pagan gods would be embarrassing to the people who worship them. In fear, the nations would turn to Jehovah. By implication the prophet warns his own nation is hardly so wise.
The ruling dynasty of Egypt at that time was Ethiopian, and they had harassed the same little kingdoms, but in their vast greatness they would be destroyed and humbled. Assyria, the imperial power everyone feared at that time, would be destroyed, too. Their vast imperial capital at Nineveh would become a wild animal sanctuary. Oh, see how special she is! People will taunt her ruins.
If God has such firm plans to deal thus with pagan nations who don’t even know Him, what will He do to His own people? He will by no means let them escape His wrath.