1:1The word of THE LORD which came to
Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the
son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah. 1:2I will utterly sweep away
everything off of the surface of the earth, says THE LORD. 1:3I will sweep away man and animal.
I will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the heaps
of rubble with the wicked. I will cut off man from the surface of the
earth, says THE LORD. 1:4I will stretch out my hand against
Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off the
remnant of Baal from this place: the name of the idolatrous and pagan
priests, 1:5those who worship the host of the
sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by THE LORD and also swear
by Malcam, 1:6those who have turned back from
following THE LORD, and those who haven't sought THE LORD nor inquired after
him. 1:7Be silent at the presence of the
Lord GOD, for the day of THE LORD is at hand. For THE LORD has prepared a
sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests. 1:8It will
happen in the day of THE LORD's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes,
the king's sons, and all those who as are clothed with foreign clothing.
1:9In that day, I will punish all
those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master's house with
violence and deceit. 1:10In that day, says THE LORD, there
will be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, a wailing from the second
quarter, and a great crashing from the hills. 1:11Wail, you
inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those
who were loaded with silver are cut off. 1:12It will
happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will
punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart,
"THE LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil." 1:13Their wealth will become a spoil,
and their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses, but won't
inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won't drink their wine. 1:14The great day of THE LORD is near.
It is near, and hurries greatly, the voice of the day of THE LORD. The
mighty man cries there bitterly. 1:15That day is
a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, 1:16a day of the trumpet and alarm,
against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements. 1:17I will bring distress on men,
that they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against
THE LORD, and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like
dung. 1:18Neither their silver nor their
gold will be able to deliver them in the day of THE LORD's wrath, but the
whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make
an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who dwell in the land.
2:1Gather yourselves together, yes,
gather together, you nation that has no shame, 2:2before the
appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger
of THE LORD comes on you, before the day of THE LORD's anger comes on you. 2:3Seek THE LORD, all you humble of the
land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It
may be that you will be hidden in the day of THE LORD's anger. 2:4For Gaza will be forsaken, and
Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron
will be rooted up. 2:5Woe to the inhabitants of the sea
coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of THE LORD is against you,
Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy you, that there will
be no inhabitant. 2:6The sea coast will be pastures,
with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks. 2:7The coast
will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In
the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for THE LORD,
their God, will visit them, and restore them. 2:8I have heard
the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the children of Ammon, with which
they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their
border. 2:9Therefore as I live, says THE LORD
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. 2:10This they
will have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified
themselves against the people of THE LORD of Hosts. 2:11THE LORD will
be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will
worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations.
2:12You Cushites also, you will be
killed by my sword. 2:13He will stretch out his hand
against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation,
and dry like the wilderness. 2:14Herds will lie down in the midst
of her, all the animals of the nations. Both the pelican and the porcupine
will lodge in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows.
Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar
beams. 2:15This is the joyous city that
lived carelessly, that said in her heart, "I am, and there is none
besides me." How she has become a desolation, a place for animals to
lie down in! Everyone who passes by her will hiss, and shake their fists.
3:1Woe to her who is rebellious and
polluted, the oppressing city! 3:2She didn't obey the voice. She
didn't receive correction. She didn't trust in THE LORD. She didn't draw
near to her God. 3:3Her princes in the midst of her
are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until
the next day. 3:4Her prophets are arrogant and
treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have
done violence to the law. 3:5THE LORD, in the midst of her, is
righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to
light. He doesn't fail, but the unjust know no shame. 3:6I have cut
off nations. Their battlements are desolate. I have made their streets
waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are destroyed, so that there
is no man, so that there is no inhabitant. 3:7I said,
"Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won't be cut
off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her." But they
rose early and corrupted all their doings. 3:8"Therefore wait for me,"
says THE LORD, "until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my
determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms,
to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the
earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. 3:9For then I
will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the name of
THE LORD, to serve him shoulder to shoulder. 3:10From beyond
the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed
people, will bring my offering. 3:11In that day
you will not be disappointed for all your doings, in which you have
transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of you
your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be haughty in my holy
mountain. 3:12But I will leave in the midst of
you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in the name of
THE LORD. 3:13The remnant of Israel will not do
iniquity, nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in
their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them
afraid."
3:14Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout,
Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. 3:15THE LORD has taken away your
judgments. He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel, THE LORD, is in
the midst of you. You will not be afraid of evil any more. 3:16In that day, it will be said to
Jerusalem, "Don't be afraid, Zion. Don't let your hands be
slack." 3:17THE LORD, your God, is in the midst
of you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He
will rest in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. 3:18Those who are sad for the
appointed feasts, I will remove from you. They are a burden and a reproach
to you. 3:19Behold, at that time I will deal
with all those who afflict you, and I will save those who are lame, and
gather those who were driven away. I will give them praise and honor,
whose shame has been in all the earth. 3:20At that
time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will
give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring
back your captivity before your eyes, says THE LORD.
