1The word of Yahweh that 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.
2 “I will sweep, yes, sweep everything
off of the face of the earth,”
3 “I will sweep away man and animal.
I will sweep away the birds of the heavens,
and the stumbling blocks with the wicked.
I will cut off humankind from the face of the earth,”
4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off the remnant of Baal
the name of the idolatrous priests
5 those who worship the army of heaven
those who worship and swear by Yahweh
and also swear by their “king,”
6 those who have turned away from following after Yahweh,
and those who have not sought Yahweh or asked anything of him.”
7 Be silent in the presence of the Lord Yahweh!
For the Day of Yahweh is at hand;
for Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice.
He has consecrated his guests.
8 It will happen in the Day of Yahweh’s sacrifice, that—
“I will punish the officials, the king’s sons,
and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.
all those who leap over the threshold,
who fill the house of their 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.
11 Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar,
for all the merchant people will be destroyed!
All those who weigh out silver will be cut off.
12 It will happen at that time
that I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men who are like wine comfortably settled on the lees,
‘Yahweh will not do good, nor will he do evil.’
13 Their wealth will become plunder
and their houses a desolation.
Yes, they will build houses, but will not inhabit them.
They will plant vineyards, but will not drink their wine.”
14 Near is the great Day of Yahweh.
Near, and very swiftly approaching.
The sound of the Day of Yahweh!
The mighty man cries out bitterly.
15 A day of wrath is that day.
A day of distress and anguish.
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of the shofar and battle cry
and against the high corner towers.
17 I will bring distress on people
such that they will walk like blind men
because they have sinned against Yahweh,
and their blood will be poured out like dust,
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
but the whole earth will be devoured
of all those who live on the earth.
1 Gather yourselves together like stubble,
yes, gather together like stubble, O nation without shame,
2 before the decree becomes reality (the day passes on like the chaff)
before the fierce anger of Yahweh comes on you,
before the Day of Yahweh’s anger comes on you.
3 Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the land
Seek righteousness. Seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden
and Ashkelon will become a desolation.
They will drive out Ashdod at noonday,
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
the nation of the Cherethites!
The word of Yahweh is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines.
I will destroy you, so that there will be no inhabitant left.
6 The seacoast will become pastures,
with caves for shepherds and walled enclosures for flocks.
for the remnant of the house of Judah.
they will lie down in the evening,
because Yahweh their God will visit them
8 “I have heard the reproach of Moab
and the insults of the children of Ammon
with which they have reproached my people
and made boasts against their territory.
“surely Moab will be as Sodom,
and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah,
and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of my people will plunder them,
and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.”
10 This they will get in return for their pride,
because they have taunted and boasted
against the people of Yahweh of Armies.
11 Yahweh will be terrifying to them,
for he will starve all the gods of the earth.
All the coastlands of the nations
12 You also, O Cushites—slain by my sword are they!
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north
He will make Nineveh a desolation
14 And herds will lie down in the middle of her,
as well as all the animals of the nations.
Both the desert owl and the screech owl
will lodge in the tops of her pillars.
Their calls will echo through the windows.
Devastation will be on the thresholds,
for he will lay bare the cedar beams.
“I am, and there is none besides me.”
What a desolation she has become,
a place for animals to lie down in!
will hiss and wave his hand in contempt.
1 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
2 She has not listened to the Voice!
3 Her leaders in the midst of her are roaring lions.
Her judges are wolves at evening.
They leave not a bone to gnaw on for the morning.
her priests have profaned the holy place;
they have done violence to the law.
5 Yahweh, who resides in the midst of her, is righteous.
Morning by morning he brings his justice to light;
But an unjust person knows no shame.
their corner towers are in ruins.
I have made their streets waste,
so that there is no person; they are without an inhabitant.
7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
you will accept correction, so that her dwelling place
will not be completely cut off
because of all that I have visited upon her.’
and corrupted all that they did.
“wait for the Day that I rise up to testify,
for my decision is to gather the nations,
to pour on them my indignation,
for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth will be devoured.
9 For then I will change the speech to a pure language,
to serve him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush,
my worshipers, even the daughter of my scattered people,
11 In that day you will not be put to shame
in which you have transgressed against me.
For then I will remove from your midst
your people who rejoice in their pride,
and you will not be haughty any more
and they will take refuge in the name of Yahweh.
13 The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity,
for they will feed and lie down,
and no one will make them afraid.”
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
15 Yahweh has taken away the judgments against you.
He has turned back your enemy.
The King of Israel, Yahweh, is in your midst.
You will not be afraid of evil any more.
16 In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem,
Do not let your hands fall limp.
17 Yahweh your God is in your midst,
He will rejoice over you with joy.
He will calm you with his love.
He will rejoice over you with singing.
18 I will gather together those who grieve
I will deal with all those who afflict you,
and I will rescue those who are lame,
and gather those who were scattered.
And I will change their shame into praise and a name in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you in,
even at the time when I gather you together,
indeed, I will make you to be a name and a praise
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
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