1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
1:2 “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
1:3 “I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
1:4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the pagan and the idolatrous priests–
1:5 those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear by Molech,
1:6 those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.
1:7 Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.
1:8 On the day of the LORD’S sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king’s sons and all those clad in foreign clothes.
1:9 On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit.
1:10 “On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.
1:11 Wail, you who live in the market district; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be ruined.
1:12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’
1:13 Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. They will build houses but not live in them; they will plant vineyards but not drink the wine.
1:14 “The great day of the LORD is near–near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there.
1:15 That day will be 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,
1:16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.
1:17 I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth.
1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD’S wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.”
1:1 The word of Jehovah 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, the king of Judah.
1:2 I will utterly remove everything / From off the face of the earth, / Declares Jehovah.
1:3 I will remove man and beast; / I will remove the birds of heaven and the fish of the sea, / And the stumbling blocks with the wicked; / And I will cut off man / From the face of the earth, / Declares Jehovah.
1:4 And I will stretch out My hand against Judah / And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, / And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, / And the name of the idol priests with the priests,
1:5 And those who worship upon the housetops / The host of heaven, / And the worshippers who swear to Jehovah / And swear by Malcam,
1:6 And those who have been turned back from going after Jehovah / And have not sought Jehovah / And have not inquired of Him.
1:7 Be silent before the Lord Jehovah, / For the day of Jehovah is near; / For Jehovah has prepared a sacrifice; / He has consecrated those whom He has called.
1:8 And in the day of the sacrifice of Jehovah / I will punish the princes / And the sons of the king / And all who wear / The clothing of foreigners.
1:9 And in that day I will punish / All who leap over the threshold, / Who fill their master’s house / With violence and deceit.
1:10 And in that day, declares Jehovah, / There will be the sound of an outcry from the Fish Gate / And wailing from the second district / And a great crashing from the hills.
1:11 Wail, O inhabitants of Maktesh, / For all the people of Canaan are destroyed, / All who are laden with silver are cut off.
1:12 And at that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps, / And I will punish the men / Who have settled on their lees, / Who say in their heart, / Jehovah will not do good, / Nor will He do evil.
1:13 And their wealth will become plunder, / And their houses, a desolation. / Indeed they will build houses but not inhabit them, / And they will plant vineyards but not drink the wine from them.
1:14 The great day of Jehovah is near; / It is near and hastens greatly. / The sound of the day of Jehovah! / The mighty man bitterly cries there.
1:15 That day is a day of overflowing wrath, / A day of trouble and distress, / A day of waste and ruin, / A day of darkness and gloom, / A day of clouds and deep darkness,
1:16 A day of trumpet and alarm / Against the fortified cities / And against the high battlements.
1:17 And I will bring distress upon the men, / So that they walk about like the blind, / For they have sinned against Jehovah; / And their blood will be poured out like dust, / And their bowels like dung.
1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold / Will be able to deliver them / In the day of the overflowing wrath of Jehovah; / But the whole land will be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, / For He will make an end, nothing other than sudden destruction, / Of all the inhabitants of the land.