Zephaniah 1

Modern

Literal

Zephaniah Prophesies Judgment on Judah

¹This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

¹The word of YHWH that came to be to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah.

²“I will completely sweep away

everything from the face of the earth,”

declares the LORD.

²“Removing I will bring to an end everything from the face of the earth,” a declaration of YHWH.

³“I will sweep away man and beast;

I will sweep away the birds of the air,

and the fish of the sea,

and the idols with their wicked worshipers.^a

I will cut off mankind

from the face of the earth,”

declares the LORD.

³“I will bring to an end man and beast; I will bring to an end the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea and the stumbling blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” a declaration of YHWH.

⁴“I will stretch out My hand against Judah

and against all who dwell in Jerusalem.

I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal,

the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—

⁴“And I will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all those dwelling in Jerusalem; I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the idolatrous priests, with the priests,

⁵those who bow on the rooftops

to worship the host of heaven,

those who bow down and swear by the LORD

but also swear by Milcom,^a

⁵and those bowing down on the housetops to the host of the heavens, and those bowing down swearing to YHWH, and swearing to Milcom,

⁶and those who turn back

from following the LORD,

neither seeking the LORD

nor inquiring of Him.”

⁶and those having turned from after YHWH, and who have not sought YHWH and not having inquired of Him.”

The Day of the LORD

⁷Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD,

for the Day of the LORD is near.

Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice;

He has consecrated His guests.

⁷Be silent before the face of the Lord YHWH, for the day of YHWH is near, for YHWH has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated those called by Him.

⁸“On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice

I will punish the princes,

the sons of the king,

and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.

⁸“And it will come to pass in the day of the sacrifice of YHWH that I will visit punishment on the princes and on the sons of the king and on all those clothing themselves with foreign apparel.

⁹On that day I will punish

all who leap over the threshold,^a

who fill the house of their master^b

with violence and deceit.

⁹And I will visit punishment on all those leaping over the threshold on that day, those filling the house of their masters with violence and deceit.

¹⁰On that day,” declares the LORD,

“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,

a wail from the Second District,^a

and a loud crashing from the hills.

¹⁰And it will come to pass on that day,” a declaration of YHWH, “The voice of an outcry from the Gate of the Fish, and a wailing from the Mishneh, and a great crashing from the hills.

¹¹Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow,^a

for all your merchants^b will be silenced;

all who weigh out silver will be cut off.

¹¹Wail, O dwellers of the Maktesh! For all the merchant people are destroyed; all the bearers of silver are cut off.

¹²And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

and punish the men settled in complacency,^a

who say to themselves,

‘The LORD will do nothing,

either good or bad.’

¹²And it will come to pass, at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will visit punishment upon the men settled in their dregs, those saying in their heart, ‘YHWH does no good, and He will not bring evil.’

¹³Their wealth will be plundered

and their houses laid waste.

They will build houses but not inhabit them,

and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.

¹³And their wealth will become as plunder, and their houses as a desolation; they will build houses, and they will not dwell; they will plant vineyards, and they will not drink their wine.

¹⁴The great Day of the LORD is near—

near and coming quickly.

Listen, the Day of the LORD!

Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.

¹⁴Near is the great day of YHWH—near, and hastening exceedingly; the noise of the day of YHWH is bitter, then cries out the mighty.

¹⁵That day will be

a day of wrath,

a day of trouble and distress,

a day of destruction and desolation,

a day of darkness and gloom,

a day of clouds and blackness,

¹⁵A day of wrath is that day, a day of adversity and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness,

¹⁶a day of horn blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities,

and against the high corner towers.

¹⁶a day of shofar and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the high corners.

¹⁷I will bring such distress on mankind

that they will walk like the blind,

because they have sinned against the LORD.

Their blood will be poured out like dust

and their flesh like dung.

¹⁷And I will bring distress to mankind, and they will walk like the blind, for against YHWH they have sinned; and their blood will be poured out like the dust, and their flesh like dung!

¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold

will be able to deliver them

on the Day of the LORD’s wrath.

The whole earth will be consumed

by the fire of His jealousy.”

For indeed, He will make a sudden end

of all who dwell on the earth.^a

¹⁸Even their silver, even their gold, will not be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of YHWH; and by the fire of His jealousy will be consumed all the earth, for indeed He will make a sudden end of all those dwelling on the earth!”