Zephaniah 1

1 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. This 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:

The word of YHWH which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2 “I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,”

I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith 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. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,”

I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith 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—

I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;

5 those 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,

And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by YHWH, and that swear by Malcham;

6 and those who turn back from following the LORD, neither seeking the LORD nor inquiring of Him.”

And them that are turned back from YHWH; and those that have not sought YHWH, nor inquired for him.

7 Be 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.

Hold thy peace at the presence of the Sovereign YHWH: for the day of YHWH is at hand: for YHWH hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.

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.

And it shall come to pass in the day of YHWH 's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.

In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

10 On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second District, and a loud crashing from the hills.

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith YHWH, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.

Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, YHWH will not do good, neither will he do evil.

13 Their 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.

Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

14 The 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.

The great day of YHWH is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of YHWH: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

15 That 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,

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16 a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.

A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

17 I 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.

And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against YHWH: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

18 Neither 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.

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of YHWH 's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.