Zephaniah 1

1 This is the message that the Lord gave to Zephaniah. He was the son of Cushti, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. This happened when Josiah, son of Amon, was king of Judah.

The LORD’s word 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.

2 I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the Lord.

I will utterly sweep away everything from the surface of the earth, says the LORD.

3 I will sweep away people and animals, I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. I will overthrow the wicked; I will destroy human beings from the face of the earth.

I 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.

4 I will strike Judah and everyone who lives in Jerusalem. I will destroy all that remains of their Baal worship along with their pagan priests so that even their names will be forgotten.

I 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,

5 I will destroy those who go up to the rooftops to bow down before the sun, moon, and stars. They also bow down and swear allegiance to the Lord, but then they do the same to Milcom.

those who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by the LORD and also swear by Malcam,

6 I will destroy those who once worshiped the Lord but don't anymore. They don't seek the Lord or ask for my help.

those who have turned back from following the LORD, and those who haven’t sought the LORD nor inquired after him.

7 Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near: the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.

Be 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.

8 Then on the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king's sons, and those who follow pagan ways.

It will happen in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.

9 I will also punish those who jump over the threshold. On that day I will punish those who fill up their masters' houses using violence and deception.

In that day, I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.

10 On that day, declares the Lord, a cry of grief will come from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.

In 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.

11 Those who live in the Market District will wail in sorrow, for all the merchants are destroyed, along with those who trade in silver.

Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.

12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps and I will punish those self-satisfied people, who are like wine left on its dregs, who say to themselves, “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.”

It 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.”

13 Their possessions will be looted; their houses will be demolished. They will build houses, but not live in them; they will plant vineyards, but not drink the wine.

Their wealth will become a plunder, 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.

14 The great day of the Lord is near and approaching rapidly. It will be a bitter day—even warriors will cry out loud.

The 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.

15 It will be a day of anger, a day of trouble and distress, a day of disaster and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

That 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,

16 a day of trumpet calls and battle cries against fortified cities and watchtowers.

a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.

17 I will bring trouble on humanity, making them walk like blind people because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be spilled like so much dust; their intestines like dung.

I will bring such distress on men that they will walk like blind men because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.

18 Their silver and their gold won't help to save them on the day of the Lord's anger. The whole earth will be burned up by the fire of his jealous anger. He will make sure the end of the people of the world is sudden and complete.

Neither 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.