Zephaniah 1

1 The word of YHWH 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.

[I am] Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, whose father was [King] Hezekiah. Yahweh gave this message to me during the time when [King] Amon’s son Josiah was the King of Judah.

2 I will utterly sweep away everything off of the surface of the earth, says YHWH.

Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.

3 I will sweep away people and animals. I will sweep away the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble. I will remove humankind from the surface of the earth, says YHWH.

I will sweep away people and animals. I will sweep away birds and fish. I will get rid of wicked people; there will be no more [wicked] [HYP] people on 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 from this place, the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,

“[These are some of the things that I will do]: I will punish the people who live in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. I will destroy everything that has been used in the worship of Baal. I will cause [people] to no longer remember the names of the pagan priests or the [other] priests [who have turned away from me].

5 those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops, those who worship and swear by YHWH and also swear by Milcom,

[I will get rid of] those who go up on the roofs [of their houses] and worship the sun and moon and stars, those who claim that they worship me but [also] worship [their god] Molech.

6 those who have turned back from following YHWH, and those who haven't sought YHWH nor inquired after him.

I will get rid of all those who previously worshiped me but no longer do, those who no [longer] seek my [help or ask me to tell them what they should do.”]

7 Be silent at the presence of YHWH, for the day of YHWH is at hand. For YHWH has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests.

Be silent in front of Yahweh the Lord, because it will soon be the time/day when Yahweh [will judge and punish people]. Yahweh has prepared to get rid of [the people of Judah]; they will be like [MET] animals that are slaughtered for sacrifices, and he has chosen [their enemies] to be the ones who will get rid of them.

8 It will happen in the day of YHWH's sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king's sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign attire.

Yahweh says, “On that day when I will get rid of [the people of Judah], [I will punish] their officials and the king’s sons, and [I will punish] all those who worship foreign gods [MTY].

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

I will punish those who [show that they revere their god Dagan] by avoiding stepping on the threshold [of his temple], and those who do violent things and tell lies in the temples of their gods.”

10 On that day, says YHWH, there will be the noise of a cry from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.

Yahweh [also] says, “On that day, people will cry [out] at the Fish Gate [of Jerusalem]. People will wail in the newer part of the city, and [people will hear] a loud crash [of buildings collapsing] in the hills.

11 Wail, you inhabitants of the market district, for all the merchants will be destroyed, and all those who weigh out silver will be removed.

[So, all you] people who live in the market area [of Jerusalem] should wail, because all those who sell goods and weigh out silver will be slaughtered.

12 It will happen at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who are complacent, who say in their heart, "YHWH will not do good, nor will he do harm."

[It will be as though] I will light lanterns to search in [dark places in] Jerusalem for those who have become very satisfied with their behavior and complacent [about their sins]. They think that [I], Yahweh, will do nothing to them, neither good things nor bad things.

13 Their wealth will be looted 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.

[But I say that] their valuable possessions will be plundered/stolen [by their enemies], and their houses will be destroyed. They will build [new] homes, but they will not live in them; they will plant vineyards, but they will never drink [any] wine [made from grapes that grow there].”

14 The great day of YHWH is near. Near and approaching very rapidly. The cry on the day of YHWH is bitter. In it the warrior shouts his battle cry.

It will soon be the day/time when Yahweh [will punish people]. It will be here quickly. It will be a time [when people cry] bitterly, a time when [even] brave soldiers will cry loudly.

15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of devastation and ruin, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

It will be a time when [God shows that he is] very angry, a time when [people experience much] distress/suffering and trouble. [It will be] a time [when many things are] ruined and destroyed [DOU]. It will be a time when it is very gloomy and dark [DOU], when the clouds are very black.

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

It will be a time when [soldiers] will blow trumpets [to call other soldiers] to battle. [Your enemies] will tear down the walls around your cities and the high towers [at the corners of those walls].

17 I will bring distress on the people, that they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against YHWH, and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.

Because you sinned against Yahweh, he will cause you to experience great distress; you will walk [around groping] like [SIM] blind people do. Your blood will flow [from your bodies] like [SIM] water, and your corpses will lie on the ground and rot [SIM].

18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of YHWH's wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will bring terrifying destruction on all the inhabitants of the land.

At the time that [Yahweh shows that he] is very angry [with you], you will not be able to save yourselves by [giving] silver or gold [to your enemies]. Because Yahweh (is very jealous/does not want people to worship any other god), he will send a fire to burn up the entire world, and he will suddenly get rid of all the [wicked] people who live on the earth.