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.

The word of the Lord 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, king of Judah.

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

While gathering, I will gather together all things from the face of the earth, says the Lord.

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 gather man and cattle; I will gather the flying things of the air and the fish of the sea. And the impious will be a catastrophe. And I will disperse men before the face of the earth, says the Lord.

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,

And I will extend my hand over Judah and over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will disperse from this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the administrators along with the priests,

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

and those who adore the military campaign over the ceiling of the sky, both those who adore and swear by the Lord, and those who swear by Melchom,

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

both those who turn aside from following after the Lord, and those who have not sought the Lord, nor inquired about him.

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 before the face of the Lord God. For the day of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared a victim, he has sanctified those he has called.

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.

And this shall be: in the day of the victim of the Lord, I will visit upon the leaders, and upon the sons of the king, and upon all who have been clothed with strange garments.

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

And I will visit upon all who enter arrogantly over the threshold in that day, those who fill the house of the Lord their God with iniquity and deceit.

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.

And this shall be in that day, says the Lord: the voice of an outcry from the fish gate, and a howling from the Second, and a great contrition from 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.

Howl, inhabitants of the Pillar. All the people of Canaan have fallen silent. All were ruined who had been wrapped in silver.

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."

And this shall be in that time: I will scrutinize Jerusalem with lamps, and I will visit upon the men who have become stuck in the dregs, who say in their hearts, “The Lord will not do good, and he will not do evil.”

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.

And their strength will be in plundering, and their houses in the desert. And they will build houses and not dwell in them, and they will plant vineyards and not drink their wine.

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.

The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and exceedingly swift. The voice of the day of the Lord is bitter; the strong will be tested there.

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,

That day is a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and anguish, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and whirlwinds,

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

a day of the trumpet and the trumpet blast over fortified cities and over exalted ramparts.

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.

And I will trouble men, and they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. And their blood will be poured out like soil, and their bodies like manure.

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.

Neither their silver, nor their gold, will be able to free them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. All the land will be devoured in the fire of his zeal, for with all speed, he will bring to consummation every inhabitant of the land.