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.

This is the word of Yahweh that came 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 utterly sweep away everything off of the surface of the earth, says YHWH.

“I will utterly destroy everything from off the surface of the earth—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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 destroy man and beast; I will destroy the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, the ruins along with the wicked. For I will cut off man from the surface of the earth—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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,

I will reach out with my hand over Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every remnant of Baal from this place and the names of the idolatrous people among 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,

the people who on the housetops worship the heavenly bodies, and the people who worship and swear to Yahweh but who also swear by their king.

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

I will also cut off those who have turned away from following Yahweh, those who neither seek Yahweh nor ask for his guidance.”

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 Lord Yahweh! For the day of Yahweh is near; Yahweh has prepared the sacrifice and set apart his guests.

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.

“It will come about on the day of Yahweh's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king's sons, and everyone dressed in foreign clothes.

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

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

So it will be on that day—this is Yahweh's declaration— that a cry of distress will come from the Fish Gate, wailing from the Second District, and a great crashing sound 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.

Wail, inhabitants of the Market District, for all the merchants will be ruined; all those who weigh out silver will be cut off.

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 come about at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who have settled into their wine and say in their heart, 'Yahweh will not do anything, either good or 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.

Their wealth will become plunder, and their houses will be an abandoned devastation! They will build houses but not live in them, and plant vineyards but 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 Yahweh is near, near and hurrying quickly! The sound of the day of Yahweh will be that of a warrior crying bitterly!

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 will be a day of fury, a day of distress and anguish, a day of storm and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.

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

It will be a day of trumpets and alarms against the fortified cities and the high battlements.

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.

For I will bring distress upon mankind, so that they will walk about like blind men since they have sinned against Yahweh. Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their inner parts like dung.

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 save them on the day of Yahweh's fury. In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will bring a complete, a terrible end of all the inhabitants of the earth.”