Zephaniah 1

1 The word of Yahweh which came unto Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, —in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.

The word of the Lord which came to Sophonias the son of Chusi, the son of Godolias, the son of Amorias, the son of Ezekias, in the days of Josias son of Amon, king of Juda.

2 I will take clean away everything from off the face of the ground, Declareth Yahweh.

Let there be an utter cutting off from the face of the land, says the Lord.

3 I will take away man and beast, I will take away the bird of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks, even them who are lawless, —and will cut off mankind, from off the face of the ground, Declareth Yahweh.

Let man and cattle be cut off; let the birds of the air and the fishes of the sea be cut off; and the ungodly shall fail, and I will take away the transgressors from the face of the land, says the Lord.

4 And I will stretch out my hand—over Judah, and over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, —and will cut off out of this place, the name of Baal, the name of the priestlings, with the priests;

And I will stretch out mine hand upon Juda, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will remove the names of Baal out of this place, and the names of the priests;

5 And them who bow down upon the housetops to the host of the heavens, —and them who bow down—who swear to Yahweh, and swear by Milcom;

and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and swear by the Lord, and them that swear by their king;

6 And them who turn away from following Yahweh, —and have neither sought Yahweh, nor enquired for him.

and them that turn aside from the Lord, and them that seek not the Lord, and them that cleave not to the Lord.

7 Hush! at the presence of My Lord, Yahweh, —for, near, is the day of Yahweh, for Yahweh hath prepared his sacrifice, hath hallowed his guests.

Fear you before the Lord God; for the day of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared his sacrifice, and has sanctified his guests.

8 And it shall come to pass, in the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice, that I will punish the rulers, and the sons of the king, —and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel;

And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will take vengeance on the princes, and on the king's house, and upon all that wear strange apparel.

9 And I will punish every one who leapeth over the threshold, in that day, —those who fill the house of their lords with violence and deceit.

And I will openly take vengeance on the porches in that day, [on the men] that fill the house of the Lord their God with ungodliness and deceit.

10 And there shall come to be, in that day, declareth Yahweh, The noise of an outcry from the fish-gate, and of a howling out of the new city, —and of a great crashing, from the hills.

And there shall be in that day, says the Lord, the sound of a cry from the gate of men slaying, and a howling from the second [gate], and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Howl, ye inhabitants of the lower city, —because destroyed are all the people of traffic, cut off are all they who were laden with silver.

Lament, you that inhabit the [city] that has been broken down, for all the people has become like Chanaan; and all that were exalted by silver have been utterly destroyed.

12 And it shall come to pass, at that time, that I will search through Jerusalem, with lamps, —and will punish the men who are thickened upon their lees, who are saying in their heart, Yahweh, will not give blessing, neither will he bring calamity.

And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will search Jerusalem with a candle, and will take vengeance on the men that despise the things committed to them; but they say in their hearts, The Lord will not do any good, neither will he do any evil.

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

And their power shall be for a spoil, and their houses for utter desolation; and they shall build houses, but shall not dwell in them; and they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink the wine of them.

14 Near is the great day of Yahweh, near, and very speedy, —The noise of the day of Yahweh, a strong man—there!—bitterly crying out!

For the great day of the Lord [is] near, [it is] near, and very speedy; the sound of the day of the Lord is made bitter and harsh.

15 A day of indignation, —that day! day of danger and distress, day of rush, and of crash, day of obscurity, and deep gloom, day of cloud, and thick darkness;

A mighty day of wrath is that day, a day of affliction and distress, a day of desolation and destruction, a day of gloominess and darkness, a day of cloud and vapour,

16 day of horn, and war-shout, —against the fortified cities, and against the high towers.

a day of the trumpet and cry against the strong cities, and against the high towers.

17 And I will bring distress to mankind, and they shall walk like them who are blind, because, against Yahweh, have they sinned, —and their blood, shall be poured out, as dust, and their bowels like dung.

And I will greatly afflict the men, and they shall walk as blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; therefore he shall pour out their blood as dust, and their flesh as dung.

18 Neither their silver nor yet their gold, shall be able to deliver them, in the day of the indignation of Yahweh, but, in the fire of his jealousy, shall the whole earth be consumed; For, a destruction, surely a terrible one, will he make, with all them who dwell in the earth.

And their silver and their gold shall in nowise be able to rescue them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealously; for he will bring a speedy destruction on all them that inhabit the land.