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

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

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 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;

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 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;

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

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

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.

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 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;

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 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.

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

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 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.

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

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.

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 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.

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 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!

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 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;

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

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

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.

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 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.

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.