< Zephaniah 1 >

1 The word of the Lord, that was maad to Sofonye, sone of Chusi, sone of Godolie, sone of Amasie, sone of Ezechie, in the daies of Josie, the sone of Amon, king of Juda.
For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
2 Y gaderinge schal gadere alle thingis fro the face of erthe, seith the Lord;
“I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,”
3 Y gaderynge man and beeste, Y gaderynge volatils of heuene, and fischis of the see; and fallyngis of vnpitouse men schulen be, and Y schal leese men fro face of erthe, seith the Lord.
“I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,”
4 And Y schal stretche out myn hond on Juda, and on alle dwellers of Jerusalem; and Y schal lese fro this place the relifs of Baal, and the names of keperis of housis, with prestis;
“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—
5 and hem that worschipen on roouys the knyythod of heuene, and worschipen, and sweren in the Lord, and sweren in Melchon;
those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,
6 and whiche ben turned awei bihynde the bak of the Lord, and whiche `souyten not the Lord, nether enserchiden hym.
and those who turn back from following the LORD, neither seeking the LORD nor inquiring of Him.”
7 Be ye stille fro the face of the Lord God, for niy is the dai of the Lord; for the Lord made redi a sacrifice, halewide hise clepid men.
Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.
8 And it schal be, in the dai of sacrifice of the Lord, Y schal visite on princes, and on sones of the kyng, and on alle that ben clothid with pilgrimys, ether straunge, clothing.
“On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the sons of the king, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.
9 And Y schal visite on ech that proudli entrith on the threisfold in that dai, whiche fillen the hous of her Lord God with wickidnesse and gile.
On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.
10 And ther schal be in that dai, seith the Lord, a vois of cry fro the yate of fischis, and yellynge fro the secounde yate, and greet defoulyng fro litle hillis.
On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second District, and a loud crashing from the hills.
11 Yelle ye, dwelleris of Pila; al the puple of Canaan was stille togidere, alle men wlappid in siluer perischiden.
Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.
12 And it schal be, in that tyme Y schal seke Jerusalem with lanternes, and Y schal visite on alle men piyt in her darstis, whiche seien in her hertis, The Lord schal not do wel, and he schal not do yuele.
And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’
13 And the strengthe of hem schal be in to rauyschyng, and the housis of hem in to desert; and thei schulen bilde housis, and schulen not enhabite; and thei schulen plaunte vyneyerdis, and thei schulen not drynke the wyn of hem.
Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.
14 Nyy is the greet dai of the Lord, niy and swift ful myche; the vois of the dai of the Lord is bittir, a strong man schal be in tribulacioun there.
The great Day of the LORD is near— near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.
15 `The ilke dai is a dai of wraththe, dai of tribulacioun and angwisch, dai of nedynesse and wretchidnesse, dai of derknessis and myist, dai of cloude and whirlewynd,
That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
16 dai of trumpe and noise on strong citees and on hiye corneris.
a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.
17 And Y schal troble men, and thei schulen walke as blynde, for thei han synned ayens the Lord; and the blood of hem schal be sched out as erthe, and the bodies of hem schulen be as tordis.
I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.
18 But and the siluer of hem, and gold of hem, schal not mowe delyuere hem in the dai of wraththe of the Lord; in fier of his feruour al erthe schal be deuourid, for he schal make ende with haastyng to alle men enhabitynge the erthe.
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.

< Zephaniah 1 >