Zephaniah

Chapter One

1:1 The word of the LORD which 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:
1:2 “I will wipe away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
1:3 “I will destroy man and beast;
I will destroy the birds of the sky
and the fish of the sea,
and the ruins of the wicked;
and I will cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
1:4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off [destroy] from this place every remnant [trace] of Baal
and the name [memory] of the priests along with the priests themselves,
1:5 and those who bow down [in worship] from their housetops to the hosts [stars] of the heavens,
and those who bow down while swearing [allegiance] to the LORD and swearing [allegiance] by their king,
1:6 and those who have turned back from the LORD and those who have not sought the LORD
and have not inquired of him.
1:7 Be silent before the Lord [adona] LORD [Yhwh]
for the day of the LORD is near. For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated his guests.
1:8 “Then it will come about on the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, I will punish the leaders and the king’s sons and all those who are wearing foreign attire.
1:9 On that day, I will punish all those who jump over the threshold of the temple, who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit.
1:10 And it will come about on that day, declares the
LORD,
“a sound of a cry from the Fish Gate and a wail from the Second Quarter
a loud crash from the hills.
1:11 “Wail, O inhabitants of the mortar,
for all the people of Canaan will be silenced.
all who weigh out silver will be cut off.
1:12 “It will come about at that time
that I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men who are thickened on their lees [hardened in their sin],
who say in their hearts, “The LORD will not do good or bad [does nothing].
1:13 “Their wealth will become spoil, their houses will become desolate.
They will build houses and not live in them.
They will plant vineyards and not drink of
their wine.
1:14 Near is the great day of the LORD,
near and coming very quickly;
a bitter sound on the Day of the LORD;
in it a warrior cries out.
1:15 That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of destruction and desolation,
a day of darkness and doom
a day of clouds and thick clouds,
1:16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and the high towers.
1:17 I will bring distress on men
and they will walk as blind men,
for they have sinned against the LORD.
Their blood will be poured out like dirt
and their entrails will be poured out like manure.
1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to deliver them
in the day of the LORD’s wrath.
In the fire of his jealousy,
all the land [earth] will be consumed.
For he will make a complete end,
indeed a terrifying one,
against all those who dwell in the land [earth].

Chapter Two

2:1 Gather yourselves together as straw
yes, gather as straw
O, shameless nation
2:2 before the decree is brought forth
as the day goes by as chaff in the wind,
before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you,
before the day of the LORD’S anger comes upon you.
2:3 Seek the LORD,
all you humble of the land
who have obeyed his commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will be hidden
in the day of the LORD’S anger.
2:4 For Gaza will be abandoned
and Ashkelon a desolation;
Ashdod will be driven out at noon
and Ekron will be uprooted.
2:5 Woe to those who live by the seacoast,
the nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the LORD is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
and I will destroy you
so there is no inhabitant.
2:6 So the seacoast will be pastures
with caves for shepherds and folds for flocks.
2:7 And the coast will be
for the remnant of the house of Judah,
Upon them [it], they will pasture
in the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down in the evening,
For the LORD their God will care for them
and restore their fortune.
2:8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab
and the revilings of the sons of Ammon,
with which they have taunted my people
and they boasted against their [Judah’s] land.
2:9 “Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of the armies, the God of Israel,
“Surely Moab will be like Sodom
and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah —
a place overgrown by weeds and salt pits,
and a permanent wasteland.
The remnant of my people will plunder them
and the survivors of my nation [Judah] will inherit them [the land].”
2:10 This is what they get instead of their pride
because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the LORD of hosts.
2:11 The LORD will be awesome over them
for he will make lean [starve] all the gods of the earth and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.
2:12 Also you Cushites, will be slain by my sword.
2:13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria,
and He will make Nineveh a desolation,
dry [barren] as the desert.
2:14 Flocks [and herds] will lie down in her midst,
all the beast of the nation
Both the desert owl and the screech owl
will sleep in the tops of their pillars.
Their calls [hoots] will sound in the window,
rubble will cover the threshold;
even the cedar work will be exposed [to the elements]
2:15 This is the exultant [proud] city
which dwells securely;
who says in her heart,
“I am and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a desolation,
a resting place for beasts!
Everyone who passes by her will hiss
and shake his hand [in contempt].

Chapter Three

3:1 Woe to the rebellious [or filthy] and defiled,
the oppressive city.
3:2 She hears no voice [disobedient];
she does not accept correction from the LORD
She does not trust in the LORD;
she did not draw near to her God.
3:3 Her princes within her are roaring lions,
her judges are wolves at evening;
they leave nothing for the morning.
3:4 Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men;
her priests defile what is holy;
they have done violence to the law.
3:5 The LORD is righteous within her;
he will do no injustice.
Every morning his justice is brought forth.
At light [dawn] he does not fail,
but the unjust knows no shame.
3:6 “I have cut off [destroyed] nations;
their battlements are in ruins.
I have desolated their streets
with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste,
without a man, without an inhabitant.
3:7 “I said surely you will fear me.
You will accept correction!
Then her dwelling will not be cut off [destroyed],
by all [the punishments] which I have appointed her.
But they rose early [eager] to corrupt all their deeds.
3:8 “Therefore you [pl.] wait for me,” declares the LORD,
for the day I rise for plunder.
Indeed, my decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out on them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
For by my fiery jealousy all the earth will be devoured.
3:9 For then I will restore to the people purified lips,
that all of them may call on the name of the LORD,
to serve him with one shoulder (all together).
3:10 From beyond the rivers of Cush,
my worshippers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
will bring my offerings.
3:11 On that day, you will not be ashamed, because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then I will remove from your midst the proud boasters
and you will never again be arrogant
on my holy mountain.
3:12 “But I will leave among you
a humble and lowly people,
and they will take refuge in the name of the LORD.
3:13 “The remnant of Israel will do no injustice
and not tell lies and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth;
for they will graze and lie down
and no one to make them tremble.”
3:14 Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!
Shout O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
3:15 The LORD has taken away your judgments against you,
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You will never fear evil again.
3:16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not be afraid, O Zion:
Do not let your hands fall limp.
3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He exults over you with joy,
he will cause you quiet in his love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
3:18 “I will gather those who mourn about the appointed feasts —
They came from you—
a burden to her and reproach.
3:19 “Behold, I will deal at that time with all who oppress you;
I will rescue the lame and gather the scattered,
and turn their shame to praise and a name
in all the earth
3:20 “At that time I will bring you,
even at that time I will gather you.
For I will give you a name and praise for all the people of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
says the LORD.