1 The word of Yahweh 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 utterly sweep away
everything off of the surface of the earth, says Yahweh. 3 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 Yahweh. 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 and pagan
priests, 5 those who worship the host of the sky on the housetops, those
who worship and swear by Yahweh and also swear by Malcam, 6 those who have
turned back from following Yahweh, and those who haven’t sought Yahweh nor
inquired after him. 7 Be silent at the presence of the Lord Yahweh, for
the day of Yahweh is at hand. For Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice. He has
consecrated his guests. 8 It will happen in the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice,
that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all those who as are
clothed with foreign clothing. 9 In that day, I will punish all those who
leap over the threshold, who fill their master’s house with violence and
deceit. 10 In that day, says Yahweh, 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 Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of
Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off. 12 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,
“Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil.” 13 Their wealth will
become a spoil, 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 The great day of Yahweh is near. It is near, and hurries greatly,
the voice of the day of Yahweh. The mighty man cries there bitterly.
15 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 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and
against the high battlements. 17 I will bring distress on men, that they
will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Yahweh, and their
blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. 18 Neither
their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of
Yahweh’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.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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