
Zephaniah

   {1:1} The word of [1>]Yahweh[<1] 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. {1:2} I will
utterly sweep away everything off of the surface of the earth, says
Yahweh. {1:3} 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.
{1:4} 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, {1:5} those who
worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and
swear by Yahweh and also swear by Malcam, {1:6} those who have turned
back from following Yahweh, and those who haven't sought Yahweh nor
inquired after him. {1:7} Be silent at the presence of the [2>]Lord[<2]
Yahweh, for the day of Yahweh is at hand. For Yahweh has prepared a
sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests. {1:8} It will happen in the
day of Yahweh's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, the king's
sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing. {1:9} In
that day, I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill
their master's house with violence and deceit. {1:10} 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. {1:11}
Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are
undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off. {1:12} 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." {1:13} 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. {1:14} 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. {1:15} 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, {1:16} a day of the
trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high
battlements. {1:17} 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. {1:18}
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.

   {2:1} Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation
that has no shame, {2:2} before the appointed time when the day passes
as the chaff, before the fierce anger of Yahweh comes on you, before
the day of Yahweh's anger comes on you. {2:3} Seek Yahweh, all you
humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness.
Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh's
anger. {2:4} For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They
will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up. {2:5}
Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites!
The word of Yahweh is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines.
I will destroy you, that there will be no inhabitant. {2:6} The sea
coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for
flocks. {2:7} The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah.
They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down
in the evening, for Yahweh, their [3>]God[<3], will visit them, and
restore them. {2:8} I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults
of the children of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people,
and magnified themselves against their border. {2:9} Therefore as I
live, says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as
Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles,
and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people
will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.
{2:10} This they will have for their pride, because they have
reproached and magnified themselves against the people of Yahweh of
Armies. {2:11} Yahweh will be awesome to them, for he will famish all
the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place,
even all the shores of the nations. {2:12} You Cushites also, you will
be killed by my sword. {2:13} He will stretch out his hand against the
north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as
the wilderness. {2:14} Herds will lie down in the midst of her, all the
animals of the nations. Both the pelican and the porcupine will lodge
in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows. Desolation
will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar beams. {2:15}
This is the joyous city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart,
"I am, and there is none besides me." How she has become a desolation,
a place for animals to lie down in! Everyone who passes by her will
hiss, and shake their fists.

   {3:1} Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing
city! {3:2} She didn't obey the voice. She didn't receive correction.
She didn't trust in Yahweh. She didn't draw near to her God. {3:3} Her
princes in the midst of her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening
wolves. They leave nothing until the next day. {3:4} Her prophets are
arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the
sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. {3:5} Yahweh, in the
midst of her, is righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he
brings his justice to light. He doesn't fail, but the unjust know no
shame. {3:6} I have cut off nations. Their battlements are desolate. I
have made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities
are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant.
{3:7} I said, "Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling
won't be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning
her." But they rose early and corrupted all their doings. {3:8}
"Therefore wait for me," says Yahweh, "until the day that I rise up to
the prey, for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may
assemble the kingdoms, to pour on them my indignation, even all my
fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my
jealousy. {3:9} For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that
they may all call on the name of Yahweh, to serve him shoulder to
shoulder. {3:10} From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even
the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering. {3:11} In
that day you will not be disappointed for all your doings, in which you
have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the
midst of you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be
haughty in my holy mountain. {3:12} But I will leave in the midst of
you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in the name
of Yahweh. {3:13} The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak
lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they
will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid."

   {3:14} Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice
with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. {3:15} Yahweh has taken
away your judgments. He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel,
Yahweh, is in the midst of you. You will not be afraid of evil any
more. {3:16} In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, "Don't be
afraid, Zion. Don't let your hands be weak." {3:17} Yahweh, your God,
is in the midst of you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice
over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over
you with singing. {3:18} I will remove those who grieve about the
appointed feasts from you. They are a burden and a reproach to you.
{3:19} Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you,
and I will save those who are lame, and gather those who were driven
away. I will give them praise and honor, whose shame has been in all
the earth. {3:20} At that time will I bring you in, and at that time
will I gather you; for I will give you honor and praise among all the
peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,
says Yahweh.





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Footnotes:
[1] {1:1} "Yahweh" is God's proper Name, sometimes rendered "LORD" (all
caps) in other translations.

[2] {1:7} The word translated "Lord" is "Adonai."

[3] {2:7} The Hebrew word rendered "God" is "Elohim."

