Zephaniah1
Judah’s Impending Judgment
1The word of Yahweh that came to Zephaniah the 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“I will surely destroy everythingfrom the face of the earth”—a declaration of Yahweh.3“I will destroy humanity and beast;I will destroy the birds of the skyand the fish of the sea,and the stumbling blocks with the wicked.And I will cut off humankindfrom the face of the earth”—a declaration of Yahweh.4“And I will stretch out my hand against Judahand against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.And I will cut off from this placethe remnant of Baal,and the name of idolatrous priests with the priests, 5and those who bow down on the rooftopsto the host of heaven,and those who bow down, swearing to Yahwehbut also swearing by Milcom, 6and those who turned back from ⸤following⸥ Yahweh,and who did not seek Yahweh,and did not inquire of him.”7Be silent before the Lord Yahweh,for the day of Yahweh draws near,for Yahweh has provided a sacrificeand has consecrated his guests.8And it shall be that on the day of the sacrifice of Yahweh,I will punish the officialsand the sons of the kingand those who dress in foreign clothing.9And on that day I will punishall who leap over the threshold,who fill up the house of their masterwith violence and deceit.10“And there shall be on that day”—a declaration of Yahweh—“a ⸤loud outcry⸥ from the Fish Gate,and a wailing from the Second District,and a loud crashing from the hills.11The inhabitants of the Mortar shall wail,for all the traders have perished;all who trade with silver have been cut off.12And it shall be that at that timeI will search Jerusalem with lamps,and I will punish the men⸤whose senses are dulled from drinking⸥, who say in their hearts,‘Yahweh will not do good, nor will he do evil.’13Then their wealth shall be as plunder,and their homes as desolation.And they shall build their houses and not inhabit them,and they shall plant vineyards and not drink their wine.”14The great day of Yahweh draws near;it is near and coming very swiftly.The sound of the day of Yahweh is bitterness;there, a warrior cries out!15That day will be a day of wrath,a day of trouble and distress,a day of disaster and ruination,a day of darkness and deep gloom,a day of clouds and thick clouds, 16a day of trumpet and trumpet blastagainst the fortified citiesand against the high corner towers.17And I will bring distress to all humankind,and they shall walk about like the blind,for they sinned against Yahweh;their blood shall be poured out like dustand their entrails like dung.18Moreover, their silver and their goldwill not be able to save themon the day of the wrath of Yahweh.And in the fire of his zeal,the whole land shall be consumed,for a terrifying end he shall makefor all the inhabitants of the land.Logos Bible Software