Zephaniah

1 The word of Yahweh which came unto Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah,—in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah.

2 I will take clean away everything from off the face of the ground, Declareth Yahweh.

3 I will take away man and beast, I will take away the bird of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, And the stumblingblocks, even them who are lawless,—And will cut off mankind from off the face of the ground, Declareth Yahweh.

4 And I will stretch out my hand—Over Judah, and Over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,—And will cut off out of this place The name of Baal, The name of the priestlings with the priests;

5 And them who bow down upon the housetops to the host of the heavens,—And them who bow down—Who swear to Yahweh, And swear by Milcom;

6 And them who turn away from following Yahweh,—And have neither sought Yahweh nor enquired for him.

7 Hush! at the presence of My Lord Yahweh,—For near is the day of Yahweh, For Yahweh hath prepared his sacrifice, hath hallowed his guests.

8 And it shall come to pass in the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice That I will punish The rulers And the sons of the king,—And all such as are clothed with foreign apparel;

9 And I will punish Every one who leapeth over the threshold in that day,—Those who fill the house of their lords with violence and deceit.

10 And there shall come to be in that day, Declareth Yahweh, The noise of an outcry from the fish-gate, And of a howling out of the new city,—And of a great crashing from the hills.

11 Howl, ye inhabitants of the lower city,—Because destroyed are all the people of traffic, Cut off are all they who were laden with silver.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, That I will search through Jerusalem with lamps,—And will punish the men Who are thickened upon their lees, Who are saying in their heart, Yahweh will not give blessing Neither will he bring calamity.

13 Therefore shall Their goods become a booty, and Their houses a desolation,—And they shall build houses but not inhabit them, And plant vineyards but not drink the wine thereof.

14 Near is the great day of Yahweh, Near and very speedy,—The noise of the day of Yahweh, A strong man—there!—bitterly crying out!

15 A day of indignation—that day! Day of danger and distress, Day of rush and of crash, Day of obscurity and deep gloom, Day of cloud and thick darkness;

16 Day of horn and war-shout,—Against the fortified cities, and Against the high towers.

17 And I will bring distress to mankind And they shall walk like them who are blind, Because against Yahweh have they sinned,—And their blood shall be poured out as dust, And their bowels like dung.

18 Neither their silver nor yet their gold shall be able to deliver them In the day of the indignation of Yahweh, But in the fire of his jealousy shall the whole earth be consumed; For a destruction surely a terrible one will he make, with all them who dwell in the earth.