Chapter 1
1 The LORD ’s ", usually pronounced Yahweh). word 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 from the surface of the earth, says the LORD .
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 the LORD .
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 army of the sky on the housetops , those who worship and swear by the LORD and also swear by Malcam ,
6 those who have turned back from following the LORD , and those who haven’t sought the LORD nor enquired after him .
7 Be silent at the presence of the Lord GOD , for the day of the LORD is at hand . For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice . He has consecrated his guests .
8 It will happen in the day of the LORD ’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes , the king ’s sons , and all those who 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 the LORD , 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 , " The LORD will not do good , neither will he do evil ."
13 Their wealth will become a plunder , 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 the LORD is near . It is near and hurries greatly , the voice of the day of the LORD . 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 such distress on men that they will walk like blind men because they have sinned against the LORD . 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 the LORD ’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.