Book of the prophet Zephaniah

Threats against Judah and Jerusalem - Zephaniah 1

1 - The word of the LORD 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 the son of Amon king of Judah.

2 - I will thoroughly consume all things from the earth, saith the LORD.

3 - I will consume men and beasts, I will consume the birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off men from the earth, saith the LORD.

4 - And I will stretch out my hand against Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the names of the priests of the idols, with the priests;

5 - And they that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and they that swear by the LORD, and swear by Milcom;

6 - And they that walk after the LORD, and they that seek not the LORD, ask not for him.

7 - Be silent before the Lord God, for the day of the LORD is near; for the LORD hath prepared the sacrifice, and hallowed his guest.

8 - And it shall come to pass in the day of the sacrifice of the LORD, that I will punish the princes, and the king's sons, and all that are clothed with foreign apparel.

9 - And I will punish in that day every one that leapt upon the threshold, which filleth the house of his masters with violence and deceit.

10 - And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that a voice of outcry shall be heard from the fish gate, and a howl from the second part, and a great breach from the hills.

11 - Wail ye, ye inhabitants of Mactes: for all the people that trade are ruined, all that were laden with money were destroyed.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lanterns, and will punish the men that are as the dregs of wine, which say in their heart, The LORD doeth not good, nor doeth evil.

13 - Therefore shall their goods be spoiled, and their houses desolate; and they shall build houses, but they shall not dwell in them, and shall plant vines, but shall not drink their wine.

14 - The great day of the LORD is nigh, yea, it is nigh, and it hasteneth much; bitter is the voice of the day of the LORD; the mighty shall cry there.

15 - And the day shall be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and of distress, a day of commotion and desolation, a day of darkness and of darkness, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16 - A day of the trumpet and a noise of the fortified cities, and against the high towers.

17 - And I will put men in pain, that they shall walk as blind: for they have sinned against the LORD; and his blood shall be as dust, and his flesh shall be as dung.

18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath, but by the fire of their jealousy all this land shall be consumed, for it will surely make all the inhabitants of the earth a complete and hasty destruction.

Threats against many nations - Zephaniah 2

1 - CONGREGATE, yea, assemble yourselves together, O nation not desirable;

2 - Before the decree produces its effect, and the day passes like the chaff; before the wrath of the LORD's anger comes upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger comes upon you.

3 - Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, that ye do his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be that you are hidden in the day of the LORD'S anger.

4 - For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ascalon shall be desolate; And the Ashdod shall be cast out at noon, and Ekron shall be cut off.

5 - Woe to the inhabitants of the coast of the sea, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD shall be against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines. and I will destroy you, until there be no inhabitant.

6 - And the coast of the sea shall be of pastures and huts for shepherds, and corrals for flocks.

7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; there they shall feed their flocks; in the evening they shall lie down in the houses of Ascalon; for the LORD their God will visit them and bring them back from their captivity.

8 - And I heard mocking Moab, and the slanderous words of the children of Ammon, with which they mocked my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

9 - Therefore, as surely as I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a field of nettles and wells of salt, and everlasting desolation; the remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

10 - And they shall have a reward for their pride, because they have mocked and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.

11 The LORD will be terrible to them, because he will slay all the gods of the earth; and all shall come to worship him, every one from his place, from all the islands of the Gentiles.

12 - Ye also, Ethiopians, shall be slain with my sword.

13 - And he shall stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and make Nineveh a desolation, a land as dry as the wilderness.

14 - And in the midst of it shall rest the flocks, all the beasts of the nations; and so shall the pelican as the hedgehog be lodged in their captains; the song of the birds will be heard in the windows; and there shall be desolation in the thresholds, when he hath discovered his work of cedar.

15 - This is a joyful city, dwelling lightly, saying in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me; as it turned into desolation, into an inn of animals! Whosoever shall pass by it shall hiss, and shake his hand.

The chastisement of Jerusalem - Zephaniah 3

1 - Of the rebellious and polluted, of the oppressing city!

2 - He did not obey his voice, he did not accept the punishment; he did not trust in the LORD; nor came near to his God.

3 - Her princes are roaring lions in her midst; his judges are wolves of the evening, who do not leave their bones for the morning.

4 - His prophets are foolish, men of bitterness; and their priests profaned the sanctuary, and did violence to the law.

5 - The LORD is righteous in the midst thereof; he does not commit iniquity; every morning brings his judgment to light; never missing; but the wicked knoweth no shame.

6 - I have destroyed the nations, their towers are desolate; I have made their streets deserted, so that no one can pass through them; their cities have been destroyed until there is none left until there is no inhabitant.

7 - And I said, Thou shalt surely fear me, and thou shalt accept correction, and thus his dwelling shall not be destroyed, according to all this because I have punished it; but they rose up early in the morning, corrupting all their works.

8 - Therefore wait for me, saith the LORD, in the day that I rise up unto the spoil; for my decree is to gather the nations and gather the kingdoms, to pour upon them my indignation and all the fierceness of my wrath; for all this land shall be consumed with the fire of my jealousy.

9 - For then will I give a pure language to the people, that all may call upon the name of the LORD, that they serve him with the same consent.

10 Beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my zealous worshipers, who are the daughter of my scattered people, shall bring me a sacrifice.

11 - In that day shalt thou not be ashamed of any of thy works, wherewith thou art rebuked against me; for then will I take away from among you those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall never be proud on my holy mountain.

12 - But I will leave a humble and poor people among you; and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

13 - The remnant of Israel shall not commit iniquity, nor utter falsehood, and in their mouth no deceitful tongue shall be found; but they shall be fed, and they shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

The promise made to the faithful

14 - Sing joyfully, O daughter of Zion; rejoice, O Israel; Rejoice and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

15 - The LORD hath put away thy judgments, he hath cut off thine enemy; the LORD, the king of Israel, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt see no more evil.

16 - In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not, O Zion, let not thine hands be weak.

17 - The LORD thy God, the mighty, is in the midst of thee, he shall save; he shall rejoice in thee with joy; He will be silent for his love, he will rejoice in you with joy.

18 - I will gather them that are grieved for the solemn assembly; those who are of you and for whom her reproach was a burden.

19 - Behold, at that time I will deal with all that afflict thee, and will save the limping woman, and will gather her that was cast out; and I will make them a praise and a name in all the land whereon they were ashamed.

20 - At that time will I bring you again, at that time will I gather you; I will make a name and a praise to you among all the peoples of the earth, when I will bring your captivity before your eyes, says the LORD.