Zephaniah 1
1 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of
Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son
of Amon, king of Judah. 2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land,
saith the LORD. 3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the
heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and
I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. 4 I will also stretch out
mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut
off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the
priests; 5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them
that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; 6 And them
that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor
enquired for him. 7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day
of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his
guests. 8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, that I
will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed
with strange apparel. 9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap
on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit. 10
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the
noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great
crashing from the hills. 11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the
merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off. 12 And it
shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and
punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD
will not do good, neither will he do evil. 13 Therefore their goods shall become
a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not
inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. 14
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the
voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15 That
day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and
desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick
darkness, 16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and
against the high towers. 17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall
walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood
shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. 18 Neither their
silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's
wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he
shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
Zephaniah 2
1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the
fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come
upon you. 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his
judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the
day of the LORD's anger. 4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a
desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be
rooted up. 5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the
Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the
Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. 6 And
the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for
flocks. 7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they
shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the
evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon,
whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their
border. 9 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,
Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the
breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my
people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them. 10
This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified
themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts. 11 The LORD will be terrible
unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship
him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. 12 Ye
Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword. 13 And he will stretch out his
hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation,
and dry like a wilderness. 14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all
the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the
upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be
in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar work. 15 This is the rejoicing
city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none
beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in!
every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.
Zephaniah 3
1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! 2 She obeyed
not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she
drew not near to her God. 3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges
are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. 4 Her prophets are
light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they
have done violence to the law. 5 The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will
not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth
not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. 6 I have cut off the nations: their towers
are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are
destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. 7 I said,
Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling
should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and
corrupted all their doings. 8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, 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 upon them mine indignation,
even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of
my jealousy. 9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may
all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent. 10 From
beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed,
shall bring mine offering. 11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy
doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out
of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be
haughty because of my holy mountain. 12 I will also leave in the midst of thee
an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. 13
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a
deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and
none shall make them afraid. 14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be
glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15 The LORD hath
taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even
the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. 16 In that
day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine
hands be slack. 17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will
save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy
over thee with singing. 18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn
assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. 19 Behold,
at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth,
and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every
land where they have been put to shame. 20 At that time will I bring you again,
even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise
among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes,
saith the LORD.