Zephaniah 1

1 The word of Jehovah, which came to 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.

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 utterly consume all things from the face of the land, saith Jehovah;

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

3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of heaven, and the fishes of the sea, And the stumbling-blocks with the wicked; And I will cut off man from the face of the land, saith Jehovah.

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 I will stretch out my hand over Judah, And over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, And I will cut off from this place the residue of Baal, The name of the idol-sacrificers with the priests,

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 those who bow themselves on the house-tops to the host of heaven, And those who bow themselves and swear by Jehovah, And also swear by their idol,

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 those that turn back from Jehovah, And those that seek not Jehovah, nor inquire for him.

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

7 Be silent before the Lord Jehovah! For the day of Jehovah is near; For Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice; He hath appointed his guests.

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 in the day of the sacrifice of Jehovah it shall come to pass That I will punish the princes and the sons of the king, And all that are clothed with foreign apparel.

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 In that day also will I punish all that leap over the threshold, That fill the houses of their master with violence and deceit.

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 it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah, That there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish-gate, And of a howling from the other part of the city, And of great destruction from the hills.

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 Maktesh! For all the trafficking people are cut down; All they that bear silver are destroyed.

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 Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men that are settled on their lees; That say in their hearts, “Jehovah doeth neither good nor evil.”

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 Their substance shall become a spoil, And their houses a desolation; They shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; And shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

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 The day of Jehovah is near, the great day; It is near, and hasteth greatly; The day of Jehovah shall resound; Bitterly shall the mighty man cry for help.

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 That day is a day of wrath, A day of distress and anguish, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness,

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 A day of the trumpet and the war-shout, Against the fenced cities, And against the high towers.

day of horn, and war-shout, —against the fortified cities, and against the high towers.

17 And I will distress the men, so that they shall walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against Jehovah. And their blood shall be poured out as dust, And their flesh as dung.

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 their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah, But by the fire of his indignation shall the whole land be devoured; For destruction, and that a speedy one, will he bring Upon all that dwell in the land.

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.