Zephaniah 1

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.

The Lord’s message, which came to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the time of Josiah of Judah who was son of Amon.

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

I will utterly destroy everything from off the face of the earth, says the Lord.

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.

I will sweep away human and animal, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea. I will cause the wicked to stumble, and I will cut off humanity from the face of the earth, says the Lord.

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;

I will stretch out my hand over Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off from this place the last remnant of Baal and the name of the heathen 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;

and those who worship on the housetops to the stars in the sky, and those worshippers of the Lord who also pay homage to Milcom,

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

and those who turn back from following the Lord, And those who do not seek the Lord nor strive to find 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.

Be silent before the Lord God, for near is the day of the Lord, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has sanctified 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;

On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice: I will punish the officers and the royal princes, and all those who clothe themselves in 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.

On that day: I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their lord 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.

Listen on that day, says the Lord: A cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, and a wailing from the New Quarter, and a great din 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.

Those who live in the Mortar wail, for all the traders are silenced, the money counters wiped out.

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.

I will search Jerusalem with a lamp, I will punish those who are at ease, who sit comfortably with their wine, who say to themselves, ‘the Lord brings neither prosperity nor 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.

Their wealth will become a prey and their houses a desolation. Though they build houses, they will not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink wine from them.

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!

Near is the day of the Lord! Near and rapidly approaching! Near is the bitter day of the Lord, and the scream of the warrior.

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;

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

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

a day of the trumpet and battle-cry, against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.

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.

And I will bring distress upon the people and they will walk as the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord, and their blood will be poured out as dust and their flesh as 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.

Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them. For in the day of the wrath of the Lord and in the fire of his fury the whole earth will be consumed. For he will make a speedy end of all the inhabitants of the earth.