[Zephaniah 1]
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.
1:2 I will utterly consume all [things] from off the land,
saith the LORD.
1:3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of
the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks
with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land,
saith the LORD.
1:4 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;
1:5 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;
1:6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and [those]
that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired for him.
1:7 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.
1:8 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.
1:9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on
the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence
and deceit.
1:10 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.
1:11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant
people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
1:12 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.
1:13 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.
1:14 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.
1:15 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,
1:16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced
cities, and against the high towers.
1:17 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.
1:18 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]
2:1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O
nation not desired;
2:2 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.
2:3 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.
2:4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation:
they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be
rooted up.
2:5 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.
2:6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings [and] cottages for
shepherds, and folds for flocks.
2:7 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.
2:8 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.
2:9 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.
2:10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have
reproached and magnified [themselves] against the people of the
LORD of hosts.
2:11 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.
2:12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye [shall be] slain by my sword.
2:13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and
destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, [and] dry
like a wilderness.
2:14 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.
2:15 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]
3:1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing
city!
3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction;
she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
3:3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges
[are] evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
3:4 Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her
priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to
the law.
3:5 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.
3:6 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.
3:7 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.
3:8 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.
3:9 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.
3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, [even]
the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
3:11 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.
3:12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and
poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
3:13 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.
3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and
rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
3:15 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.
3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou
not: [and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
3:17 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.
3:18 I will gather [them that are] sorrowful for the solemn
assembly, [who] are of thee, [to whom] the reproach of it [was]
a burden.
3:19 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.
3:20 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.