THE BOOK OF

ZEPHANIAH
CHAPTER 1 selves in foreign attire.
1 The word of the LORD which 9 On that day I will punish
came to Zephani'ah the son of every one who leaps over the
Cushi, son of Gedali'ah, son of threshold, and those who fill
Amari'ah, son of Hezeki'ah, in their master's house with vio -
the days of Josi'ah the son of lence and fraud."
Amon, king of Judah. 10 "On that day," says the
2 "I will utterly sweep away LORD, "a cry will be heard
everything from the face of from the Fish Gate, a wail
the earth," says the LORD. from the Second Quarter, a
3 "I will sweep away man and loud crash from the hills.
beast; I will sweep away the 11 Wail, O inhabitants of the
birds of the air and the fish of Mortar! For all the traders are
the sea. I will overthrow the no more; all who weigh out sil -
wicked; I will cut off mankind ver are cut off.
from the face of the earth," 12 At that time I will search
says the LORD. Jerusalem with lamps, and I
4 "I will stretch out my hand will punish the men who are
against Judah, and against all thickening upon their lees,
the inhabitants of Jerusalem; those who say in their hearts,
and I will cut off from this `The LORD will not do good,
place the remnant of Ba'al nor will he do ill.'
and the name of the idola - 13 Their goods shall be plun-
trous priests; dered, and their houses laid
5 those who bow down on the waste. Though they build
roofs to the host of the heav- houses, they shall not inhabit
ens; those who bow down and them; though they plant vine -
swear to the LORD and yet yards, they shall not drink
swear by Milcom; wine from them."
6 those who have turned 14 The great day of the LORD
back from following the LORD, is near, near and hastening
who do not seek the LORD or fast; the sound of the day of
inquire of him." the LORD is bitter, the mighty
7 Be silent before the Lord man cries aloud there.
GOD! For the day of the LORD 15 A day of wrath is that day,
is at hand; the LORD has pre - a day of distress and anguish,
pared a sacrifice and conse- a day of ruin and devastation,
crated his guests. a day of darkness and gloom,
8 And on the day of the a day of clouds and thick
LORD'S sacrifice — "I will pun- darkness,
ish the officials and the king's 16 a day of trumpet blast and
sons and all who array them - battle cry against the fortified

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cities and against the lofty you till no inhabitant is left.

battlements. 6 And you, O seacoast, shall
17 I will bring distress on be pastures, meadows for
men, so that they shall walk shepherds and folds for flocks.
like the blind, because they 7 The seacoast shall become
have sinned against the LORD; the possession of the remnant
their blood shall be poured of the house of Judah, on
out like dust, and their flesh which they shall pasture, and
like dung. in the houses of Ash'kelon
18 Neither their silver nor they shall lie down at evening.
their gold shall be able to de- For the LORD their God will be
liver them on the day of the mindful of them and restore
wrath of the LORD. In the fire their fortunes.
of his jealous wrath, all the 8 "I have heard the taunts of
earth shall be consumed; for a Moab and the revilings of the
full, yea, sudden end he will Ammonites, how they have
make of all the inhabitants of taunted my people and made
the earth. boasts against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live," says
CHAPTER 2 the LORD of hosts, the God of
1 Come together and hold as - Israel, "Moab shall become
sembly, O shameless nation, like Sodom, and the Am-
2 before you are driven away monites like Gomor'rah, a land
like the drifting chaff, before possessed by nettles and salt
there comes upon you the pits, and a waste for ever. The
fierce anger of the LORD, be - remnant of my people shall
fore there comes upon you the plunder them, and the sur-
day of the wrath of the LORD. vivors of my nation shall pos-
3 Seek the LORD, all you sess them."
humble of the land, who do 10 This shall be their lot in
his commands; seek right- return for their pride, because
eousness, seek humility; per- they scoffed and boasted
haps you may be hidden on against the people of the
the day of the wrath of the LORD of hosts.
LORD. 11 The LORD will be terrible
4 For Gaza shall be deserted, against them; yea, he will
and Ash'kelon shall become a famish all the gods of the
desolation; Ashdod's people earth, and to him shall bow
shall be driven out at noon, down, each in its place, all the
and Ekron shall be uprooted. lands of the nations.
5 Woe to you inhabitants of 12 You also, O Ethiopians,
the seacoast, you nation of shall be slain by my sword.
the Cher'ethites! The word of 13 And he will stretch out his
the LORD is against you, O hand against the north, and
Canaan, land of the destroy Assyria; and he will
Philistines; and I will destroy make Nin'eveh a desolation, a

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dry waste like the desert. desolate, without a man, with-

14 Herds shall lie down in the out an inhabitant.
midst of her, all the beasts of 7 I said, `Surely she will fear
the field; the vulture and the me, she will accept correction;
hedgehog shall lodge in her she will not lose sight of all
capitals; the owl shall hoot in that I have enjoined upon her.'
the window, the raven croak But all the more they were ea -
on the threshold; for her cedar ger to make all their deeds
work will be laid bare. corrupt."
15 This is the exultant city 8 "Therefore wait for me,"
that dwelt secure, that said to says the LORD, "for the day
herself, "I am and there is when I arise as a witness. For
none else." What a desolation my decision is to gather na -
she has become, a lair for wild tions, to assemble kingdoms,
beasts! Every one who passes to pour out upon them my in -
by her hisses and shakes his dignation, all the heat of my
fist. anger; for in the fire of my
jealous wrath all the earth
CHAPTER 3 shall be consumed.
1 Woe to her that is rebel - 9 "Yea, at that time I will
lious and defiled, the oppress - change the speech of the peo -
ing city! ples to a pure speech, that all
2 She listens to no voice, she of them may call on the name
accepts no correction. She of the LORD and serve him
does not trust in the LORD, with one accord.
she does not draw near to her 10 From beyond the rivers of
God. Ethiopia my suppliants, the
3 Her officials within her are daughter of my dispersed
roaring lions; her judges are ones, shall bring my offering.
evening wolves that leave 11 "On that day you shall not
nothing till the morning. be put to shame because of
4 Her prophets are wanton, the deeds by which you have
faithless men; her priests pro - rebelled against me; for then I
fane what is sacred, they do will remove from your midst
violence to the law. your proudly exultant ones,
5 The LORD within her is and you shall no longer be
righteous, he does no wrong; haughty in my holy mountain.
every morning he shows forth 12 For I will leave in the
his justice, each dawn he does midst of you a people humble
not fail; but the unjust knows and lowly. They shall seek
no shame. refuge in the name of the
6 "I have cut off nations; LORD,
their battlements are in ruins; 13 those who are left in Is -
I have laid waste their streets rael; they shall do no wrong
so that none walks in them; and utter no lies, nor shall
their cities have been made there be found in their mouth

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a deceitful tongue. For they

shall pasture and lie down,
and none shall make them
afraid."
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of
Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice
and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away
the judgments against you, he
has cast out your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD,
is in your midst; you shall fear
evil no more.
16 On that day it shall be
said to Jerusalem: "Do not
fear, O Zion; let not your
hands grow weak.
17 The LORD, your God, is in
your midst, a warrior who
gives victory; he will rejoice
over you with gladness, he
will renew you in his love; he
will exult over you with loud
singing
18 as on a day of festival. "I
will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear re -
proach for it.
19 Behold, at that time I will
deal with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame and
gather the outcast, and I will
change their shame into
praise and renown in all the
earth.
20 At that time I will bring
you home, at the time when I
gather you together; yea, I
will make you renowned and
praised among all the peoples
of the earth, when I restore
your fortunes before your
eyes," says the LORD.