Zephaniah
Chapter 1
1:1The word of YHWH, who came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon King of Judah.
1:2I will surely destroy all things from off the land, saysYHWH.
1:3I will destroy man and beast:I will destroy the fowls of the heaven,and the fish of the sea,and ruins shall be to the wicked,and I will cut off man from off the land, saysYHWH.
1:4I will also stretch out my 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,
1:5And them that worship the host of heaven upon the house tops,and them that worship and swear by YHWH,and swear by Milcom,
1:6And them that are turned back from YHWH,and those that have not sought YHWH, nor inquired for him.
1:7Be still at the presence of Adonai YHWH:for the day of YHWH is at hand:for YHWH has prepared a sacrifice,and has sanctified his guests.
1:8And it shall be in the day of YHWH's sacrifice, that I will visit the princes and the King's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
1:9In the same day also will I visit all those that dance upon the threshold so proudly, which fill their masters houses by cruelty and deceit.
1:10And in that day, saysYHWH, there shall be a noise,and cry from the fish gate,and a howling from the second gate,and a great destruction from the hills.
1:11Howl you inhabitants of the low place:for the company of the merchants is destroyed:all they that bear silver, are cut off.
1:12And at that time will I search Jerusalem with lights,and visit the men that are frozen in their dregs,and say in their hearts, YHWH will neither do good nor do evil.
1:13Therefore their goods shall be spoiled,and their houses waste:they shall also build houses,but not inhabit them,and they shall plant vineyards,but not drink the wine of it.
1:14The great day of YHWH is near:it is near,and hastens greatly, even the voice of the day of YHWH:the strong man shall cry there bitterly.
1:15That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and heaviness, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of obscurity and darkness, a day of clouds and blackness,
1:16A day of the trumpet and alarm against the strong cities,and against the high towers.
1:17And I will bring distress upon men,that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against YHWH,and their blood shall be poured out as dust,and their flesh as the dung.
1:18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of YHWH'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.
Chapter 2
2:1Gather yourselves, even gather you, O nation not worthy to be loved,
2:2Before the decree come forth,and you be as chaff that passes in a day,and before the fierce wrath of YHWH come upon you,and before the day of YHWH's anger come upon you.
2:3Seek YHWH all the meek of the earth, which have worked his judgment:seek righteousness, seek lowliness, if so be that you may be hid in the day of YHWH's wrath.
2:4For Azzah shall be forsaken,and Ashkelon desolate:they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day,and Ekron shall be rooted up.
2:5Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast. The nation of the Cherethites, the word of YHWH is against you:O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy you without an inhabitant.
2:6And the sea coast shall be dwellings and seacoast for shepherds and shepherds.
2:7And that coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah, to feed upon it: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lodge toward night: for YHWH their Elohim shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
2:8I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the rebukes of the children of Ammon, by which they upbraided my people, and magnified themselves against their borders.
2:9Therefore, as I live, saysYHWH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom,and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of weeds and salt pits,and a perpetual desolation:the residue of my folk shall spoil them,and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
2:10This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against YHWH of hosts people.
2:11YHWH will be terrible to them:for he will consume all the gods of the earth,and every man shall worship him from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
2:12You Ethiopians also shall be slain by my sword with them.
2:13And he will stretch out his hand against the North,and destroy Asshur,and will make Nineveh desolate,and waste like a wilderness.
2:14And flocks shall lie in the midst of her,and all the beasts of the nations,and the pelican and the hedgehog shall lodge in its capitals:the voice of birds shall sing in the windows,and desolation shall be upon the posts:for the cedars are uncovered.
2:15This is the rejoicing city that dwelt careless,that said in her heart, I am,and there is none besides me:how is she made waste,and the lodging of the beasts! Every one that passes by her, shall hiss and wag his hand.
Chapter 3
3:1Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the robbing city.
3:2She heard not the voice:she received not correction:she trusted not in YHWH:she drew not near to her Elohim.
3:3Her princes within her are as roaring lions:her Judges are as wolves in the evening, which leave not the bones till the morning.
3:4Her prophets are light,and wicked persons:her priests have polluted the Sanctuary:they have wrested the Law.
3:5The just YHWH is in the midst of it:he will do none iniquity:every morning does he bring his judgment to light, he fails not:but the wicked will not learn to be ashamed.
3:6I have cut off the nations:their towers are desolate:I have made their streets waste,that none shall pass by:their cities are destroyed without man and without inhabitant.
3:7I said, Surely you will fear me:you will receive instruction:so their dwelling should not be destroyed however I visited them,but they rose early and corrupted all their works.
3:8Therefore wait you upon me, saysYHWH, until the day that I rise up to the prey:for I am determined to gather the nations,and that I will assemble the kingdoms to pour upon them my indignation, even all my fierce wrath:for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
3:9Surely then will I turn to the people a pure language,that they may all call upon the Name of YHWH, to serve him with one shoulder.
3:10From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, the daughter of my dispersed, praying to me, shall bring me an offering.
3:11In that day shall you not be ashamed for all your works, in which you have transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of you them that rejoice of your pride, and you shall no more be proud of my holy Mountain.
3:12Then will I leave in the midst of you a humble and poor people:and they shall trust in the Name of YHWH.
3:13The remnant of Israel shall do none iniquity, nor speak lies:neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth:for they shall be fed,and lie down,and none shall make them afraid.
3:14Rejoice, O daughter Zion:be you joyful, O Israel:be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem.
3:15YHWH has taken away your judgments:he has cast out your enemy:the King of Israel, even YHWH is in the midst of you:you shall see no more evil.
3:16In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear you not, O Zion:let not your hands be faint.
3:17YHWH your Elohim in the midst of you is mighty:he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy:he will quiet himself in his love:he will rejoice over you with joy.
3:18After a certain time will I gather the afflicted that were of you,and them that bore the reproach for it.
3:19Behold, at that time I will bruise all that afflict you,and I will save her that halts,and gather her that was cast out,and I will get them praise and fame in all the lands of their shame.
3:20At that time will I bring you again,and then will I gather you:for I will give you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saysYHWH.