Zephaniah

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 Hezekiah, in the da s of !osiah the son of Amon, kin" of !udah# 1,2 $ will utterl consume all thin"s from off the face of the earth, saith the LORD# 1,3 $ will consume man and %east, $ will consume the fowls of the hea&en, and the fishes of the sea, and the stum%lin"%locks with the wicked' and $ will cut off man from off the face of the earth, saith the LORD# 1,4 And $ will stretch out ( hand upon !udah, and upon all the inha%itants of !erusalem' and $ will cut off the remnant of )aal from this place, and the name of the idolatrous priests with the priests' 1,5 And them that worship the host of hea&en upon the housetops' and them that worship, that swear to the LORD and swear % (alcam' 1,6 Them also that are turned %ack from followin" the LORD' and those that ha&e not sou"ht the LORD, nor in*uired after Him# 1,7 Hold th peace at the presence of the Lord GOD' for the da of the LORD is at hand, for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath consecrated His "uests# 1,8 And it shall come to pass in the da of the LORD+, sacrifice, that $ will punish the princes, and the kin"+s sons, and all such as are clothed with forei"n apparel# 1,9 $n the same da also will $ punish all those that leap o&er the threshold, that fill their master+s house with &iolence and deceit# 1,10 And in that da , saith the LORD, Hark- a cr from the fish "ate, and a wailin" from the second *uarter, and a "reat crashin" from the hills# 1,11 .ail, e inha%itants of (aktesh, for all the merchant people are undone' all the that were laden with sil&er are cut off# {S} 1,12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that $ will search !erusalem with lamps' and $ will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that sa in their heart/ +The LORD will not do "ood, neither will He do e&il#+ 1,13 Therefore their wealth shall %ecome a %oot , and their houses a desolation' ea, the shall %uild houses, %ut shall not inha%it them, and the shall plant &ine ards, %ut shall not drink the wine thereof# 1,14 The "reat da of the LORD is near, it is near and hasteth "reatl , e&en the &oice of the da of the LORD, wherein the mi"ht man crieth %itterl # 1,15 That da is a da of wrath, a da of trou%le and distress, a da of wasteness and desolation, a da of darkness and "loominess, a da of clouds and thick darkness, 1,16 A da of the horn and alarm, a"ainst the fortified cities, and a"ainst the hi"h towers# 1,17 And $ will %rin" distress upon men, that the shall walk like the %lind, %ecause the ha&e sinned a"ainst the LORD' and their %lood shall %e poured out as dust, and their flesh as dun"# 1,18 0either their sil&er nor their "old shall %e a%le to deli&er them in the da of the LORD+, wrath' %ut the whole earth shall %e de&oured % the fire of His 1ealous ' for He will make and end, ea, a terri%le end, of all them that dwell in the earth# {S} 2,1 Gather oursel&es to"ether, ea, "ather to"ether, O shameless nation' 2,2 )efore the decree %rin" forth the da when one passeth as the chaff, %efore the fierce an"er of the LORD come upon ou, %efore the da of the LORD+, an"er come upon ou# 2,3 ,eek e the LORD, all e hum%le of the earth, that ha&e e2ecuted His ordinance' seek ri"hteousness, seek humilit # $t ma %e e shall %e hid in the da of the LORD+, an"er# 2,4 3or Gaza shall %e forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation' the shall dri&e out Ashdod at the noonda , and 4kron shall %e rooted up# {S} 2,5 .oe unto the inha%itants of the sea5coast, the nation of the Cherethites- the word of the LORD is a"ainst ou, O Canaan, the land of the 6hilistines' $ will e&en destro thee, that there shall %e no inha%itant# 2,6 And the sea5coast shall %e

pastures, e&en meadows for shepherds, and folds for flocks# 2,7 And it shall %e a portion for the remnant of the house of !udah, whereon the shall feed' in the houses of Ashkelon shall the lie down in the e&enin"' for the LORD their God will remem%er them, and turn their capti&it # 2,8 $ ha&e heard the taunt of (oa%, and the re&ilin"s of the children of Ammon, wherewith the ha&e taunted ( people, and spoken %oastfull concernin" their %order# 2,9 Therefore as $ li&e, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of $srael/ ,urel (oa% shall %e as ,odom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, e&en the %reedin"5place of nettles, and saltpits, and a desolation, for e&er' the residue of ( people shall spoil them, and the remnant of ( nation shall inherit them# 2,10 This shall the ha&e for their pride, %ecause the ha&e taunted and spoken %oastfull a"ainst the people of the LORD of hosts# 2,11 The LORD will %e terri%le unto them' for He will famish all the "ods of the earth' then shall all the isles of the nations worship Him, e&er one from its place# 2,12 7e 4thiopians also, e shall %e slain % ( sword# 2,13 And He will stretch out His hand a"ainst the north, and destro Ass ria' and will make 0ine&eh a desolation, and dr like the wilderness# 2,14 And all %easts of e&er kind shall lie down in the midst of her in herds' %oth the pelican and the %ittern shall lod"e in the capitals thereof' &oices shall sin" in the windows' desolation shall %e in the posts' for the cedar5work thereof shall %e unco&ered# 2,15 This is the 1o ous cit that dwelt without care, that said in her heart/ +$ am, and there is none else %eside me+' how is she %ecome a desolation, a place for %easts to lie down in- 4&er one that passeth % her shall hiss, and wa" his hand# {P} 3,1 .oe to her that is filth and polluted, to the oppressin" cit - 3,2 ,he hearkened not to the &oice, she recei&ed not correction' she trusted not in the LORD, she drew not near to her God# 3,3 Her princes in the midst of her are roarin" lions' her 1ud"es are wol&es of the desert, the lea&e not a %one for the morrow# 3,4 Her prophets are wanton and treacherous persons' her priests ha&e profaned that which is hol , the ha&e done &iolence to the law# 3,5 The LORD who is ri"hteous is in the midst of her, He will not do unri"hteousness' e&er mornin" doth He %rin" His ri"ht to li"ht, it faileth not' %ut the unri"hteous knoweth no shame# 3,6 $ ha&e cut off nations, their corners are desolate' $ ha&e made their streets waste, so that none passeth % ' their cities are destro ed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inha%itant# 3,7 $ said/ +,urel thou wilt fear (e, thou wilt recei&e correction' so her dwellin" shall not %e cut off, despite all that $ ha&e &isited upon her+' %ut the %etimes corrupted all their doin"s# 3,8 Therefore wait e for (e, saith the LORD, until the da that $ rise up to the pre ' for ( determination is to "ather the nations, that $ ma assem%le the kin"doms, to pour upon them (ine indi"nation, e&en all ( fierce an"er' for all the earth shall %e de&oured with the fire of ( 1ealous # 3,9 3or then will $ turn to the peoples a pure lan"ua"e, that the ma all call upon the name of the LORD, to ser&e Him with one consent# 3,10 3rom %e ond the ri&ers of 4thiopia shall the %rin" ( suppliants, e&en the dau"hter of ( dispersed, as (ine offerin"# 3,11 $n that da shalt thou not %e ashamed for all th doin"s, wherein thou hast trans"ressed a"ainst (e' for then $ will take awa out of the midst of thee th proudl e2ultin" ones, and thou shalt no more %e hau"ht in ( hol mountain# 3,12 And $ will lea&e in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and the shall take refu"e in the name of the LORD# 3,13 The remnant of $srael shall not do ini*uit , nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful ton"ue %e found in their mouth' for the shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid# {P}

3,14 ,in", O dau"hter of Zion, shout, O $srael' %e "lad and re1oice with all the heart, O dau"hter of !erusalem# 3,15 The LORD hath taken awa th 1ud"ments, He hath cast out thine enem ' The 8in" of $srael, e&en the LORD, is in the midst of thee' thou shalt not fear e&il an more# {P} 3,16 $n that da it shall %e said to !erusalem/ +3ear thou not' O Zion, let not th hands %e slack# 3,17 The LORD th God is in the midst of thee, a (i"ht One who will sa&e' He will re1oice o&er thee with 1o , He will %e silent in His lo&e, He will 1o o&er thee with sin"in"#+ 3,18 $ will "ather them that are far from the appointed season, who are of thee, that hast %orne the %urden of reproach# 3,19 )ehold, at that time $ will deal with all them that afflict thee' and $ will sa&e her that is lame, and "ather her that was dri&en awa ' and $ will make them to %e a praise and a name, whose shame hath %een in all the earth# 3,20 At that time will $ %rin" ou in, and at that time will $ "ather ou' for $ will make ou to %e a name and a praise amon" all the peoples of the earth, when $ turn our capti&it %efore our e es, saith the LORD# {P}