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