Zephaniah

1 The word of YHVH which came to 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. 2 So said YHVH: I will utterly consume all things from off the land! 3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heaven and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks (idols) with the wicked, and I will cut off man from the land. 4 I 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, 5 and those who worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and those who worship and who swear by YHVH, but who also swear by Malcham; 6 and those who are turned back from YHVH; and those who have not sought YHVH, nor inquired of Him. 7 Hold your peace at the presence of Adonai your Elohim, for the day of YHVH is at hand; for YHVH has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests. 8 And it shall come to pass in the day of Elohim's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. 9 In the same day also I will punish all those who leap on the threshold, who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit. 10 And it shall come to pass in that day that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills. 11 Howl, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they who bear silver are cut off. 12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men who are settled on their lees; who say in their heart that YHVH will not do good, neither will He do evil. 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 their wine. 14 The great day of YHVH is near, it is near, and hastens greatly, even the voice of the day of YHVH; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 16 a day of the trumpet and alarm against the walled cities, and against the high towers. 17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against YHVH, and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Elohim'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 those who dwell in the land.

1 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O nation not desired. 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of YHVH come upon you, before the day of Elohim's anger come upon you. 3 Seek YHVH, all you meek of the earth, who have wrought His judgment! Seek righteousness; seek meekness; it may be, you shall be hid in the day of Elohim's anger. 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. 5 Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of YHVH is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy you, that there shall be no inhabitant. 6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. 7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed there; in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening, for YHVH their Elohim shall visit them, and turn away their captivity. 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. 9 Therefore as I live, said YHVH of Hosts, the El 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. 10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of YHVH of Hosts. 11 I will be terrible to them, for I will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship, everyone from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. 12 You Ethiopians also, you shall be slain by My sword. 13 I will stretch out My hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness. 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, and shall uncover the cedar work. 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! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and wag a hand!

1 Woe to her who is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! 2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in YHVH; she drew not near to her Elohim. 3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the next day. 4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. 5 Adonai is righteous in her midst; He will not do iniquity; every morning He brings His judgment to light; He fails not! But the unjust knows no shame. 6 I have cut off the nations; their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passes by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man; that there is no inhabitant. 7 I said: Surely you will fear Me; you will receive instruction! So that their dwelling should not be cut off. However I punished them, they still rose early and corrupted all their doings. 8 Therefore, wait upon Me, 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 My indignation, even all My fierce anger, for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My ardent zeal. 9 For then I will turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of YHVH, to serve Him with one consent. 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants, even the daughter of My dispersed, shall bring My offering. 11 In that day shall you not be ashamed for all your doings, wherein you have transgressed against Me, for then I will take away out of the midst of you those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no more be haughty because of My holy mountain. 12 I will also leave in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of YHVH. 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. 14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15 YHVH has taken away your judgments, he has cast out your enemy; the king of Israel, even YHVH, is in the midst of you. You shall not see evil anymore. 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear you not, and to Zion, Let not your hands be slack. 17 Adonai your Elohim in the midst of you is mighty; He will save; He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest in His Love; He will joy over you with singing. 18 I will gather those who are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of you, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. 19 Behold, at that time I will undo all who afflict you, and I will save her who limps, and gather her who was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. 20 At that time I will 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! So said YHVH! (Back)