Zephaniah 1
1
1This is the message that the Lord gave to Zephaniah. He received this message during the time that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, who was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Hezekiah.
The Lord’s Day for Judging the People
2The Lord says, “I will destroy everything on earth.#1:2 earth Or “the land” or “the country.” Also in verse 18. 3I will destroy all the people and all the animals. I will destroy the birds in the air and the fish in the sea. I will destroy the evil people and everything that makes them sin. I will remove all people from the earth.” This is what the Lord said.
4“I will punish Judah and the people living in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place any signs of Baal worship. No one will remember the priests who serve the idols there. 5And those who go up on their roofs to worship the stars#1:5 stars Literally, “army of heaven.” This might mean the stars and planets or the angels. will be forgotten. They worship me, the Lord, but they also use the name of the false god Milcom to make promises. 6They have turned away from me, the Lord. They have stopped following me. They no longer ask me, the Lord, for help.”
7Be silent before the Lord GOD, because the Lord’s day for judging the people is coming soon. The Lord has prepared his sacrifice, and he has told his invited guests to get ready.#1:7 prepared … get ready Literally, “prepared his sacrifice. He has made his called ones holy.” Here, this time of judgment is compared to a fellowship meal when priests offered a sacrifice to God and had the guests get ready for this special meal with God.
8The Lord said, “On the Lord’s day of sacrifice, I will punish the king’s sons and other leaders. I will punish all the people wearing clothes from other countries. 9At that time I will punish all the people who jump over the threshold#1:9 people wearing … threshold This probably means the priests and people who worshiped foreign gods, such as Dagon, or people who copied their ways of worshiping. See 1 Sam. 5:5. and those who fill their master’s house#1:9 master’s house This means the temple where the people worshiped God or their false gods. with lies and violence.”
10The Lord also said, “At that time people will be calling for help at Fish Gate in Jerusalem and mourning in the new part of town. They will hear the sound of destruction in the hills around the city. 11You people living in the lower part of town will cry, because all the traders and rich merchants will be destroyed.
12“At that time I will take a lamp and search through Jerusalem. I will find all those who are satisfied to live their own way. They say, ‘The Lord does nothing. He does not help, and he does not hurt!’ I will find them, and I will punish them. 13Then others will take their wealth and destroy their houses. Those who built houses will not live in them, and those who planted vineyards will not drink the wine from the grapes.”
14The Lord’s special day for judging is coming soon! It is near and coming fast. People will hear very sad sounds on the Lord’s special day of judgment. Even strong soldiers will cry. 15The Lord will show his anger at that time. It will be a time of terrible troubles and a time of destruction. It will be a time of darkness—a black, cloudy, and stormy day. 16It will be like a time of war when people hear horns and trumpets in the defense towers and protected cities.
17The Lord said, “I will make life very hard on the people. They will walk around like the blind who don’t know where they are going. That will happen because they sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be spilled on the ground. Their dead bodies will lie like dung on the ground. 18Their gold and silver will not help them! At that time the Lord will become very upset and angry. The Lord will destroy the whole world#1:18 world Or “land” or “country.”! He will completely destroy everyone on earth!”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Zephaniah 1
1
Judah’s Impending Judgment
1The word of Yahweh that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.
2“I will surely destroy everything
from the face of the earth”—a declaration of Yahweh.
3“I will destroy humanity and beast;
I will destroy the birds of the sky
and the fish of the sea,
and the stumbling blocks#A reference to idols with the wicked.
And I will cut off humankind
from the face of the earth”—a declaration of Yahweh.
4“And I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And I will cut off from this place
the remnant of Baal,
and the name of idolatrous priests with the priests,#The last phrase, “with the priests,” may be a later explanatory gloss
5and those who bow down on the rooftops
to the host of heaven,
and those who bow down, swearing to Yahweh
but also swearing by Milkom,#Or “their king”
6and those who turned back from following#Literally “after” Yahweh,
and who did not seek Yahweh,
and did not inquire of him.”
7Be silent before the Lord Yahweh,
for the day of Yahweh draws near,
for Yahweh has provided a sacrifice
and has consecrated his guests.
8And it shall be that on the day of the sacrifice of Yahweh,
I will punish the officials
and the sons of the king
and those who dress in foreign clothing.
9And on that day I will punish
all who leap over the threshold,
who fill up the house of their master
with violence and deceit.
10“And there shall be on that day”—a declaration of Yahweh—
“a loud outcry#Literally “voice of a cry of distress” from the Fish Gate,
and a wailing from the Second District,
and a loud#Or “great” crashing from the hills.
11The inhabitants of the Mortar shall wail,
for all the traders have perished;
all who trade with silver have been cut off.
12And it shall be that at that time
I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
whose senses are dulled from drinking,#Literally “who are thickened with their dregs”
who say in their hearts,
‘Yahweh will not do good, nor will he do evil.’
13Then their wealth shall be as plunder,
and their homes as desolation.
And they shall build their houses and not inhabit them,
and they shall plant vineyards and not drink their wine.”
14The great day of Yahweh draws near;
it is near and coming very swiftly.
The sound of the day of Yahweh is bitterness;
there, a warrior cries out!
15That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of disaster and ruination,
a day of darkness and deep gloom,
a day of clouds#Hebrew “cloud” and thick clouds,#Hebrew “cloud”
16a day of trumpet and trumpet blast
against the fortified cities
and against the high corner towers.
17And I will bring distress to all humankind,
and they shall walk about like the blind,
for they sinned against Yahweh;
their blood shall be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
18Moreover, their silver and their gold
will not be able to save them
on the day of the wrath of Yahweh.
And in the fire of his zeal,
the whole land shall be consumed,
for a terrifying end he shall make
for all the inhabitants of the land.
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