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Habakkuk 1-3
21st Century King James Version
Habakkuk 1-3
21st Century King James Version
1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear? Even cry out unto Thee of violence, and Thou wilt not save?
3 Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For despoiling and violence are before me, and there are those that raise up strife and contention.
4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth. For the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
5 “Behold ye among the heathen and regard, and wonder marvelously; for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
6 For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and dreadful; their judgment and their dignity shall proceed from themselves.
8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. And their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from afar; they shall fly as the vulture that hasteneth to eat.
9 They shall come all for violence; their faces shall consume as the east wind, and they shall gather the captives as the sand.
10 And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them. They shall deride every stronghold, for they shall heap up dirt and take it.
11 Then shall his mind change; and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.”
12 Art Thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, Thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, Thou hast established them for correction.
13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. Why lookest Thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest Thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
14 And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things that have no ruler over them?
15 They take up all of them with the hook; they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag; therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag, because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous.
17 Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?
2 I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.
5 “Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people.
6 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his (how long?) and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay’?
7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake, that shall vex thee? And shalt thou be for booty unto them?
8 Because thou hast despoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall despoil thee, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
9 “Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
10 Thou hast devised shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.
11 For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
12 “Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establisheth a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on his nakedness!
16 Thou art filled with the shame for glory; drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered. The cup of the Lord’S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.
17 For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts which made them afraid, because of men’s blood and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.
18 “What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it, the molten image and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein to make dumb idols?
19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, ‘Awake!’ To the dumb stone, ‘Arise, it shall teach!’ Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon “Shigionoth.”
2 O Lord, I have heard Thy speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise.
4 And His brightness was as the light; He had horns coming out of His hand, and there was the hiding of His power.
5 Before Him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at His feet.
6 He stood and measured the earth; He beheld and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow. His ways are everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? Was Thine anger against the rivers? Was Thy wrath against the sea, that Thou didst ride upon Thine horses and Thy chariots of salvation?
9 Thy bow was made quite naked according to the oaths of the tribes, even Thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw Thee and they trembled; the overflowing of the water passed by; the deep uttered his voice and lifted up his hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of Thy glittering spear.
12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation; Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.
13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, even for salvation with Thine anointed. Thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by uncovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
14 Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages; they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me; their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 Thou didst walk through the sea with Thine horses, through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls—
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength; and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 1-3
New International Version
Habakkuk 1-3
New International Version
1 The prophecy(A) that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Habakkuk’s Complaint
2 How long,(B) Lord, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?(C)
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save?(D)
3 Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate(E) wrongdoing?(F)
Destruction and violence(G) are before me;
there is strife,(H) and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law(I) is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice(J) is perverted.(K)
The Lord’s Answer
5 “Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.(L)
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.(M)
6 I am raising up the Babylonians,[a](N)
that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth(O)
to seize dwellings not their own.(P)
7 They are a feared and dreaded people;(Q)
they are a law to themselves
and promote their own honor.
8 Their horses are swifter(R) than leopards,
fiercer than wolves(S) at dusk.
Their cavalry gallops headlong;
their horsemen come from afar.
They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
9 they all come intent on violence.
Their hordes[b] advance like a desert wind
and gather prisoners(T) like sand.
10 They mock kings
and scoff at rulers.(U)
They laugh at all fortified cities;
by building earthen ramps(V) they capture them.
11 Then they sweep past like the wind(W) and go on—
guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”(X)
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint
12 Lord, are you not from everlasting?(Y)
My God, my Holy One,(Z) you[c] will never die.(AA)
You, Lord, have appointed(AB) them to execute judgment;
you, my Rock,(AC) have ordained them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too pure(AD) to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.(AE)
Why then do you tolerate(AF) the treacherous?(AG)
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?(AH)
14 You have made people like the fish in the sea,
like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15 The wicked(AI) foe pulls all of them up with hooks,(AJ)
he catches them in his net,(AK)
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
and so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
and burns incense(AL) to his dragnet,
for by his net he lives in luxury
and enjoys the choicest food.
17 Is he to keep on emptying his net,
destroying nations without mercy?(AM)
2 I will stand at my watch(AN)
and station myself on the ramparts;(AO)
I will look to see what he will say(AP) to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.[d](AQ)
The Lord’s Answer
2 Then the Lord replied:
“Write(AR) down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald[e] may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;(AS)
it speaks of the end(AT)
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait(AU) for it;
it[f] will certainly come
and will not delay.(AV)
4 “See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person(AW) will live by his faithfulness[g](AX)—
5 indeed, wine(AY) betrays him;
he is arrogant(AZ) and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,(BA)
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive(BB) all the peoples.
6 “Will not all of them taunt(BC) him with ridicule and scorn, saying,
“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
and makes himself wealthy by extortion!(BD)
How long must this go on?’
7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
Then you will become their prey.(BE)
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.(BF)
For you have shed human blood;(BG)
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.(BH)
9 “Woe to him who builds(BI) his house by unjust gain,(BJ)
setting his nest(BK) on high
to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin(BL) of many peoples,
shaming(BM) your own house and forfeiting your life.
11 The stones(BN) of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed(BO)
and establishes a town by injustice!
13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined
that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,(BP)
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?(BQ)
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory(BR) of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.(BS)
15 “Woe to him who gives drink(BT) to his neighbors,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
16 You will be filled with shame(BU) instead of glory.(BV)
Now it is your turn! Drink(BW) and let your nakedness be exposed[h]!(BX)
The cup(BY) from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 The violence(BZ) you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.(CA)
For you have shed human blood;(CB)
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
18 “Of what value(CC) is an idol(CD) carved by a craftsman?
Or an image(CE) that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.(CF)
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’(CG)
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;(CH)
there is no breath in it.”(CI)
Habakkuk’s Prayer
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.[i](CL)
2 Lord, I have heard(CM) of your fame;
I stand in awe(CN) of your deeds, Lord.(CO)
Repeat(CP) them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.(CQ)
3 God came from Teman,(CR)
the Holy One(CS) from Mount Paran.[j](CT)
His glory covered the heavens(CU)
and his praise filled the earth.(CV)
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;(CW)
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power(CX) was hidden.
5 Plague(CY) went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled(CZ)
and the age-old hills(DA) collapsed(DB)—
but he marches on forever.(DC)
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian(DD) in anguish.(DE)
8 Were you angry with the rivers,(DF) Lord?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea(DG)
when you rode your horses
and your chariots to victory?(DH)
9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.(DI)
You split the earth with rivers;
10 the mountains saw you and writhed.(DJ)
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared(DK)
and lifted its waves(DL) on high.
11 Sun and moon stood still(DM) in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,(DN)
at the lightning(DO) of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed(DP) the nations.
13 You came out(DQ) to deliver(DR) your people,
to save your anointed(DS) one.
You crushed(DT) the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
14 With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,(DU)
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched(DV) who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea(DW) with your horses,
churning the great waters.(DX)
16 I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.(DY)
Yet I will wait patiently(DZ) for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,(EA)
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,(EB)
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,(EC)
I will be joyful in God my Savior.(ED)
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;(EE)
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.(EF)
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
Footnotes
- Habakkuk 1:6 Or Chaldeans
- Habakkuk 1:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Habakkuk 1:12 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text we
- Habakkuk 2:1 Or and what to answer when I am rebuked
- Habakkuk 2:2 Or so that whoever reads it
- Habakkuk 2:3 Or Though he linger, wait for him; / he
- Habakkuk 2:4 Or faith
- Habakkuk 2:16 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint) and stagger
- Habakkuk 3:1 Probably a literary or musical term
- Habakkuk 3:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the middle of verse 9 and at the end of verse 13.
Zephaniah 1-3
21st Century King James Version
Zephaniah 1-3
21st Century King James Version
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 days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
2 “I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the land,” saith the Lord.
3 “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.
4 “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 Chemarim with the priests,
5 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 Milcom,
6 and them that are turned back from the Lord, and those that have not sought the Lord nor inquired for Him.”
7 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 bidden His guests.
8 “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.
9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
10 “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 a howling from the Second, and a great crashing from the hills.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that 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 that are settled on their dregs, that say in their heart, ‘The Lord 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 the wine thereof.”
14 The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hasteneth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste 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 fortified 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 the Lord; 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 the Lord’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He indeed shall make a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
2 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired,
2 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!
3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, who have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’S anger.
4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at the noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the seacoast, 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.”
6 And the seacoast 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 thereupon. In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for the Lord their God shall visit them, and return them from 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,” 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 salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall despoil 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 the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be fearsome 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.
12 “Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will stretch out His 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; for He shall uncover the cedar work.
15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt without care, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is none besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his hand.
3 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
5 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.
6 “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 no inhabitant.
7 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.
8 “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.
9 For then will I return to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants—even the daughter of My dispersed—shall bring Mine offering.
11 “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.
12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
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 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.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, “Fear thou not”; and to Zion, “Let not thine hands be slack.
17 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.”
18 “I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee; and I will save her that is halt, 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.
20 At that time will I bring you back, 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 bring back your captives before your eyes,” saith the Lord.
Zephaniah 1-3
New International Version
Zephaniah 1-3
New International Version
1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah(A) son of Amon(B) king of Judah:
Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord
2 “I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,”(C)
declares the Lord.
3 “I will sweep away both man and beast;(D)
I will sweep away the birds in the sky(E)
and the fish in the sea—
and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”[a]
“When I destroy all mankind
on the face of the earth,”(F)
declares the Lord,(G)
4 “I will stretch out my hand(H) against Judah
and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,(I)
the very names of the idolatrous priests(J)—
5 those who bow down on the roofs
to worship the starry host,(K)
those who bow down and swear by the Lord
and who also swear by Molek,[b](L)
6 those who turn back from following(M) the Lord
and neither seek(N) the Lord nor inquire(O) of him.”
7 Be silent(P) before the Sovereign Lord,
for the day of the Lord(Q) is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;(R)
he has consecrated those he has invited.
8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish(S) the officials
and the king’s sons(T)
and all those clad
in foreign clothes.
9 On that day I will punish
all who avoid stepping on the threshold,[c](U)
who fill the temple of their gods
with violence and deceit.(V)
10 “On that day,(W)”
declares the Lord,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,(X)
wailing(Y) from the New Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail,(Z) you who live in the market district[d];
all your merchants will be wiped out,
all who trade with[e] silver will be destroyed.(AA)
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who are complacent,(AB)
who are like wine left on its dregs,(AC)
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,(AD)
either good or bad.’(AE)
13 Their wealth will be plundered,(AF)
their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink the wine.”(AG)
14 The great day of the Lord(AH) is near(AI)—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15 That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness(AJ) and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness(AK)—
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry(AL)
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.(AM)
17 “I will bring such distress(AN) on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,(AO)
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out(AP) like dust
and their entrails like dung.(AQ)
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”(AR)
In the fire of his jealousy(AS)
the whole earth will be consumed,(AT)
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth.(AU)
Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations
Judah Summoned to Repent
2 Gather together,(AV) gather yourselves together,
you shameful(AW) nation,
2 before the decree takes effect
and that day passes like windblown chaff,(AX)
before the Lord’s fierce anger(AY)
comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s wrath(AZ)
comes upon you.
3 Seek(BA) the Lord, all you humble of the land,
you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness,(BB) seek humility;(BC)
perhaps you will be sheltered(BD)
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
Philistia
4 Gaza(BE) will be abandoned
and Ashkelon(BF) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
and Ekron uprooted.
5 Woe to you who live by the sea,
you Kerethite(BG) people;
the word of the Lord is against you,(BH)
Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
and none will be left.”(BI)
6 The land by the sea will become pastures
having wells for shepherds
and pens for flocks.(BJ)
7 That land will belong
to the remnant(BK) of the people of Judah;
there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
he will restore their fortunes.[f](BL)
Moab and Ammon
8 “I have heard the insults(BM) of Moab(BN)
and the taunts of the Ammonites,(BO)
who insulted(BP) my people
and made threats against their land.(BQ)
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,”
declares the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel,
“surely Moab(BR) will become like Sodom,(BS)
the Ammonites(BT) like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder(BU) them;
the survivors(BV) of my nation will inherit their land.(BW)”
10 This is what they will get in return for their pride,(BX)
for insulting(BY) and mocking
the people of the Lord Almighty.(BZ)
11 The Lord will be awesome(CA) to them
when he destroys all the gods(CB) of the earth.(CC)
Distant nations will bow down to him,(CD)
all of them in their own lands.
Cush
Assyria
13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria,(CG)
leaving Nineveh(CH) utterly desolate
and dry as the desert.(CI)
14 Flocks and herds(CJ) will lie down there,
creatures of every kind.
The desert owl(CK) and the screech owl(CL)
will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
rubble will fill the doorways,
the beams of cedar will be exposed.
15 This is the city of revelry(CM)
that lived in safety.(CN)
She said to herself,
“I am the one! And there is none besides me.”(CO)
What a ruin she has become,
a lair for wild beasts!(CP)
All who pass by her scoff(CQ)
and shake their fists.(CR)
Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city of oppressors,(CS)
rebellious(CT) and defiled!(CU)
2 She obeys(CV) no one,
she accepts no correction.(CW)
She does not trust(CX) in the Lord,
she does not draw near(CY) to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;(CZ)
her rulers are evening wolves,(DA)
who leave nothing for the morning.(DB)
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.(DC)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.(DD)
5 The Lord within her is righteous;(DE)
he does no wrong.(DF)
Morning by morning(DG) he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,(DH)
yet the unrighteous know no shame.(DI)
Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant
6 “I have destroyed nations;
their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;(DJ)
they are deserted and empty.
7 Of Jerusalem I thought,
‘Surely you will fear me
and accept correction!’(DK)
Then her place of refuge[h] would not be destroyed,
nor all my punishments come upon[i] her.
But they were still eager
to act corruptly(DL) in all they did.
8 Therefore wait(DM) for me,”
declares the Lord,
“for the day I will stand up to testify.[j]
I have decided to assemble(DN) the nations,(DO)
to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath(DP) on them—
all my fierce anger.(DQ)
The whole world will be consumed(DR)
by the fire of my jealous anger.
Restoration of Israel’s Remnant
9 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call(DS) on the name of the Lord(DT)
and serve(DU) him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush[k](DV)
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.(DW)
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame(DX)
for all the wrongs you have done to me,(DY)
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.(DZ)
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.(EA)
12 But I will leave within you
the meek(EB) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust(EC) in the name of the Lord.
13 They(ED) will do no wrong;(EE)
they will tell no lies.(EF)
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.(EG)
They will eat and lie down(EH)
and no one will make them afraid.(EI)”
14 Sing, Daughter Zion;(EJ)
shout aloud,(EK) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice(EL) with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;(EM)
never again will you fear(EN) any harm.(EO)
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.(EP)
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.(EQ)
He will take great delight(ER) in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,(ES)
but will rejoice over you with singing.”(ET)
18 “I will remove from you
all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
which is a burden and reproach for you.
19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed(EU) you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.(EV)
I will give them praise(EW) and honor
in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring(EX) you home.
I will give you honor(EY) and praise(EZ)
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes[l](FA)
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 1:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
- Zephaniah 1:5 Hebrew Malkam
- Zephaniah 1:9 See 1 Samuel 5:5.
- Zephaniah 1:11 Or the Mortar
- Zephaniah 1:11 Or in
- Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives
- Zephaniah 2:12 That is, people from the upper Nile region
- Zephaniah 3:7 Or her sanctuary
- Zephaniah 3:7 Or all those I appointed over
- Zephaniah 3:8 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder
- Zephaniah 3:10 That is, the upper Nile region
- Zephaniah 3:20 Or I bring back your captives
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.