“I will stretch out my hand(A) against Judah
    and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,(B)
    the very names of the idolatrous priests(C)
those who bow down on the roofs
    to worship the starry host,(D)
those who bow down and swear by the Lord
    and who also swear by Molek,[a](E)
those who turn back from following(F) the Lord
    and neither seek(G) the Lord nor inquire(H) of him.”

Be silent(I) before the Sovereign Lord,
    for the day of the Lord(J) is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;(K)
    he has consecrated those he has invited.

“On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
    I will punish(L) the officials
    and the king’s sons(M)
and all those clad
    in foreign clothes.
On that day I will punish
    all who avoid stepping on the threshold,[b](N)
who fill the temple of their gods
    with violence and deceit.(O)

10 “On that day,(P)
    declares the Lord,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,(Q)
    wailing(R) from the New Quarter,
    and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail,(S) you who live in the market district[c];
    all your merchants will be wiped out,
    all who trade with[d] silver will be destroyed.(T)
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
    and punish those who are complacent,(U)
    who are like wine left on its dregs,(V)
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,(W)
    either good or bad.’(X)
13 Their wealth will be plundered,(Y)
    their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
    they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
    they will not drink the wine.”(Z)

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 1:5 Hebrew Malkam
  2. Zephaniah 1:9 See 1 Samuel 5:5.
  3. Zephaniah 1:11 Or the Mortar
  4. Zephaniah 1:11 Or in

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