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Be silent before the Lord God.
    His day for judging people is coming soon.
The Lord has prepared to sacrifice Judah.
    He has appointed the invited guests to feast on Judah.
On that day the Lord will sacrifice Judah.
    I, the Lord, will punish the princes and the king’s sons.
And I will punish all
    those who wear foreign clothes.
On that day I will punish those who worship Dagon.
    I will punish those who hurt others
    and tell lies in the temples of their gods.

10 “On that day this will happen,” says the Lord.
“A cry will be heard at the Fish Gate.
    A wail will come from the new area of the city.
    A loud crash will echo from the hills.
11 The people living in the market area will wail.
    All the merchants will be dead.
    All the silver traders will be gone.
12 At that time I, the Lord, will search Jerusalem with lamps.
    I will punish those who are settled and satisfied with themselves.
    They are like wine left to settle.
They think, ‘The Lord never does anything.
    He won’t help us or punish us.’
13 Their wealth will be stolen.
    Their houses will be destroyed.
They may build houses,
    but they will never live in them.
They may plant vineyards,
    but they will never drink any wine from them.

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

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

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

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Footnotes

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