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)

14 The great day of the Lord(S) is near(T)
    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(U) and gloom,
        a day of clouds and blackness(V)
16     a day of trumpet and battle cry(W)
against the fortified cities
    and against the corner towers.(X)

17 “I will bring such distress(Y) on all people
    that they will grope about like those who are blind,(Z)
    because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out(AA) like dust
    and their entrails like dung.(AB)
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
    will be able to save them
    on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”(AC)

In the fire of his jealousy(AD)
    the whole earth will be consumed,(AE)
for he will make a sudden end
    of all who live on the earth.(AF)

Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations

Judah Summoned to Repent

Gather together,(AG) gather yourselves together,
    you shameful(AH) nation,
before the decree takes effect
    and that day passes like windblown chaff,(AI)
before the Lord’s fierce anger(AJ)
    comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s wrath(AK)
    comes upon you.
Seek(AL) the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness,(AM) seek humility;(AN)
    perhaps you will be sheltered(AO)
    on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Footnotes

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

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