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)—
⁵those 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)
⁶those who turn back from following^(M) the Lord
    and neither seek^(N) the Lord nor inquire^(O) of him.”

⁷Be 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.
⁹On 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.
¹¹Wail,^(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)
¹²At 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)
¹³Their 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)

¹⁴The 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.
¹⁵That 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)
¹⁸Neither 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,
²before 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.
³Seek^(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

⁴Gaza^(BE) will be abandoned
    and Ashkelon^(BF) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
    and Ekron uprooted.
⁵Woe 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)
⁶The land by the sea will become pastures
    having wells for shepherds
    and pens for flocks.^(BJ)
⁷That 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)
⁹Therefore, 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)”

¹⁰This is what they will get in return for their pride,^(BX)
    for insulting^(BY) and mocking
    the people of the Lord Almighty.^(BZ)
¹¹The 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

¹²“You Cushites,^[g]^(CE) too,
will be slain by my sword.^(CF)”

Assyria

¹³He will stretch out his hand against the north
    and destroy Assyria,^(CG)
leaving Nineveh^(CH) utterly desolate
    and dry as the desert.^(CI)
¹⁴Flocks 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.
¹⁵This 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)
²She 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.
³Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;^(CZ)
her rulers are evening wolves,^(DA)
    who leave nothing for the morning.^(DB)
⁴Her prophets are unprincipled;
    they are treacherous people.^(DC)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
    and do violence to the law.^(DD)
⁵The 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.
⁷Of 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.
⁸Therefore 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.
¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Cush^[k]^(DV)
    my worshipers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.^(DW)
¹¹On 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)
¹²But I will leave within you
    the meek^(EB) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust^(EC) in the name of the Lord.
¹³They^(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)”

¹⁴Sing, Daughter Zion;^(EJ)
    shout aloud,^(EK) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice^(EL) with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵The 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)
¹⁶On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.^(EP)
¹⁷The 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.
¹⁹At 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.
²⁰At 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

Luke 12:22-59

New International Version

Do Not Worry^(A)

²²Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.^(B) And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[a]? ²⁶Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor^(C) was dressed like one of these. ²⁸If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!^(D) ²⁹And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father^(E) knows that you need them.^(F) ³¹But seek his kingdom,^(G) and these things will be given to you as well.^(H)

³²“Do not be afraid,^(I) little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.^(J) ³³Sell your possessions and give to the poor.^(K) Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven^(L) that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.^(M) ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(N)

Watchfulness^(O)^(P)

³⁵“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.^(Q) Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.^(R) ³⁸It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. ³⁹But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief^(S) was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready,^(T) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

⁴¹Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

⁴²The Lord^(U) answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.^(V) He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.^(W) ⁴⁸But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.^(X) From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Not Peace but Division^(Y)

⁴⁹“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰But I have a baptism^(Z) to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!^(AA) ⁵¹Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵²From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”^(AB)

Interpreting the Times

⁵⁴He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.^(AC) ⁵⁵And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?^(AD)

⁵⁷“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.^(AE) ⁵⁹I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”^(AF)

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Footnotes

Luke 12:25 Or single cubit to your height

New International Version (NIV)

Zephaniah 1-3

New International Version

Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord