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

Haggai 1-2

New International Version

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

1 In the second year of King Darius,^(A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai^(B) to Zerubbabel^(C) son of Shealtiel, governor^(D) of Judah, and to Joshua^(E) son of Jozadak,^[a]^(F) the high priest:^(G)

²This is what the Lord Almighty^(H) says: “These people^(I) say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.^(J)’”

³Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^(K) ⁴“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,^(L) while this house remains a ruin?^(M)”

⁵Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(N) to your ways. ⁶You have planted much, but harvested little.^(O) You eat, but never have enough.^(P) You drink, but never have your fill.^(Q) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,^(R) only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

⁷This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(S) to your ways. ⁸Go up into the mountains and bring down timber^(T) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure^(U) in it and be honored,^(V)” says the Lord. ⁹“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.^(W) What you brought home, I blew^(X) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,^(Y) while each of you is busy with your own house. ¹⁰Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld^(Z) their dew^(AA) and the earth its crops.^(AB) ¹¹I called for a drought^(AC) on the fields and the mountains,^(AD) on the grain, the new wine,^(AE) the olive oil^(AF) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.^(AG)”

¹²Then Zerubbabel^(AH) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant^(AI) of the people obeyed^(AJ) the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared^(AK) the Lord.

¹³Then Haggai,^(AL) the Lord’s messenger,^(AM) gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with^(AN) you,” declares the Lord. ¹⁴So the Lord stirred up^(AO) the spirit of Zerubbabel^(AP) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,^(AQ) the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant^(AR) of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, ¹⁵on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.^(AS)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,^(AT) 2 ¹on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,^(AU) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^(AV) ²“Speak to Zerubbabel^(AW) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,^[b]^(AX) the high priest, and to the remnant^(AY) of the people. Ask them, ³‘Who of you is left who saw this house^(AZ) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?^(BA) ⁴But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong,^(BB) Joshua son of Jozadak,^(BC) the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with^(BD) you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁵‘This is what I covenanted^(BE) with you when you came out of Egypt.^(BF) And my Spirit^(BG) remains among you. Do not fear.’^(BH)

⁶“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while^(BI) I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,^(BJ) the sea and the dry land. ⁷I will shake all nations, and what is desired^(BK) by all nations will come, and I will fill this house^(BL) with glory,^(BM)’ says the Lord Almighty. ⁸‘The silver is mine and the gold^(BN) is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁹‘The glory^(BO) of this present house^(BP) will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,^(BQ)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Blessings for a Defiled People

¹⁰On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,^(BR) in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: ¹¹“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests^(BS) what the law says: ¹²If someone carries consecrated meat^(BT) in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?^(BU)’”

The priests answered, “No.”

¹³Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”

“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.^(BV)”

¹⁴Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people^(BW) and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer^(BX) there is defiled.

¹⁵“‘Now give careful thought^(BY) to this from this day on^[c]—consider how things were before one stone was laid^(BZ) on another in the Lord’s temple.^(CA) ¹⁶When anyone came to a heap^(CB) of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat^(CC) to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.^(CD) ¹⁷I struck all the work of your hands^(CE) with blight,^(CF) mildew and hail,^(CG) yet you did not return^(CH) to me,’ declares the Lord.^(CI) ¹⁸‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought^(CJ) to the day when the foundation^(CK) of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: ¹⁹Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate^(CL) and the olive tree have not borne fruit.^(CM)

“‘From this day on I will bless^(CN) you.’”

Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring

²⁰The word of the Lord came to Haggai^(CO) a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:^(CP) ²¹“Tell Zerubbabel^(CQ) governor of Judah that I am going to shake^(CR) the heavens and the earth. ²²I will overturn^(CS) royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.^(CT) I will overthrow chariots^(CU) and their drivers; horses and their riders^(CV) will fall, each by the sword of his brother.^(CW)

²³“‘On that day,^(CX)’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant^(CY) Zerubbabel^(CZ) son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring,^(DA) for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Footnotes

Haggai 1:1 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verses 12 and 14
Haggai 2:2 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verse 4
Haggai 2:15 Or to the days past

New International Version (NIV)

Zephaniah 1-3

New International Version

Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord