Be silent in the presence of the Lord God,(A)
for the Day of the Lord is near.(B)
Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;(C)
He has consecrated His guests.(D)

On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials, the king’s sons,
and all who are dressed in foreign clothing.
On that day(E) I will punish
all who skip over the threshold,[a](F)
who fill their master’s house
with violence and deceit.

10 On that day—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate,(G)
a wailing from the Second District,(H)
and a loud crashing from the hills.
11 Wail, you residents of the Hollow,[b]
for all the merchants[c] will be silenced;
all those loaded with silver will be cut off.

12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish the men who settle down comfortably,[d](I)
who say to themselves:
The Lord will not do good or evil.
13 Their wealth will become plunder
and their houses a ruin.
They will build houses but never live in them,
plant vineyards but never drink their wine.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 1:9 Hb obscure
  2. Zephaniah 1:11 Or the market district
  3. Zephaniah 1:11 Or Canaanites
  4. Zephaniah 1:12 Lit who thicken on their dregs

Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign Lord,
    for the awesome day of the Lord’s judgment is near.
The Lord has prepared his people for a great slaughter
    and has chosen their executioners.[a]
“On that day of judgment,”
    says the Lord,
“I will punish the leaders and princes of Judah
    and all those following pagan customs.
Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies,
    and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

10 “On that day,” says the Lord,
    “a cry of alarm will come from the Fish Gate
and echo throughout the New Quarter of the city.[b]
    And a great crash will sound from the hills.
11 Wail in sorrow, all you who live in the market area,[c]
    for all the merchants and traders will be destroyed.

12 “I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners
    to punish those who sit complacent in their sins.
They think the Lord will do nothing to them,
    either good or bad.
13 So their property will be plundered,
    their homes will be ransacked.
They will build new homes
    but never live in them.
They will plant vineyards
    but never drink wine from them.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:7 Hebrew has prepared a sacrifice and sanctified his guests.
  2. 1:10 Or the Second Quarter, a newer section of Jerusalem. Hebrew reads the Mishneh.
  3. 1:11 Or in the valley, a lower section of Jerusalem. Hebrew reads the Maktesh.