Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close AMP

Zephaniah 1-3
Amplified Bible

Day of Judgment on Judah

1 The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of [a]Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah:

2 
“I will completely consume and sweep away all things
From the face of the earth [in judgment],” says the Lord.
3 
“I will consume and sweep away man and beast;
I will consume and sweep away the birds of the air
And the fish of the sea,
And the [b]stumbling blocks (idols) along with the wicked;
And I will cut off and destroy man from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
4 
“I will also stretch out My hand [in judgment] against Judah
And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And I will cut off and destroy the remnant of [c]Baal from this place,
And the names and remembrance of the idolatrous priests along with the [false] priests,
5 
And those who bow down and worship the host of heaven [the sun, the moon, and the stars] [d]on their housetops
And those who bow down and swear [oaths] to [and pretend to worship] the Lord and [yet also] swear by [the pagan god called] Milcom [god of the Ammonites],
6 
And those who have turned back from following the Lord,
And those who have not sought the Lord [as their most important need] or inquired of Him.”

7 
[Hush!] Be silent before the Lord God [there is no acceptable excuse to offer]!
For the day [of the vengeance] of the Lord is near,
For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice (Judah),
He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation [the Chaldeans who rule Babylon].(A)
8 
“Then it will come about on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
That I will punish the princes and the king’s sons
And all who are clothed in [lavish] foreign apparel [reflecting their paganism].(B)
9 
“On that day I will also punish all those who [e]leap over the temple threshold,
Who fill their [pagan] lord’s temple with violence and deceit.
10 
“On that day,” declares the Lord,
“There will be the sound of crying from the Fish (Damascus) Gate [in the northern wall of Jerusalem where invaders enter]
And wailing from the [f]Second Quarter [of the city],
And a loud crash from the hills.
11 
“Wail [in anguish], you inhabitants of the [g]Mortar (Valley of Siloam),
For all the merchants of Canaan will be silenced and destroyed;
All who weigh out silver will be cut off.
12 
“It will come about at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps
And I will punish the men
Who [like old wine] are stagnant in spirit,
Who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.’
13 
“Furthermore, their wealth will become plunder
And their houses a desolation.
Yes, they will build houses but not live in them,
And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”(C)

14 
The great [judgment] day of the Lord is near,
Near and coming very quickly.
Listen! The [voice of the] day of the Lord!
The warrior cries out bitterly [unable to fight or to flee].
15 
That day is a day of [the outpouring of the] wrath [of God],
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of destruction and devastation,
A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,(D)
16 
A day of trumpet and the battle cry [of invaders]
Against the fortified cities
And against the high corner towers (battlements).
17 
I will bring distress on men
So that they will walk like the blind [unable to find a way of escape],
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
Their blood will be poured out like dust [and trampled underfoot],
And their flesh like dung.
18 
Neither their silver nor their gold
Will be able to rescue them
On the day of the Lord’s indignation and wrath.
And the whole earth will be consumed
In the fire of His jealous [h]wrath,
For He shall make a full and complete end,
Indeed a terrifying one,
Of all the inhabitants of the earth.(E)

Judgments on Judah’s Enemies

2 Gather yourselves together [in repentance], yes, gather [in submission],
O nation without shame,
2 
Before the decree takes effect [and the time for repentance is lost]—
The day passes like the chaff [whirled by the wind]—
Before the burning and fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you.
3 
Seek the Lord [search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life],
All you humble of the land
Who have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments;
Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital].
Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued]
In the day of the Lord’s anger.

4 
For [this is the fate of the Philistines:] Gaza will be abandoned
And Ashkelon a desolation;
[The people of] Ashdod will be driven out at noon [in broad daylight]
And Ekron will be uprooted and destroyed.
5 
Woe (judgment is coming) to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
I will destroy you
So that no inhabitant will be left.
6 
So the [depopulated] seacoast shall be pastures,
With [deserted] meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 
The [i]seacoast will belong
To the remnant of the house of Judah;
They will pasture [their flocks] on it.
In the [deserted] houses of Ashkelon [in Philistia] they [of Judah] will lie down and rest in the evening,
For the Lord their God will care for them;
And restore their fortune [permitting them to occupy the land].(F)

8 
“I have heard the taunting of Moab
And the revilings of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have taunted My people
And become arrogant against their territory [by violating Israel’s boundary and trying to seize its land].
9 
“Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
The God of Israel,
“[j]Moab will in fact become like Sodom
And the [k]sons of Ammon like Gomorrah,
A land possessed by nettles and salt pits,
And a perpetual desolation.
The remnant of My people will plunder them
And what is left of My nation will inherit them [as their own].”

10 This they shall have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts. 11 The Lord will be terrifying and awesome to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down and worship Him, everyone from his own place.(G)

12 
“You also, O Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”(H)
13 
And the Lord will stretch out His hand against the north
And destroy Assyria,
And He will make Nineveh a desolation [a wasteland],
Parched as the desert.(I)
14 
Flocks will lie down in her midst,
All the animals which range in herds;
Both the pelican and the short-eared owl
Will roost on the top of Nineveh’s pillars.
Birds will sing in the window,
Desolation will be on the threshold;
For He has uncovered the cedar paneling.
15 
This is the joyous city
Which dwells carelessly [feeling so secure],
Who says in her heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
What a desolation she has become,
A lair for [wild] animals!
Everyone who passes by her will hiss [in scorn]
And wave his hand in contempt.(J)

Woe to Jerusalem and the Nations

3 Woe (judgment is coming) to her who is rebellious and defiled,
The tyrannical city [Jerusalem]!
2 
She did not listen and heed the voice [of God];
She accepted no correction.
She did not trust in the Lord [but trusted her own power];
She did not draw near to her God [but to the pagan gods of Baal or Molech].
3 
Her officials within her are roaring lions;
Her judges are [as hungry as] the wolves at evening,
They leave nothing for the morning.
4 
Her prophets are reckless and treacherous men;
Her priests have profaned the sanctuary;
They have done violence to the law [by pretending their word is God’s word].(K)
5 
The Lord is righteous within her;
He will do no injustice.
Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He does not fail.
But the unjust person knows no shame.
6 
“I [the Lord] have cut off and destroyed nations [as a warning to Judah];
Their corner towers (battlements) are in ruins.
I have made their streets desolate
So that no one passes by;
Their cities are destroyed
So that there is no man, there is no inhabitant.
7 
“I said, ‘Most certainly you will [reverently] fear Me;
Accept correction.’
So Jerusalem’s dwelling will not be cut off
In accordance with all that I have appointed concerning her [punishment],
But they were eager [even rising early] to make all their deeds corrupt.(L)

8 
“Therefore [you of the godly remnant of Judah, patiently] wait for Me,” declares the Lord,
“[Wait] for the day when I rise up as a witness [against the nations].
For it is My decision and My right to gather the nations,
To assemble kingdoms,
To pour out on them My indignation,
All [the heat of] My burning anger;
For [in that day] all the earth shall be consumed
By the fire of My zeal.
9 
“Then I will give to the peoples [clear and pure speech from] purified lips [which reflect their purified hearts],
That all of them may call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him shoulder to shoulder (united).
10 
“From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers, [the descendants of] My dispersed ones,
Will bring My offerings.
11 
“On that day you [Israel] will feel no shame
Because of all your acts
By which you have rebelled and sinned against Me;
Then I will remove from among you
Your rejoicing ones who delight in their pride;
And you will never again behave arrogantly
On My holy mountain [Mount Zion].

A Remnant of Israel

12 
“But I will leave among you
A humble and lowly people,
And they will take refuge and trust confidently in the name of the Lord.
13 
“The remnant of Israel will do no wrong
Nor speak lies,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will eat and lie down
With no one to make them tremble and feel afraid.”

14 
Shout for joy, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Israel!
Rejoice, be in high spirits and glory with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem [in that day]!
15 
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, even the Lord [Himself], is in your midst;
You will no longer fear disaster.
16 
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not be afraid, O Zion;
Do not let your hands fall limp.
17 
“The Lord your God is in your midst,
A Warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with joy;
He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
18 
“I will gather those [Israelites in captivity] who grieve about the appointed feasts—
They came from you, [O Zion];
On whom the reproach [of exile] is a burden.
19 
“Behold, at that time I am going to deal
With all your oppressors;
I will save the lame
And gather the scattered,
And I will turn their shame into praise and renown
In every land [where they have suffered].(M)
20 
“At that time I will bring you in,
Yes, at the time I gather you together;
For I will make you a name and a praise
Among all the peoples of the earth
When I restore your fortunes [and freedom] before your eyes,”
Says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 1:1 Zephaniah’s great-great-grandfather, Hezekiah, ruled Judah (the Southern Kingdom) from 715-686 b.c. He was a godly king who restored the temple and abolished pagan worship. He was also notable as the great warrior who defended Jerusalem from the attacking Assyrians, and the great builder who developed the Siloam tunnel and reservoir to enhance the fresh water supply of Jerusalem.
  2. Zephaniah 1:3 MT reads ruins.
  3. Zephaniah 1:4 One of the major male gods of Canaan. His female consort was Asherah.
  4. Zephaniah 1:5 The flat roofs of the houses were often used as convenient places of planetary worship (i.e. Sabeanism, astrology).
  5. Zephaniah 1:9 This may have a connection to the pagan custom mentioned in 1 Sam 5:5, or to the pagan belief that spirits resided in the threshold.
  6. Zephaniah 1:10 I.e. the lower, newer part of the city.
  7. Zephaniah 1:11 A shallow hollow that was a district in Jerusalem.
  8. Zephaniah 1:18 God’s judgment and God’s mercy are the twin themes of the prophets. In this dramatic passage, the Lord describes the destruction that will sweep the earth in the day of His wrath. Yet the Lord is true to His promises: the remnant will be restored (Zeph 3:18-20); the last day is also “the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). See also Matt 24:31; John 14:3; 1 Thess 4:15-17.
  9. Zephaniah 2:7 This is one of the more than twenty-five details of Bible prophecy about the promised land that has been literally fulfilled. See note Ezek 26:14 for information about a similar fulfillment of Bible prophecy with regard to Tyre.
  10. Zephaniah 2:9 The descendants of Lot and his elder daughter (Gen 19:37).
  11. Zephaniah 2:9 Descendants of Lot and his younger daughter (Gen 19:38).
Listen to Zephaniah 1-3
Close NIV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  1. Zephaniah 1:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
  2. Zephaniah 1:5 Hebrew Malkam
  3. Zephaniah 1:9 See 1 Samuel 5:5.
  4. Zephaniah 1:11 Or the Mortar
  5. Zephaniah 1:11 Or in
  6. Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives
  7. Zephaniah 2:12 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  8. Zephaniah 3:7 Or her sanctuary
  9. Zephaniah 3:7 Or all those I appointed over
  10. Zephaniah 3:8 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder
  11. Zephaniah 3:10 That is, the upper Nile region
  12. Zephaniah 3:20 Or I bring back your captives
Next
Habakkuk 3
Haggai 1
Next
dropdown
Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

The Amplified Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV