14 The great day of the Lord is near,(A)
near and rapidly approaching.
Listen, the day of the Lord
then the warrior’s cry is bitter.
15 That day is a day of wrath,
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of destruction and desolation,
a day of darkness(B) and gloom,
a day of clouds and total darkness,(C)
16 a day of ram’s horn and battle cry
against the fortified cities,
and against the high corner towers.
17 I will bring distress on mankind,
and they will walk like the blind(D)
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their flesh like dung.
18 Their silver and their gold
will be unable to rescue them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.(E)
The whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of his jealousy,(F)
for he will make a complete,
yes, a horrifying end
of all the inhabitants of the earth.

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Zephaniah’s Description of the Day of the Lord

14 “The great Day of the Lord approaches—
    How it comes, hurrying faster and faster!
The sound of the Day of the Lord there
    includes the bitter cry of the mighty soldier.
15 That day will be filled with wrath,
    a day of trouble and tribulation,
a day of desolation and devastation,
    a day of doom and gloom,
a day of clouds and shadows,[a]
16 a day of trumpet and battle cry
        against fortified cities and watch[b] towers.

17 “And I’ll bring so much distress to people
    that they will walk around like the blind.
Because they have sinned against the Lord,
    their blood will be poured out like dust
        and their intestines will spill out[c] like manure.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold will deliver them
    in the Day of the Lord’s wrath;
but the entire land will be consumed
    by the fire of his jealousy,
for he will bring the inhabitants of the land to a sudden end.”

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 1:15 Cf. Joel 2:2a
  2. Zephaniah 1:16 Lit. corner
  3. Zephaniah 1:17 The Heb. lacks will spill out