Chronological

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 Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah:

² “I will surely destroy all things from off the land,” says the LORD.

³ “I will destroy man and beast. I will destroy the birds of the heaven and the fish of the sea and ruins with the wicked. And I will cut man off from the land,” says the LORD.

⁴ “I will also stretch out My Hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests,

⁵ “and those who worship the host of heaven upon the housetops, and those who worship and swear by the LORD, and swear by Milcam,

⁶ “and those who have turned back from the LORD, and those who have neither sought the LORD nor inquired of Him.”

⁷ Be still at the presence of the LORD God! For the day of the LORD is at hand. For the LORD has prepared a Sacrifice and has sanctified His guests.

⁸ “And it shall be, on the day of the LORD’s Sacrifice, that I will visit the prince’s and the king’s children, and all who are clothed with strange apparel.

⁹ “At that same time, I will also visit all those who dance upon the threshold so proudly, who fill their masters’ houses by cruelty and deceit.

¹⁰ “And at that time,” says the LORD, “there shall be a noise and cry from the fish gate, and a howling from the second gate, and a great destruction from the hills.

¹¹ “Howl you inhabitants of the low place! For the company of the merchants is destroyed! All those who bear silver are cut off!

¹² “And at that time, I will search Jerusalem with lights and visit the men who are frozen in their dregs, and say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will neither do good nor do evil.’

¹³ “Therefore, their goods shall be plundered, and their houses desolate. They shall also build houses, but not inhabit them. And they shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.”

¹⁴ The great Day of the LORD is near! It is near and hurries greatly, the voice of the Day of the LORD! The strong man shall cry there bitterly.

¹⁵ That Day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and heaviness, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of obscurity and darkness, a day of clouds and blackness,

¹⁶ a day of the trumpet and alarm against the strong cities, and against the high towers.

¹⁷ “And I will bring distress upon men, so that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

¹⁸ “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy. For He shall make a speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.”

2 Gather yourselves! Gather yourselves—O nation not worthy to be loved—

² before the decree comes forth and you are as chaff that passes in a day, before the fierce wrath of the LORD comes upon you, before the Day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you!

³ Let all the meek of the Earth who have upheld His judgment seek the LORD—seek righteousness, seek lowliness—if it so be that you may be hidden on the Day of the LORD’s wrath.

⁴ For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate. They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday. And Ekron shall be rooted up.

⁵ Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Cherethims! The Word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you without an inhabitant!”

⁶ And the seacoast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds and sheepfolds.

⁷ And the coast shall be for the remnant of the House of Judah, to feed upon it. In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down at night. For the LORD their God shall visit them and turn away their captivity.

⁸ “I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the rebukes of the children of Ammon, by which they reproached My people and magnified themselves against their borders.

⁹ “Therefore, as I live,” says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, the breeding of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remains of My people shall plunder them. And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

¹⁰ This they shall have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the LORD of Host’s people.

¹¹ The LORD will be awesome to them. For He will consume all the gods of the Earth. And every man shall worship Him from his place, all the isles of the heathen.

¹² “Also, you Ethiopians shall be killed by My sword with them.”

¹³ And He will stretch out His Hand against the North and destroy Assyria and will make Nineveh desolate and waste like a wilderness.

¹⁴ And flocks shall lie in the midst of her. And all the beasts of the nations and the pelican and the owl shall abide in the upper pillars of it. The voice of birds shall sing in the windows. Desolation shall be upon the doorposts. For the cedars are uncovered.

¹⁵ This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, “I am! And there is none besides me!” How she has been made desolate, and the lodging of the beasts! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and wag his hand.9

3 Woe to her who is filthy and polluted, to the robbing city!

² She did not hear the voice. She did not receive correction. She did not trust in the LORD. She did not draw near to her God.

³ Her princes within her are as roaring lions. Her judges are as evening wolves which do not leave a bone until morning.

⁴ Her prophets are light, wicked people. Her priests have polluted the Sanctuary. They have done violence to the Law.

⁵ The just LORD is in their midst. He will do no iniquity. Every morning, He brings His Judgment to light. He does not fail. But the wicked will not learn to be ashamed.

⁶ “I have cut off the nations. Their towers are desolate. I have laid their streets waste, so that no one can pass. Their cities are destroyed, without man and without inhabitant.

⁷ “I said, ‘Surely you will fear me. You will receive instruction,’ so that their dwelling would not be destroyed however I visited them. But they rose early and corrupted all their works.

⁸ “Therefore, wait upon Me,” says the LORD, “until the day that I rise up to the prey. For I am determined to gather the nations. I will assemble the kingdoms, to pour My indignation upon them, all My fierce wrath. For all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.

⁹ “Surely, then, I will return a pure language to the people, so that they may all call upon the Name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.

¹⁰ “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, the daughter of My dispersed, praying to Me, shall bring Me an Offering.

¹¹ “At that time, you shall not be ashamed of all your works in which you have transgressed against Me. For then I will take away out of your midst those who rejoice in your pride. And you shall no longer be proud on My Holy Mountain.

¹² “Then I will leave a humble and poor people in your midst. They shall trust in the Name of the LORD.

¹³ “The remnant of Israel shall do no iniquity or speak lies. Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. For they shall be fed and lie down. And no one shall make them afraid.”

¹⁴ Rejoice, O daughter Zion! Be joyful, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!

¹⁵ The LORD has taken away your judgments. He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst. You shall no longer see evil.

¹⁶ At that time it shall be said to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion! Do not let your hands be faint.

¹⁷ “The LORD your God in your midst is mighty! He will save! He will rejoice over you with joy! He will quiet Himself in His love. He will rejoice over you with joy.”

¹⁸ “After a certain time, I will gather the afflicted among you, those who bore the reproach for it.

¹⁹ “Behold, at that time, I will bruise all who afflict you. And I will save her who halts and gather her who was cast out. And I will gain them praise and fame in all the lands of their shame.

²⁰ “At that time, I will bring you back. And then I will gather you. For I will give you a name and praise among all people of the Earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes,” says the LORD.