Historical
1 A message from the Lord came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi. Cushi was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of King Hezekiah. The Lord spoke to Zephaniah during the rule of Josiah. He was king of Judah and the son of Amon.
The Lord Will Judge the Whole World
2 “I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,”
announces the Lord.
3 “I will destroy people and animals alike.
I will wipe out the birds in the sky
and the fish in the waters.
I will destroy the statues of gods that cause evil people to sin.
That will happen when I destroy all human beings on the face of the earth,”
announces the Lord.
4 “I will reach out my powerful hand against Judah.
I will punish all those who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy from this place
what is left of Baal worship.
The priests who serve other gods
will be removed.
5 I will destroy those who bow down on their roofs
to worship all the stars.
I will destroy those who make promises
not only in my name but also in the name of Molek.
6 I will destroy those who stop following the Lord.
They no longer look to him or ask him for advice.
7 Be silent in front of him.
He is the Lord and King.
The day of the Lord is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice.
He has set apart for himself
the people he has invited.
8 When the Lord’s sacrifice is ready to be offered,
I will punish the officials and the king’s sons.
I will also judge all those who follow
the practices of other nations.
9 At that time I will punish
all those who worship other gods.
They fill the temples of their gods
with lies and other harmful things.
10 “At that time people at the Fish Gate in Jerusalem
will cry out,” announces the Lord.
“So will those at the New Quarter.
The buildings on the hills will come crashing down
with a loud noise.
11 Cry out, you who live in the market places.
All your merchants will be wiped out.
Those who trade in silver will be destroyed.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps.
I will punish those who are so contented.
They are like wine that has not been shaken up.
They think, ‘The Lord won’t do anything.
He won’t do anything good or bad.’
13 Their wealth will be stolen.
Their houses will be destroyed.
They will build houses.
But they will not live in them.
They will plant vineyards.
But they will not drink the wine they produce.
14 The great day of the Lord is near.
In fact, it is coming quickly.
The cries on that day are bitter.
The Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15 At that time I will pour out my anger.
There will be great suffering and pain.
It will be a day of horrible trouble.
It will be a time of darkness and gloom.
It will be filled with the blackest clouds.
16 Trumpet blasts and battle cries will be heard.
Soldiers will attack cities
that have forts and corner towers.
17 I will bring great trouble on all people.
So they will feel their way around like blind people.
They have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust.
Their bodies will lie rotting on the ground.
18 Their silver and gold
won’t save them
on the day the Lord pours out his anger.
The whole earth will be burned up
when his jealous anger blazes out.
Everyone who lives on earth
will come to a sudden end.”
The Lord Will Judge Judah and Jerusalem Along With the Nations
God Calls Judah to Turn Away From Their Sins
2 Gather together,
you shameful nation of Judah!
Gather yourselves together!
2 Come together before the Lord’s judgment arrives.
The day of the Lord’s judgment will sweep in
like straw blown by the wind.
Soon the Lord’s great anger will come against you.
The day of his wrath will come against you.
3 So look to him, all you people in the land
who worship him faithfully.
You always do what he commands you to do.
Continue to do what is right.
Don’t be proud.
Then perhaps the Lord will keep you safe
on the day he pours out his anger on the world.
A Message About Philistia
4 Gaza will be deserted.
Ashkelon will be destroyed.
Ashdod will be emptied out at noon.
Ekron will be pulled up by its roots.
5 How terrible it will be for you Kerethites
who live by the Mediterranean Sea!
Philistia, the Lord has spoken against you.
What happened to Canaan will happen to you.
The Lord says, “I will destroy you.
No one will be left.”
6 The land by the sea will become grasslands.
It will have wells for shepherds and pens for flocks.
7 That land will belong to those who are still left alive
among the people of Judah.
They will find grasslands there.
They will take over
the houses in Ashkelon and live in them.
The Lord their God will take care of them.
He will bless them with great success again.
A Message About Moab and Ammon
8 The Lord says,
“I have heard Moab make fun of my people.
The Ammonites also laughed at them.
They told them that bad things
would happen to their land.
9 So Moab will become like Sodom,”
announces the Lord who rules over all.
“Ammon will be like Gomorrah.
Weeds and salt pits will cover those countries.
They will be dry and empty deserts forever.
Those who are still left alive among my people
will take all their valuable things.
So they will receive those lands as their own.
And that is just as sure as I am alive.”
The Lord is the God of Israel.
10 Moab and Ammon will be judged
because they are so proud.
They made fun of the Lord’s people.
They laughed at them.
11 The Lord who rules over all will terrify Moab and Ammon.
He will destroy all the gods on earth.
Then distant nations will bow down to him.
All of them will serve him in their own lands.
A Message About Cush
12 The Lord says, “People of Cush,
you too will die by my sword.”
A Message About Assyria
13 The Lord will reach out his powerful hand against the north.
He will destroy Assyria.
He’ll leave Nineveh totally empty.
It will be as dry as a desert.
14 Flocks and herds will lie down there.
So will creatures of every kind.
Desert owls and screech owls
will rest on its pillars.
The sound of their hooting will echo through the windows.
The doorways will be full of trash.
The cedar beams will be showing.
15 Nineveh was a carefree city.
It lived in safety.
It said to itself,
“I am the one!
No one is greater than I am.”
But it has been destroyed.
Wild animals make their home there.
All those who pass by laugh
and shake their fists at it.
A Message About Jerusalem
3 How terrible it will be for Jerusalem!
Its people crush others.
They refuse to obey the Lord.
They are “unclean.”
2 They don’t obey anyone.
They don’t accept the Lord’s warnings.
They don’t trust in him.
They don’t ask their God for his help.
3 Jerusalem’s officials are like roaring lions.
Their rulers are like wolves that hunt in the evening.
They don’t leave anything to eat in the morning.
4 Their prophets care about nothing.
They can’t be trusted.
Their priests make the temple “unclean.”
They break the law they teach others to obey.
5 In spite of that, the Lord is good to Jerusalem.
He never does anything that is wrong.
Every morning he does what is fair.
Each new day he does the right thing.
But those who do what is wrong
aren’t even ashamed of it.
Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant
6 The Lord says to his people,
“I have destroyed other nations.
I have wiped out their forts.
I have left their streets deserted.
No one walks along them.
Their cities are destroyed.
They are deserted and empty.
7 Here is what I thought about Jerusalem.
‘Surely you will have respect for me.
Surely you will accept my warning.’
Then the city you think is safe would not be destroyed.
And I would not have to punish you so much.
But they still wanted to go on sinning
in every way they could.
8 So wait for me to come as judge,”
announces the Lord.
“Wait for the day I will stand up
to witness against all sinners.
I have decided to gather the nations.
I will bring the kingdoms together.
And I will pour out all my burning anger on them.
The fire of my jealous anger
will burn the whole world up.
Israel Will Trust in the Lord
9 “But then I will purify what all the nations say.
And they will use their words to worship me.
They will serve me together.
10 My scattered people will come to me
from beyond the rivers of Cush.
They will worship me.
They will bring me offerings.
11 Jerusalem, you have done many wrong things to me.
But at that time you will not be put to shame anymore.
That’s because I will remove from this city
those who think so highly of themselves.
You will never be proud again
on my holy mountain of Zion.
12 But inside your city I will leave
those who are not proud at all.
Those who are still left alive will trust in the Lord.
13 They will not do anything wrong.
They will not tell any lies.
They will not say anything to fool other people.
They will eat and lie down in peace.
And no one will make them afraid.”
14 People of Zion, sing!
Israel, shout loudly!
People of Jerusalem, be glad!
Let your hearts be full of joy.
15 The Lord has stopped punishing you.
He has made your enemies turn away from you.
The Lord is the King of Israel.
He is with you.
You will never again be afraid
that others will harm you.
16 The time is coming when people will say to Jerusalem,
“Zion, don’t be afraid.
Don’t give up.
17 The Lord your God is with you.
He is the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you.
In his love he will no longer punish you.
Instead, he will sing for joy because of you.”
18 The Lord says to his people,
“You used to celebrate my appointed feasts in Jerusalem.
You are sad because you can’t do that anymore.
Other people make fun of you because of that.
That sadness was a heavy load for you to carry.
But I will remove that load from you.
19 At that time I will punish
all those who crushed you.
I will save those among you who are disabled.
I will gather those who have been taken away.
I will give them praise and honor
in every land where they have been put to shame.
20 At that time I will gather you together.
And I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise
among all the nations on earth.
I will bless you with great success again,”
says the Lord.
Haggai Tells His People to Rebuild the Lord’s Temple
1 A message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet. Haggai gave it to Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zerubbabel was governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Joshua was high priest and the son of Jozadak. The message came on the first day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Here is what Haggai said.
2 Here is what the Lord who rules over all says. “The people of Judah say, ‘It’s not yet time to rebuild the Lord’s temple.’ ”
3 So the message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 4 “My temple is still destroyed. But you are living in your houses that have beautiful wooden walls.”
5 The Lord who rules over all says, “Think carefully about how you are living. 6 You have planted many seeds. But the crops you have gathered are small. So you eat. But you never have enough. You drink. But you are never full. You put on your clothes. But you are not warm. You earn your pay. But it will not buy everything you need.”
7 He continues, “Think carefully about how you are living. 8 Go up into the mountains. Bring logs down. Use them to rebuild the temple, my house. Then I will enjoy it. And you will honor me,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected a lot. But you can see what a small amount it turned out to be. I blew away what you brought home. I’ll tell you why,” announces the Lord who rules over all. “Because my temple is still destroyed. In spite of that, each one of you is busy with your own house. 10 So because of what you have done, the heavens have held back the dew. And the earth has not produced its crops. 11 I ordered the rain not to fall on the fields and mountains. Then the ground did not produce any grain. There were not enough grapes to make fresh wine. The trees did not bear enough olives to make oil. People and cattle suffered. All your hard work failed.”
12 Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Joshua the high priest was the son of Jozadak. They obeyed the Lord their God. So did all the Lord’s people who were still left alive. The Lord had given his message to them through me. He had sent me to speak to them. And the people had respect for him.
13 Haggai was the Lord’s messenger. So Haggai gave the Lord’s message to the people. He told them, “The Lord announces, ‘I am with you.’ ” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirits of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua the high priest. The Lord also stirred up the rest of the people to help them. Then everyone began to work on the temple of the Lord who rules over all. He is their God. 15 It was the 24th day of the sixth month.
The New Temple Will Be Beautiful
In the second year of King Darius, 2 1 a second message came from the Lord. It came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 21st day of the seventh month. The Lord said, 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Also speak to Joshua the high priest, the son of Jozadak. And speak to all my people who are still left alive. Ask them, 3 ‘Did any of you who are here see how beautiful this temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It doesn’t look so good, does it? 4 But be strong, Zerubbabel,’ announces the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua. Be strong, all of you people in the land,’ announces the Lord. ‘Start rebuilding. I am with you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all. 5 ‘That is what I promised you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit continues to be with you. So do not be afraid.’ ”
6 The Lord says, “In a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth once more. I will also shake the ocean and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations. Then what is desired by all nations will come to my temple. And I will fill the temple with glory,” says the Lord who rules over all. 8 “The silver belongs to me. So does the gold,” announces the Lord who rules over all. 9 “The new temple will be more beautiful than the first one was,” says the Lord. “And in this place I will bring peace,” announces the Lord who rules over all.
The Lord Will Make His People Pure and “Clean”
10 A third message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was king. 11 The Lord who rules over all speaks. He says, “Ask the priests what the law says. 12 Suppose someone carries holy meat in the clothes they are wearing. And the clothes touch some bread or stew. Or they touch some wine, olive oil or other food. Then do these things also become holy?”
The priests answered, “No.”
13 So Haggai said, “Suppose someone is made ‘unclean’ by touching a dead body. And then they touch one of these things. Does it become ‘unclean’ too?”
“Yes,” the priests replied. “It does.”
14 Then here is what Haggai said. “The Lord announces, ‘That is how I look at these people and this nation. Anything they do and anything they sacrifice on the altar is “unclean.”
15 “ ‘Think carefully about this from now on. Think about how things were before the Lord’s temple was built. This was before one stone was laid on top of another. 16 People went to get 20 measures of grain. But they could find only 10. They went to where the wine was stored to get 50 measures. But only 20 were there. 17 You worked very hard to produce all those things. But I struck them with rot, mold and hail. And you still did not return to me,’ announces the Lord. 18 It is the 24th day of the ninth month. From this day on, here is what you should think carefully about. Think about the day when the foundation of my temple was laid. 19 Are any seeds still left in your barns? Until now, your vines and fig trees have not produced any fruit. Your pomegranate and olive trees have not produced any either.
“ ‘But from this day on I will bless you.’ ”
The Lord Compares Zerubbabel to His Royal Ring
20 A final message from the Lord came to Haggai. This message also came on the 24th day of the ninth month. The Lord said, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah. Tell him I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will throw down royal thrones. I will smash the power of other kingdoms. I will destroy chariots and their drivers. Horses and their riders will fall. They will be killed by the swords of their relatives.
23 “ ‘Zerubbabel, at that time I will pick you,’ announces the Lord. ‘You are my servant,’ announces the Lord. ‘You will be like a ring that has my royal mark on it. I have chosen you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all.”
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