Historical
Hand of Judgment Upon Idolaters
1 The word of Adonai that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:
2 I will totally sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,
declares Adonai.
3 I will sweep away man and beast,
I will sweep away the birds of the sky
and the fish of the sea—
also the stumbling blocks—the wicked.
I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,
declares Adonai.[a]
4 “I will stretch out my hand upon Judah
and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place
—the names of the idolatrous priests along with the kohanim,
5 those bowing down on the roofs
to the host of the heavens.
those bowing down, swearing to Adonai
and also swearing by Molech
6 those turning from following Adonai,
not seeking Adonai or consulting Him.
The Day Is At Hand
7 Be silent before Adonai God.
For the day of Adonai is at hand![b]
Adonai has prepared a sacrifice,
He has consecrated his guests.
8 On the day of Adonai’s sacrifice,
I will punish the princes,
the king’s sons
and all who dress in foreign attire.
9 In that day I will punish
all who skip over the threshold
while filling their master’s House
with violence and deceit.
10 In that day—declares Adonai—
there will be the sound of screaming from the Fish Gate,
wailing from the second district
and a loud crash from the heights.
11 Howl, inhabitants of Maktesh![c]
For all the people of Canaan[d] are destroyed.
All who weigh out silver are cut off.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish the men whose spirits have hardened,
who say in their hearts,
‘Adonai will do neither good nor evil.’
13 Their wealth will become plunder,
their houses a ruin.
They will build houses
but not live in them.
They will plant vineyards
but not drink their wine.
14 The great day of Adonai is near—
near and coming very quickly!
The sound of the day of Adonai is bitter—
the shouting of the warrior is there.
15 That day is a day of wrath
a day of trouble and distress,
a day of devastating storm and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of shofar and alarm
against the fortified cities
and against the high corner towers.
17 I will bring such distress upon mankind
that they will walk like the blind—
for they have sinned against Adonai.
Their blood will be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to rescue them
on the day of Adonai’s wrath.
With the fire of His passion
the entire earth will be consumed.
For He will make a total,
dreadful annihilation of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Judgment of Nearby Nations
2 Gather together! Gather together,
O shameless nation—
2 before the decree is brought forth,
before the day passes away like chaff,
before Adonai’s burning anger comes upon you,
before the day of Adonai’s anger comes upon you!
3 Seek Adonai, all you humble of the land
who have executed His judgment.
Seek righteousness; seek meekness![e]
Perhaps you will be hidden
on the day of Adonai’s wrath.
4 For Gaza will be abandoned
and Ashkelon will be a wasteland.
Ashdod will be driven out at noon
and Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Oy to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
the nation of Cherethites!
The word of Adonai is against you,
Canaan, the land of the Philistines,
and I will destroy you
until there is no inhabitant.
6 The seacoast will become pastures,
with meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 The coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah,
upon which they will graze.
In the houses of Ashkelon
they will lie down in the evening.
For Adonai their God will visit them
and return them from captivity.
8 I have heard the taunts of Moab
and the jeers of the children of Ammon,
who taunted My people
and expanded on their border.
9 Therefore, as I live,
declares Adonai-Tzva’ot God of Israel,
Moab will be like Sodom
and Ammon like Gomorrah—
a possession of weeds and a salt pit,
a perpetual wasteland.
The remainder of My people will plunder them.
The remnant of My nation will dispossess them.
10 This is what they will get for their pride,
for they have taunted and expanded
against the people of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
11 Adonai will be fearsome against them.
For all the gods of the earth
He will make waste away.
To Him will bow, each from its place,
the islands of the nations.
12 You Ethiopians too
will be slain by My sword.
13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
and devastate Assyria
and make Nineveh as a wasteland—
dry as a desert.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
all kinds of beasts—
both the little owl and the great owl
will lodge in her pillars.
A voice will hoot in the window.
Ruin will be in the doorway,
for the cedar beams will be exposed.
15 This is the exultant city,
dwelling securely,
saying in her heart,
‘It’s me—no one else but me!’
How did she become a ruin,
an abode for wild beasts?
Everyone who passes by her
hisses and shakes his fist.
Downfall of Disobedient Jerusalem
3 Oy to the oppressive city—
filthy and defiled!
2 She did not obey;
she took no correction.
She did not trust in Adonai.
She did not draw near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are roaring lions.
Her judges are wolves of the night,
leaving nothing but bones for morning.
4 Her prophets are reckless,
treacherous men.
Her kohanim have profaned what is holy.
They do violence to Torah.
5 Adonai is righteous in her midst.
He will do no injustice.
Morning by morning He brings His justice to light.
He does not fail.
Yet the unjust knows no shame.
6 I have cut off nations.
Their towers have become desolate.
I have destroyed their streets.
with no one passing by.
Their cities are laid waste,
with no one—none living there.
7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me,
you will accept correction,
so her dwelling place would not be cut off—
all that I appointed against her.’
But they arose early
and made all their deeds corrupt.
8 Therefore, wait for me, declares Adonai,
for the day when I rise up for plunder:
for My decision is to assemble nations,
to gather kingdoms,[f]
to pour out My fury upon them—
all My burning anger.
For in the fire of My wrath
all the earth will be consumed.
The Future Restoration of Israel’s Remnant
9 For then I will restore to the people pure speech,
so that all of them
may call upon the Name of Adonai
and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,
My worshipers, the daughter of My scattered ones
will bring My offering.
11 On that day you will not be ashamed
because of all your deeds by which you rebelled against Me.
For then I will remove from your midst
your proud, arrogant ones,
and you will never again be haughty
on My holy mountain.
12 But I will leave among you
a people meek and humble.
They will take refuge in the Name of Adonai.
13 The remnant of Israel will do no injustice
nor will they tell lies,
nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths.[g]
For they will graze and lie down
and no one will make them afraid.
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult wholeheartedly,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 Adonai has taken away your punishments.
He has turned back your adversary.
The King of Israel, Adonai, is in your midst.
Never again will you fear harm.
16 On that day, it will be said to Jerusalem,
‘Have no fear, O Zion,
do not let your hands fall limp.
17 Adonai your God is in your midst—
a mighty Savior!
He will delight over you with joy.
He will quiet you with His love.
He will dance for joy over you with singing[h].’
18 “I will gather those among you
who grieve over your moadim—
it is a burden of shame on you.
19 Behold, at that time I will deal
with all who oppress you.
I will save the lame and gather the outcast.
I will make them a praise and a name
throughout all the land where they suffered shame.
20 At that time I will bring you in.
At that time I will gather you.
For I will give you renown and glory
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your captives
before your eyes,”
declares Adonai.
A Call to Build the House of Adonai
1 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of Adonai came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah[a], and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol[b]: 2 “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘This people say the time has not come—the time for the House of Adonai to be rebuilt.’”
3 Then the word of Adonai came through Haggai the prophet: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this House lies in ruins? 5 But now,” thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot:
“Set your heart on your ways!
6 You sowed much but bring in little.
You eat but are never satisfied.
You drink but not enough to get filled.
You put on clothes but no one is warm.
And whoever earns wages works for a bag full of holes.”
7 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “Set your heart on your ways! 8 Go up to the hills, bring wood and build the House. Then I will delight in it and I will be glorified,” says Adonai. 9 “You have looked for much, but indeed, there is little. What you have brought home, I have blown away. Why is this?”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—“because My House lies in ruins, while you are running, each to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you, the sky has withheld dew and the earth has withheld its yield. 11 For I have called for drought on the land, the hills and the grain, on the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on mankind and beast, as well as all labor of hands.”
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and all the remnant of the people, heeded the voice of Adonai their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, since Adonai their God had sent him. So the people revered Adonai. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of Adonai, spoke to the people with the message of Adonai, “I am with you!”—it is a declaration of Adonai.
14 Then Adonai stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and did work on the House of Adonai-Tzva’ot their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.
Glory of this Latter House
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of Adonai came through Haggai the prophet: 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and to the remnant of the people: 3 “Who remains among you who saw this House in its former glory? So how do you see it now? Does it not seem as nothing in comparison in your eyes? 4 But now, Zerubbabel, chazak!”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and all people of the land, chazak!”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and work! For I am with you!”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot. 5 “According to the word I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. My Ruach is standing in your midst. Do not fear!”
6 For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “In just a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, [c] 7 and I will shake all the nations. The treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this House with glory,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 8 “The silver is mine and the gold is mine!”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot. 9 “The glory of this latter House will be greater than the former,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. “In this place, I will grant shalom”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
Adonai’s Promise to Zerubbabel
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Adonai came to Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘Ask now the kohanim for a ruling. 12 If a person carries consecrated meat in the corner of his garment, and with his corner he touches bread, stew, wine, oil or any food, will it become holy too?’”
Then the kohanim answered and said, “No.”
13 So Haggai said, “If one who is unclean by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become unclean?”
The kohanim answered and said, “It does become unclean.”
14 Then, Haggai answered and said, “So it is with this people. So is this nation before Me”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and so is every work of their hands. What they were offering there was unclean. 15 But now, set your heart back from this day onward. Before stone was set upon stone in the Temple of Adonai, 16 how were things? When one came to a grain-heap of twenty measures, there were ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were twenty. 17 I struck you with blight and with mildew and with hail—every work of your hands—so you were nothing to Me”—it is a declaration of Adonai. 18 “Now, set your heart back from this day on—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day the Temple of Adonai was founded, set your heart: 19 Is there still seed in the storehouse? Also the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree—are they still bearing fruit? From this day on I am going to bless you.”
20 Then the word of Adonai came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Say to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and I will overturn the throne of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn the chariot and its rider, so horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
23 “On that day’”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant’—it is a declaration of Adonai—“‘and I will set you like a signet ring. For I have chosen you.’” It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.