|
1:1 |
The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi,
the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah,
in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. |
|
1:2 |
I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the
LORD. |
|
1:3 |
I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the
heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with
the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the
LORD. |
|
1:4 |
I will also stretch out mine 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; |
|
1:5 |
And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops;
and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear
by Malcham; |
|
1:6 |
And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have
not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him. |
|
1:7 |
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of
the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice,
he hath bid his guests. |
|
1:8 |
And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice,
that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and
all such as are clothed with strange apparel. |
|
1:9 |
In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the
threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and
deceit. |
|
1:10 |
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there
shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling
from the second, and a great crashing from the hills. |
|
1:11 |
Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people
are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off. |
|
1:12 |
And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem
with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees:
that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will
he do evil. |
|
1:13 |
Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses
a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them;
and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. |
|
1:14 |
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly,
even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry
there bitterly. |
|
1:15 |
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a
day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess,
a day of clouds and thick darkness, |
|
1:16 |
A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and
against the high towers. |
|
1:17 |
And I will bring distress upon men, 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. |
|
1:18 |
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver
them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall
be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even
a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. |
|
2:1 |
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not
desired; |
|
2:2 |
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff,
before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the
day of the LORD's anger come upon you. |
|
2:3 |
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought
his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye
shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger. |
|
2:4 |
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall
drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. |
|
2:5 |
Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the
Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the
land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there
shall be no inhabitant. |
|
2:6 |
And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds,
and folds for flocks. |
|
2:7 |
And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah;
they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they
lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them,
and turn away their captivity. |
|
2:8 |
I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children
of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified
themselves against their border. |
|
2:9 |
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel,
Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah,
even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation:
the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of
my people shall possess them. |
|
2:10 |
This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached
and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts. |
|
2:11 |
The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the
gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from
his place, even all the isles of the heathen. |
|
2:12 |
Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword. |
|
2:13 |
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy
Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness. |
|
2:14 |
And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts
of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge
in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows;
desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the
cedar work. |
|
2:15 |
This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in
her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become
a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that
passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand. |
|
3:1 |
Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! |
|
3:2 |
She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted
not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God. |
|
3:3 |
Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening
wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. |
|
3:4 |
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have
polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. |
|
3:5 |
The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity:
every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth
not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. |
|
3:6 |
I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made
their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed,
so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant. |
|
3:7 |
I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction;
so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished
them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. |
|
3:8 |
Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that
I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the
nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them
mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth
shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. |
|
3:9 |
For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they
may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one
consent. |
|
3:10 |
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter
of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. |
|
3:11 |
In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein
thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away
out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and
thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain. |
|
3:12 |
I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor
people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. |
|
3:13 |
The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies;
neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for
they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. |
|
3:14 |
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice
with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. |
|
3:15 |
The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine
enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of
thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. |
|
3:16 |
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and
to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. |
|
3:17 |
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save,
he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love,
he will joy over thee with singing. |
|
3:18 |
I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly,
who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. |
|
3:19 |
Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I
will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out;
and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they
have been put to shame. |
|
3:20 |
At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I
gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all
people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your
eyes, saith the LORD. |
