ABP - Zephaniah

Chapter 1

1:1  The word of the lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.

1:2  In want, let all want from the face of the earth, says the lord!

1:3  Let [4be wanting 1man 2and 3cattle]; let [5be wanting 1the 2birds 3of the 4heaven], and the fishes of the sea. And [3shall be sickened 1the 2impious]. And I will lift away the lawless deeds from the face of the land, says the lord.

1:4  And I will stretch out my hand upon Judah and upon all the ones dwelling in Jerusalem. And I will remove from out of this place the names of Baal, and the names of the priests with the consecrated things;

1:5  even the ones doing obeisance upon the roofs to the military of the heaven, and the ones doing obeisance and the ones swearing by an oath also according to the lord; and the ones swearing an oath according to their king;

1:6  and the ones turning aside from the lord; and the ones not seeking the lord; and the ones not holding to him.

1:7  Be cautious before the presence of the lord God! for [5is near 1the 2day 3of the 4 lord]! For the lord prepared his sacrifice, and he has sanctified his chosen.

1:8  And it will be in the day of the sacrifice of the lord, that I will take vengeance upon the rulers, and upon the house of the king, and upon all the ones putting on [2garments 1alien].

1:9  And I will [2take vengeance 3upon 4all 1visibly] at the gateways in that day, upon the ones filling the house of the lord their God with impiety and treachery.

1:10  And it will be in that day, says the lord, the sound of a cry from the gate of men piercing, and shrieking of women from the second quarter, and [2conflict 1great] from the hills.

1:11  Wail! O ones dwelling the place being cut in pieces, for [4are like 1all 2the 3people] Canaan, and [5were utterly destroyed 1all 2the ones 3lifting up 4silver].

1:12  And it will be in that day, I will search out Jerusalem with a lamp, and I will take vengeance upon the men, of the ones paying no attention to their injunctions; and the ones saying in their hearts, In no way shall the lord do good, nor shall he inflict evil.

1:13  And [2will be 1their power] for ravaging, and their houses for extinction. And they shall build houses, but in no way shall they dwell in them. And they shall plant vineyards, and in no way shall they drink of their wine.

1:14  For [4is near 2day 3of the lord 1the great], and near [2quickly 1very]. The sound of the day of the lord [2bitter 3and 4harsh 1is ordered up].

1:15  [2is a mighty 3day 4of anger 1That day]; a day of affliction and distress; a day of misery and extinction; a day of dimness and darkness; a day of cloud and fog;

1:16  a day of trumpet and a cry against the [2cities 1fortified], and against the [2corners 1high].

1:17  And I will squeeze out the men, and they shall go as blind men, for against the lord they led into sin, and he shall pour out their blood as dust, and their flesh as dung.

1:18  And their silver and their gold in no way shall be able to rescue them in the day of the anger of the lord. And by fire his zeal shall consume all the land. For completion and diligence he will execute it upon all the ones dwelling the land.

Chapter 2

2:1  Be gathered and bound together, O [2nation 1uninstructed]!

2:2  before your becoming as a flower passing the day; before the coming upon you the wrath of the lord; before the coming upon you the day of the wrath of the rage of the lord.

2:3  Seek the lord all you humble ones of the earth! [2equity 1Work], and [2righteousness 1seek], and answer them accordingly! so that you should be sheltered in the day of the wrath of the lord.

2:4  For Gaza will be for plundering, and Ashkelon for extinction, and Ashdod at midday shall be cast forth, and Ekron shall be rooted out.

2:5  Woe, the ones dwelling the measured out land of the sea -- sojourners of Cretans. The word of the lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you of your dwelling.

2:6  And Crete shall be a pasture of flocks, and a haven for sheep.

2:7  And [5will be 1the 2measured out piece of land 3by the 4sea] for the remnant of the house of Judah; upon them they shall pasture in the houses of Ashkelon; in the afternoon they shall rest up from in front of the sons of Judah; for [3shall visit 4them 1the lord 2their God]; and he shall return their captivity.

2:8  I heard the scorns of Moab, and the ill-treatment by the sons of Ammon, in which they berated my people, and magnified themselves over my borders.

2:9  On account of this, as I live, says the lord of the forces, the God of Israel, that Moab [2as 3Sodom 1will be], and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, and Damascus ceasing. And it will be as a heap of salt into the eon. And the remnants of my people shall plunder them, and the remnants of my nation shall inherit them.

2:10  This is to them for their insolence, because they berated and magnified themselves over the lord almighty.

2:11  The lord shall appear against them, and he shall utterly destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth. And they shall do obeisance to him, each from his place -- all the islands of the nations.

2:12  And you, O Ethiopians, [2the slain 3of my broadsword 1are].

2:13  And he will stretch out his hand against the north. And he shall destroy the Assyrian, and he shall establish Nineveh for [2extinction 1a waterless], as a wilderness.

2:14  And [2shall feed 3in 4the midst 5of her 1flocks], and all the wild beasts of the earth, and chameleons; and hedgehogs [2in 3her fretwork 1shall make a bed], and wild beasts to sound out loud in her ditches, and crows in her gatehouses. For [2was as the cedar 1her height].

2:15  This is the [2city 1heedless], the one dwelling upon hope, who says in her heart, I am, and there is none after me any longer. O how it was for extinction, a pasture of wild beasts. Every one traveling through her shall whistle and shall shake his hands.

Chapter 3

3:1  O the prominent and ransomed city, the dove.

3:2  She did not listen to your voice; she did not take instruction; [2upon 3the 4 lord 1she had not relied], and to her God she did not approach.

3:3  Her rulers among her are as lions roaring. Her judges are as wolves of Arabia; they did not remain behind into the morning.

3:4  Her prophets [2carried by the wind 1are men] -- despisers. Her priests profane the holy things, and they are impious against the law.

3:5  But the [2 lord 1righteous] is in the midst of her, and in no way shall he do an unjust thing. Morning by morning he executes his judgment in light, and it was not concealed. And he does not know injustice by exaction, and neither [2by 3altercation 1injustice].

3:6  I tore down the proud; [2were obliterated 1their corners]; I shall make quite desolate their ways thoroughly, so as to not travel through. [2vanished 1their cities] by reason of no one to exist nor to dwell in them.

3:7  I said, Furthermore fear me, and receive instruction! and in no way shall you be utterly destroyed from before her eyes, for all as much vengeance as I brought upon her. Prepare! Rise early! [3is ruined 1all 2their gleaning].

3:8  On account of this wait for me, says the lord, for the day of my rising up, for a testimony! For my judgment shall be for a gathering of nations, to take kings, to pour out upon them [3anger 2of my 1all], the anger of my rage. For [5by 6the fire 7of my zeal 4shall be consumed 1all 2the 3earth].

3:9  For then I will transfer upon the peoples one tongue for her generation, for all to call upon the name of the lord, to serve him under [2yoke 1one].

3:10  From the limits of the rivers of Ethiopia I will welcome the ones of mine having been dispersed; they shall bring sacrifices to me.

3:11  In that day in no way shall you be disgraced from all of your practices which you were impious against me. For then I shall remove from you the careless attitudes of your insolence, and no longer should you proceed to make great brag over [2mountain 1my holy].

3:12  And I will leave behind among you [2people 1a gentle], and humble; and they shall show reverence at the name of the lord --

3:13  the remnant of Israel; and they shall not commit iniquity, and they shall not speak vanity, and in no way should there be found in their mouth [2tongue 1a deceitful]. For they shall feed, and shall lay in bed, and there will not be one frightening them.

3:14  Rejoice, O daughter of Zion! Proclaim out loud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Be glad and delight yourself with [2entire 3heart 1your], O daughter of Jerusalem!

3:15  The lord removed your offences; he has ransomed you from out of the hand of your enemies. The king of Israel -- the lord in the midst of you. You shall not see the bad things any longer.

3:16  In that time the lord shall say to Jerusalem, Be of courage, O Zion, do not neglect your hands!

3:17  The lord your God among you; the mighty one shall deliver you; he shall bring upon you gladness, and shall revive you in his affection; and he shall be glad over you with delight as in the day of the holiday feast.

3:18  And I will gather your ones being broken. Woe, any taken [2upon 3her 1scorning].

3:19  Behold, I will act among you, because of you in that time. And I will deliver her being pressured; and [2her being thrust away 1will take]; and I will establish them for boasting and fame in all the earth.

3:20  And their enemies shall be disgraced in that time, whenever [2well 3with you 1I should do], and in the time whenever I should take you in. For I will make you famous and for boasting among all the peoples of the earth, in my returning your captivity before your eyes, says the lord.