Jubilee2000 - Zephaniah

Chapter 1

1:1  The word of the LORD which went 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 destroy all things from off the face of the earth, saith the LORD.

1:3  I will destroy the men and the beasts; I will destroy the fowls of the heaven and the fishes of the sea, and the wicked shall stumble; and I will cut off men from upon the face of the earth, saith the LORD.

1:4  And I will extend my hand over Judah and over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place [and] the name of their religious [persons] with [their] priests

1:5  and those that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops and those that worship swearing by the LORD and by their king

1:6  and those that have turned back from following the LORD and [those] that did not seek the LORD, nor enquired about him.

1:7  Be silent before the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD [is] at hand: for the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, he has bid his guests.

1:8  And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice that I will make a visitation upon the princes and upon the king's sons and upon all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

1:9  In the same day I will also make a visitation upon all those that leap over the door, who fill their masters' houses with robbery 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 a howling from the school and a great destruction from the hills.

1:11  Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all those that brought [ye] silver are cut off.

1:12  And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem with candles and make a visitation upon 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 spoil, and their houses a desolation: they shall 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 hastens greatly, the bitter voice of the day of the LORD; the mighty man shall cry there.

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 shofar and alarm upon the strong cities, and upon 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 earth shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all those that dwell in the earth.:

Chapter 2

2:1  Search yourselves and one another, O unfriendly people;

2:2  before the decree is executed, [before] the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you.

2:3  Seek ye the LORD, all ye humble of the earth, who have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek humility: it may be ye shall be kept in the day of the LORD'S anger.

2:4  For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall spoil Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

2:5  Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the people of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Palistinians, I will cause thee to be destroyed until there shall be no inhabitant [left].

2:6  And the sea coast shall be for dwellings [and] cottages for pastors, and sheepfolds.

2:7  And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon they shall sleep for the night; for the LORD their God shall visit them and return their captives.

2:8  I have heard the reproaches of Moab, and the revilings of the sons of Ammon, by which they have dishonoured my people and magnified [themselves] over their border.

2:9  Therefore [as] I live, said the LORD of the hosts, [the] God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah, [even] a field of nettles and saltpits and a perpetual desolation; the remnant of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my Gentiles shall inherit them.

2:10  This shall come upon them for their pride because they have reproached and magnified [themselves] against the people of the LORD of the hosts.

2:11  The LORD [shall be] terrible against them for he will weaken all the gods of the earth; and each one from his place shall worship him, [even] all the isles of the Gentiles.

2:12  Ye Ethiopians also, ye [shall be] slain by my sword.

2:13  And he will stretch out his hand over the north [wind] 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 Gentiles; both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in her thresholds; [their] voice shall sing in the windows; desolation [shall be] in the gates: for her cedar [work] shall be uncovered.

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! anyone that passes by her shall hiss [and] wag his hand.:

Chapter 3

3:1  Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!

3:2  She did not obey the voice; she did not receive correction; she did not trust in the LORD; she did not draw near to her God.

3:3  Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they do not leave a bone for tomorrow.

3:4  Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary; they have falsified the law.

3:5  The just LORD [is] in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: each morning he shall bring his judgment to light; he never fails; but the unjust know no shame.

3:6  I have caused [the] Gentiles to be cut off: their castles are desolate; I made their streets waste until no one passes by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man [left], there is no inhabitant.

3:7  Saying, Surely [now] thou wilt fear me; thou wilt receive chastisement; so thy dwelling shall not be thrown down, all of which I visited upon her; but they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings.

3:8  Therefore wait for me, said the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my judgment [is] to gather [the] Gentiles, that I may assemble the kingdoms to pour upon them my indignation, [even] all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

3:9  For then I will restore to the peoples the 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 me an offering.

3:11  In that day thou shalt not be ashamed for any of thy doings, in which thou hast rebelled against me, for then I will take away out of the midst of thee those that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no longer be haughty because of the mountain of my holiness.

3:12  I will also leave in the midst of thee a poor and humble people, and they shall wait 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 be fed and lie down, and no one shall make [them] afraid.

3:14  Sing, O daughter of Zion; [shout with] joy O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

3:15  The LORD has taken away thy judgments; he has cast out thine enemy; the LORD is king of Israel in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more.

3:16  In that time it shall be said to Jerusalem, Do not fear; [and to] Zion, Do not let 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 [those that are] weary because of the [long] time, [who] are thine, [unto whom] her confusion [was] a burden.

3:19  Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee; and I will save her that is lame and gather her that was driven out; and I will make them a praise and of [good] reputation 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 give you as fame and as praise among all peoples of the earth, when I shall return your captives before your eyes, saith the LORD.: