MKJV - Zephaniah

Chapter 1

1:1  The word of the LORD which came to 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 completely snatch away all from on the face of the ground, says the LORD.

1:3  I will snatch away man and beast; I will snatch away the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks, even the wicked; and I will cut off man from the face of the earth, says the LORD.

1:4  I will also stretch out My hand on Judah and on all the people of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the idol-worshipers, with the priests,

1:5  and those bowing to the host of heaven on the housetops, and those bowing, swearing to Jehovah, also swearing by Malcham;

1:6  and those drawing back from the LORD, and who have not sought the LORD, nor asked for Him.

1:7  Be silent before the face of the Lord Jehovah, for the day of the LORD is at hand. For the LORD has appointed a sacrifice; He has consecrated His called ones.

1:8  And it shall be in the day of the LORD's sacrifice, I will punish the rulers, and the king's sons, and all who are clothed in foreign clothing.

1:9  And I will punish all those who leap on the threshold in that day, who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

1:10  And it shall be in that day, says the LORD, the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, and a howling from the Second, and a great crashing from the hills.

1:11  Howl, people of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are cut down; all those who carry silver are cut off.

1:12  And it shall be in that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled on their lees; who say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil.

1:13  And their goods shall become a prize and their houses a waste. They shall also build houses, but not live in them, and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.

1:14  The great day of the LORD is near; it is near and rushing greatly, the voice of the day of the LORD. The mighty man shall cry bitterly there.

1:15  That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste and ruin, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

1:16  a day of the ram's horn and alarm against the fortified cities, and against the high towers.

1:17  And I will bring distress on men, so that they shall walk with the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung.

1:18  Their silver nor their gold will not 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 full, yea, a speedy end of all the dwellers in the land.

Chapter 2

2:1  Gather yourselves together; yea, gather, O nation not desired;

2:2  before the birth of the decree, the day shall pass like the chaff; yet not before the hot anger of the LORD comes on you, yet not before the day of the LORD's anger comes on you.

2:3  Seek the LORD, all the meek of the earth who have done His justice; seek righteousness; seek meekness. It may be you shall be hidden in the day of the LORD's anger.

2:4  For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a ruin. They shall drive out Ashdod at the noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

2:5  Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you: Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will destroy you, so that no inhabitant survives.

2:6  And the sea coast will be pastures, meadows of shepherds, and folds for flocks.

2:7  And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed on them. In the houses of Ashkelon they shall 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 curses of the sons of Ammon, with which they have cursed My people and have magnified themselves on their border.

2:9  Therefore, as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah; a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a ruin forever. The remnant of My people shall plunder them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them.

2:10  They shall have this for their pride, because they have cursed and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.

2:11  The LORD will be frightening to them; for He will make all the gods of the earth lean; each man from his place and all the coastlands of the nations shall bow to Him.

2:12  You Ethiopians also 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 desert and dry like a desert.

2:14  And flocks shall lie down in her midst, all the beasts of a nation; both the pelican and the bittern shall roost in the capitals of its pillars; a voice shall sing at the window, ruin shall be at the doorsill, for he will bare the cedar-work.

2:15  This is the rejoicing city, dwelling confidently, who says in her heart, I am, and no other still is. How she has become a ruin, a resting-place for animals! Everyone who passes by her shall hiss; he shall wag his hand.

Chapter 3

3:1  Woe to her rebelling and becoming defiled, to the oppressing city!

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

3:3  Her rulers within her are roaring lions; her judges evening wolves. They do not gnaw bones for the morning.

3:4  Her prophets are proud, men of deceit; her priests have defiled the sanctuary; they have done violence to the law.

3:5  The just LORD is in her midst; He will not act perversely. Every morning He gives His justice to the light; He fails not; but the perverse knows no shame.

3:6  I have cut off the nations; their towers are ruined. I made their streets waste, so that none passes by; their cities are laid waste, without a man, there being no inhabitant.

3:7  I said, Surely you will fear Me; you will receive instruction; then her dwelling shall not be cut off, all that I appointed for her. But they rose early, corrupting all their doings.

3:8  Therefore wait for Me, says the LORD, for the day I rise up to the prey; for My judgment is to gather the nations, for Me to collect the kingdoms, to pour on them My fury, all My hot anger. For all the earth shall be burned up with the fire of My jealousy.

3:9  For then I will give a clear lip to the people, to call all of them by the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one shoulder.

3:10  From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, My worshipers, the daughter of My scattered ones, shall bring My food offering.

3:11  In that day you shall not be ashamed for all your doings in which you have transgressed against Me; for then I will withdraw from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall never again be proud in My holy mountain.

3:12  I will also leave in your midst a poor and weak people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

3:13  The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies, and a deceitful tongue shall not 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 has turned off your judgments; He has cast out your enemy. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall not fear evil any more.

3:16  In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not! Do not let not your hands droop, Zion.

3:17  The LORD your God is mighty in your midst; He will save, He will rejoice over you with joy; He is silent in His love; He rejoices over you with joyful shout.

3:18  I will gather the afflicted ones from the appointed place; they were from you, a lifting up of reproach over her.

3:19  Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you. And I will save her who is lame, and gather her who was driven out. And I will give them for a praise and for a name in all the land of their shame.

3:20  In that time I will bring you, even in the time that I gather you; for I will give you for a name and for a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, says the LORD.