1 T he word of Jehovah that came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

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

2 I will utterly take away everything from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah:

By taking away I will make an end and I will utterly consume and sweep away all things from the face of the earth, says the Lord.

3 I will take away man and beast; I will take away the fowl of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off mankind from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah.

I will consume and sweep away man and beast; I will consume and sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. I will overthrow the stumbling blocks (the idols) with the wicked, and I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth, says the Lord.

4 A nd I will stretch forth my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the Chemarim with the priests;

I will also stretch out 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 the idol priests with the priests,

5 a nd them that bow down to the host of the heavens upon the housetops; and them that bow down to Jehovah, that swear by, and swear by Malcham;

And those who worship the starry host of the heavens upon their housetops and those who worship the Lord and swear by and to Him and yet swear by and to Malcam,

6 a nd them that turn back from after Jehovah, and that do not seek Jehovah, nor inquire for him.

And those who have drawn back from following the Lord and those who have not sought the Lord nor inquired for, inquired of, and required the Lord.

7 B e silent at the presence of the Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath hallowed his guests.

Be silent before the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, and He has set apart those who have accepted His invitation.

8 A nd it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.

And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who are clothed in foreign apparel.

9 A nd in that day will I punish all those that leap over the threshold, who fill their master's house with violence and deceit.

In the same day also will I punish all those who leap swiftly on or over the threshold, who fill their master’s house with violence and deceit and fraud.

10 A nd in that day, saith Jehovah, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish-gate, and a howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

And in that day, says the Lord, there shall be heard the voice of crying from the Fish Gate and a wailing from the Second Quarter or Lower City and a great crashing and sound of destruction from the hills.

11 H owl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are cut down, all they that are laden with silver are cut off.

Wail, you inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the merchant people, like the people of Canaan, will be silent; all those who weighed out silver and were loaded with it will be cut off.

12 A nd it shall come to pass at that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.

And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who are thickening and settling on their lees, who say in their hearts, The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.

13 A nd their wealth shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation; and they shall build houses, and not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and not drink the wine thereof.

And their wealth shall become plunder and their houses a desolation. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink the wine from them.

14 T he great day of Jehovah is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly. The voice of the day of Jehovah: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

The great day of the Lord is near—near and hastening fast. Hark! the voice of the day of the Lord! The mighty man will cry then bitterly.

15 T hat day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and gross darkness,

That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fenced cities and against the high battlements.

A day of the blast of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the high towers and battlements.

17 A nd I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men; for they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung:

And I will bring distress upon men, so that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.

18 t heir silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them, in the day of Jehovah's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for a full end, yea, a sudden, shall he make of all them that dwell in the land.

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s indignation and wrath. But the whole earth shall be consumed in the fire of His jealous wrath, for a full, yes, a sudden, end will He make of all the inhabitants of the earth.