1 Y ahweh’s word which came to 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 sweep away everything off of the surface of the earth, says Yahweh.

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 sweep away man and animal. I will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the heaps of rubble with the wicked. I will cut off man from the surface of the earth, says Yahweh.

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 I will stretch out my hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place: the name of the idolatrous and pagan 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 t hose who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by Yahweh and also swear by Malcam,

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 t hose who have turned back from following Yahweh, and those who haven’t sought Yahweh nor inquired after 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 Yahweh, for the day of Yahweh is at hand. For Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated 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 I t will happen in the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.

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 I n that day, I will punish all those who 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 I n that day, says Yahweh, there will be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, a wailing from the second quarter, 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 W ail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded 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 I t will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “Yahweh 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 T heir wealth will become a plunder, and their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses, but won’t inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won’t drink their wine.

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 Yahweh is near. It is near, and hurries greatly, the voice of the day of Yahweh. The mighty man cries 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 distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

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 fortified 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 I will bring distress on men, that they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Yahweh, and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like 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 N either their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who 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.