Chapter 1

The word of the LORD which came 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.

I will utterly² consume⁵⁵ all [things] from off the land, saith⁷ the LORD.

I will consume⁵⁵ man and beast; I will consume⁵⁵ the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off⁵² man from off the land, saith⁷ the LORD.

I will also stretch out¹ mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem; and I will cut off⁵² the remnant of Baal from this place, [and] the name of the Chemarims with the priests;

And them that worship¹⁰² the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship¹⁰² [and] that swear¹² by the LORD, and that swear¹² by Malcham;

And them that are turned back¹² from the LORD; and [those] that have not sought¹⁴ the LORD, nor enquired¹ for him.

Hold thy peace¹⁶ at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD [is] at hand: for the LORD hath prepared⁵² a sacrifice, he hath bid⁵² his guests.⁷

And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish¹ the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed⁶ with strange apparel.

In the same day also will I punish¹ all those that leap⁶ on the threshold, which fill¹⁸ their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith⁷ the LORD, [that there shall be] the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

Howl,⁵⁴ ye inhabitants⁶ of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down;⁸ all they that bear silver are cut off.⁸

And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search¹⁷ Jerusalem with candles, and punish¹ the men that are settled⁶ on their lees: that say⁶ in their heart, The LORD will not do good,⁵⁵ neither will he do evil.⁵⁵

Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build¹ houses, but not inhabit⁴ [them]; and they shall plant¹ vineyards, but not drink⁴ the wine thereof.

The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it is] near, and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry⁶ there bitterly.

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,

A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced⁷ cities, and against the high towers.

And I will bring distress⁵² upon men, that they shall walk¹ like blind men, because they have sinned¹ against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out²⁷ as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able⁴ to deliver⁵³ them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured¹¹ by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make⁴ even a speedy¹² riddance of all them that dwell⁶ in the land.