Category: Zephaniah

1 The word of theLordthat came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah,in the days of Josiahson of Amon,king of Judah.

The Great Day of the Lord

2 I will completely sweep away everything

from the face of the earth—

this is theLord’s declaration.

3 I will sweep away man and animal;

I will sweep away the birds of the sky

and the fish of the sea,

and the ruinsalong with the wicked.

I will cut off mankind

from the face of the earth.

This is theLord’s declaration.

4 I will stretch out My handagainst Judah

and against all the residents of Jerusalem.

I will cut off every vestige of Baal

from this place,

the names of the pagan priests

along with the priests;

5 those who bow in worship on the rooftops

to the heavenly host;

those who bow and pledge loyalty to theLord

but also pledge loyalty to Milcom;

6 and those who turn back from following theLord,

who do not seek theLordor inquire of Him.

7 Be silent in the presence of the LordGod,

for the Day of theLordis near.

Indeed, theLordhas prepared a sacrifice;

He has consecrated His guests.

8 On the day of theLord’s sacrifice

I will punish the officials, the king’s sons,

and all who are dressed in foreign clothing.

9 On that dayI will punish

all who skip over the threshold,

who fill their master’s house

with violence and deceit.

10 On that day —

this is theLord’s declaration —

there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate,

a wailing from the Second District,

and a loud crashing from the hills.

11 Wail, you residents of the Hollow,

for all the merchantswill be silenced;

all those loaded with silver will be cut off.

12 And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

and punish the men who settle down comfortably,

who say to themselves:

TheLordwill not do good or evil.

13 Their wealth will become plunder

and their houses a ruin.

They will build houses but never live in them,

plant vineyards but never drink their wine.

14 The great Day of theLordis near,

near and rapidly approaching.

Listen, the Day of theLord—

then the warrior’s cry is bitter.

15 That day is a day of wrath,

a day of trouble and distress,

a day of destruction and desolation,

a day of darknessand gloom,

a day of clouds and blackness,

16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry

against the fortified cities,

and against the high corner towers.

17 I will bring distress on mankind,

and they will walk like the blind

because they have sinned against theLord.

Their blood will be poured out like dust

and their flesh like dung.

18 Their silver and their gold

will not be able to rescue them

on the day of theLord’s wrath.

The whole earth will be consumed

by the fire of His jealousy.

For He will make a complete,

yes, a horrifying end

of all the inhabitants of the earth.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/ZEP/1-0c629cbc81ed0da99bf79d519a2a76f5.mp3?version_id=72—

A Call to Repentance

1 Gather yourselves together;

gather together, undesirablenation,

2 before the decreetakes effect

and the day passes like chaff,

before the burning of theLord’s angerovertakes you,

before the day of theLord’s anger overtakes you.

3 Seek theLord,all you humbleof the earth,

who carry out what He commands.

Seek righteousness, seek humility;

perhaps you will be concealed

on the day of theLord’s anger.

Judgment against the Nations

4 For Gaza will be abandoned,

and Ashkelon will become a ruin.

Ashdod will be driven out at noon,

and Ekron will be uprooted.

5 Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast,

nation of the Cherethites!

The word of theLordis against you,

Canaan, land of the Philistines:

I will destroy you until there is no one left.

6 The seacoast will become pasturelands

with caves for shepherds and folds for sheep.

7 The coastland will belong

to the remnant of the house of Judah;

they will find pasture there.

They will lie down in the evening

among the houses of Ashkelon,

for theLordtheir God will return to them

and restore their fortunes.

8 I have heard the tauntingof Moab

and the insults of the Ammonites,

who have taunted My people

and threatened their territory.

9 Therefore, as I live —

this is the declaration of theLordof Hosts,

the God of Israel —

Moab will be like Sodom

and the Ammonites like Gomorrah—

a place overgrown with weeds,

a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland.

The remnant of My people will plunder them;

the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.

10 This is what they get for their pride,

because they have taunted and acted arrogantly

against the people of theLordof Hosts.

11 TheLordwill be terrifying to them

when He starves all the gods of the earth.

Then all the distant coastlands of the nations

will bow in worship to Him,

each in its own place.

12 You Cushites will also be slain by My sword.

13 He will also stretch out His hand against the north

and destroy Assyria;

He will make Nineveh a desolate ruin,

dry as the desert.

14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it,

every kind of wild animal.

Both the desert owland the screech owl

will roost in the capitals of its pillars.

Their calls will soundfrom the window,

but devastationwill be on the threshold,

for He will expose the cedar work.

15 This is the self-assuredcity

that lives in security,

that thinks to herself:

I exist, and there is no one else.

What a desolation she has become,

a place for wild animals to lie down!

Everyone who passes by her

jeersand shakes his fist.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/ZEP/2-a019a33e61dc7fd4b09102b59bda2cff.mp3?version_id=72—

Woe to Oppressive Jerusalem

1 Woe to the city that is rebelliousand defiled,

the oppressive city!

2 She has not obeyed;

she has not accepted discipline.

She has not trustedin Yahweh;

she has not drawn near to her God.

3 Theprinces within her are roaring lions;

her judges are wolves of the night,

which leave nothing forthe morning.

4 Her prophets are reckless—

treacherous men.

Her priests profane the sanctuary;

they do violence to instruction.

5 The righteousLordis in her;

He does no wrong.

He applies His justice morning by morning;

He does not fail at dawn,

yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.

6 I have cut off nations;

their corner towersare destroyed.

I have laid waste their streets,

with no one to pass through.

Their cities lie devastated,

without a person, without an inhabitant.

7 I thought: You will certainly fear Me

and accept correction.

Then her dwelling place

would not be cut off

based on all that I had allocated to her.

However, they became more corrupt

in all their actions.

8 Therefore, wait for Me—

this is theLord’s declaration —

until the day I rise up for plunder.

For My decision is to gather nations,

to assemble kingdoms,

in order to pour out My indignationon them,

all My burning anger;

for the whole earth will be consumed

by the fire of My jealousy.

Final Restoration Promised

9 For I will then restore

purespeech to the peoples

so that all of them may call

on the name of Yahweh

and serve Him with a single purpose.

10 From beyond the rivers of Cush

My supplicants, My dispersed people,

will bring an offering to Me.

11 On that day youwill not be put to shame

because of everything you have done

in rebellingagainst Me.

For then I will remove

your proud,arrogant people from among you,

and you will never again be haughty

on My holy mountain.

12 I will leave

a meek and humble peopleamong you,

and they will take refuge in the name of Yahweh.

13 The remnantof Israel will no longer

do wrong or tell lies;

a deceitful tongue will not be found

in their mouths.

But they will pasture and lie down,

with nothing to make them afraid.

14 Sing for joy, Daughter Zion;

shout loudly, Israel!

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

Daughter Jerusalem!

15 TheLordhas removed your punishment;

He has turned back your enemy.

The King of Israel, Yahweh, is among you;

you need no longer fear harm.

16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:

“Do not fear;

Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.

17 Yahweh your God is among you,

a warriorwho saves.

He will rejoice over youwith gladness.

He will bring you quietnesswith His love.

He will delight in you with shouts of joy.”

18 I will gather those who have been driven

from the appointed festivals;

they will be a tribute from you

and a reproach on her.

19 Yes, at that time

I will deal with all who afflict you.

I will save the lameand gather the scattered;

I will make those who were disgraced

throughout the earth

receive praise and fame.

20 At that time I will bring youback,

yes, at the time I will gather you.

I will give you fame and praise

among all the peoples of the earth,

when I restore your fortunesbefore your eyes.

Yahweh has spoken.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/ZEP/3-4311cbcb23151140a8213bcb9f18beaa.mp3?version_id=72—