Chapter 1

Zephaniah

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

2“I will utterly sweep away everythingfrom the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.3“I will sweep away man and beast;I will sweep away the birds of the heavensand the fish of the sea,and the rubble with the wicked.I will cut off mankindfrom the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.4“I will stretch out my hand against Judahand against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baaland the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,5those who bow down on the roofsto the host of the heavens,those who bow down and swear to the LORDand yet swear by Milcom,6those who have turned back from following the LORD,who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him.”7Be silent before the Lord GOD!For the day of the LORD is near;the LORD has prepared a sacrificeand consecrated his guests.8And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice—“I will punish the officials and the king’s sonsand all who array themselves in foreign attire.9On that day I will punisheveryone who leaps over the threshold,and those who fill their master’s housewith violence and fraud.10“On that day,” declares the LORD,“a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,a wail from the Second Quarter,a loud crash from the hills.11Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!For all the traders are no more;all who weigh out silver are cut off.12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,and I will punish the menwho are complacent,those who say in their hearts,‘The LORD will not do good,nor will he do ill.’13Their goods shall be plundered,and their houses laid waste.Though they build houses,they shall not inhabit them;though they plant vineyards,they shall not drink wine from them.”14The great day of the LORD is near,near and hastening fast;the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter;the mighty man cries aloud there.15A day of wrath is that day,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,16a day of trumpet blast and battle cryagainst the fortified citiesand against the lofty battlements.17I will bring distress on mankind,so that they shall walk like the blind,because they have sinned against the LORD;their blood shall be poured out like dust,and their flesh like dung.18Neither their silver nor their goldshall be able to deliver themon the day of the wrath of the LORD.In the fire of his jealousy,all the earth shall be consumed;for a full and sudden endhe will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.