Zephaniah (Tsefanyah)

ZEPHANIAH

1

1 The word of יהוה which came unto N63Zephaniah (Tsefanyah) the son of Kushi, the son of Gedalyah, the son of Amaryah, the son of Chizqiyah, in the days of Josiah (Yoshiyahu) the son of Amon, king of Judah (Yehudah).

2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith יהוה.

3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the sky, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith יהוה.

4 I will also stretch out Mine hand upon Judah (Yehudah), and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Yerushalayim); and I will cut off the remnant of the Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the kohanim;

5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by יהוה and yet swear by Milkom (god of the Ammonites);

6 And them that are turned back from יהוה; and those that have not sought יהוה, nor enquired for him.

7 Hold your peace at the presence of Lord (Adonai) יהוה, for the day of יהוה is at hand; for יהוה hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath bid His guests.

8 And it shall come to pass in the day of יהוה’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith יהוה, that 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.

11 Howl, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, יהוה will not do good, neither will He do evil.

13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

14 The great day of יהוה is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of יהוה, the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

15 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,

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

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

18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of יהוה’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

2

1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of יהוה come upon you, before the day of יהוה’s anger come upon you.

3 Seek you יהוה, all you meek of the earth, who have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be you shall be hidden in the day of יהוה’s anger.

4 For Gaza (Azzah) shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of יהוה is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines: “I will even destroy you, that there shall be no inhabitant.”

6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah (Yehudah); they shall feed thereupon; in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening, for יהוה their God (Elohim) shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

8 I have heard the reproach of Moav, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached My people, and magnified themselves against their border.

9 “Therefore as I live,” saith יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot), the God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael), “Surely Moav shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation; the residue of My people shall spoil them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them.”

10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of יהוה of hosts (YHWH Tsevaot).

11 יהוה will be terrible unto them; for He will famish all the gods (elohim) of the earth; and men shall worship Him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the nations.

12 “You Ethiopians (Kushim) also, you shall be slain by My sword.”

13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north, and destroy Assyria (Ashshur); and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations; both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds, for He shall uncover the cedar work.

15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is none besides me;” how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.

3

1 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!

2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in יהוה; she drew not near to her God (Elohim).

3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till tomorrow.

4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her kohanim have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the Torah.

5 The just יהוה is in the midst thereof; He will not do iniquity. Every morning doth He bring His judgment to light, He faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

6 “I have cut off the nations; their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.

7 I said, ‘Surely you wilt fear Me, you wilt receive instruction’; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them; but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.

8 “Therefore wait you upon Me,” saith יהוה, “until the day that I rise up to the prey, for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them Mine indignation, even all My fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.

9 For then will I turn (restore) to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of יהוה (YHWH), and serve with one consent.

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia (Kush) My suppliants, even the daughter of My dispersed, shall bring Mine offering.

11 In that day shalt you not be ashamed for all your doings, wherein you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of you them that rejoice in your pride, and you shalt no more be haughty because of My holy mountain.

12 I will also leave in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of יהוה.

13 The remnant of Yisrael shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion (Tsiyon); shout, O Yisrael; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem (Yerushalayim).

15 יהוה hath taken away your judgments, He hath cast out your enemy; the king of Yisrael, even יהוה, is in the midst of you; you shalt not see disaster (raah) any more.

16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim), “Fear you not;” and to Zion

(Tsiyon), “Let not your hands be slack.”

17 יהוה your God (Elohim) in the midst of you is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

18 “I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of you, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict you; and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you, for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes,” saith יהוה.