LEB ZEP book

Judah’s Impending Judgment

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

2 from the face of the earth”—a declaration of Yahweh.
3  I will destroy the birds of the sky
and the fish of the sea,
and the stumbling blocks[fn] with the wicked.

And I will cut off humankind
- from the face of the earth”—a declaration of Yahweh.
- 4  and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And I will cut off from this place
- the remnant of Baal,
- and the name of idolatrous priests with the priests,[fn]
- 5  to the host of heaven,
and those who bow down, swearing to Yahweh
- but also swearing by Milkom,[fn]
- 6 [fn] Yahweh, and who did not seek Yahweh,
- and did not inquire of him.”
- 7  for the day of Yahweh draws near,
for Yahweh has provided a sacrifice
- and has consecrated his guests.
8 that on the day of the sacrifice of Yahweh, I will punish the officials
- and the sons of the king
- and those who dress in foreign clothing.
- 9  all who leap over the threshold,
who fill up the house of their master
- with violence and deceit.
- 10  “a[fn] from the Fish Gate,
and a wailing from the Second District,
- and a loud[fn] crashing from the hills.
- 11  for all the traders have perished;
- all who trade with silver have been cut off.
12 that at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
- [fn]
who say in their hearts,
- ‘Yahweh will not do good, nor will he do evil.’
- 13  and their homes as desolation.
And they shall build their houses and not inhabit them,
- and they shall plant vineyards and not drink their wine.”
- 14  it is near and coming very swiftly.
The sound of the day of Yahweh is bitterness;
- there, a warrior cries out!
- 15 will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress,
- a day of disaster and ruination,
- a day of darkness and deep gloom,
- a day of clouds[fn] and thick clouds,[fn]
- 16 trumpet blast against the fortified cities
- and against the high corner towers.
- 17  and they shall walk about like the blind,
for they sinned against Yahweh;
- their blood shall be poured out like dust
- and their entrails like dung.
- 18  will not be able to save them
- on the day of the wrath of Yahweh.
And in the fire of his zeal,
- the whole land shall be consumed,
for a terrifying end he shall make
- for all the inhabitants of the land.

Judgment of Judah’s Enemies

O nation having no shame!
2  the day flies away like chaff;

before the fierce anger of Yahweh overtakes you;
- before the day of the anger of Yahweh overtakes you.
- 3  who have fulfilled his law;
seek righteousness;
- seek humility.
Perhaps you will be concealed
- on the day of the anger of Yahweh.
- 4  and Ashkelon as a desolation.
As for Ashdod, at noon they will drive her away,
- and Ekron shall be uprooted.
- 5 to you, inhabitants of the region of the sea, people of the Kerethites!
The word of Yahweh is against you,
- O Canaan, land of the Philistines.
I will destroy you[fn]
- 6  pastures and meadows for shepherds
- and sheep pens for the flocks.
- 7  for the remnant of the house of Judah;
- upon them they shall graze,
and in the houses of Ashkelon
- they shall lie down in the evening.
For Yahweh their God shall be mindful of them,
- and he will restore their fortunes.
- 8  and the scorning of the[fn]
with which they have taunted my nation
- and made boasts against their territory.
- 9  the God of Israel—
“Moab shall be as Sodom,
- and the[fn] like Gomorrah,
a place of weeds and salt pits
- and a desolation forever.
The remnant of my people shall plunder them,
- and the remainder of my nation shall possess them.”
- 10 shall be for them in place of their pride because they mocked and boasted
- against the people of Yahweh of hosts.
- 11 will be awesome against them, for he will destroy all the gods of the earth
and all the lands[fn] of the nations;
- each in its place will bow down to him.
- 12  they shall be killed by my sword.
- 13  and he will destroy Assyria
and will make Nineveh a desolation,
- a dry wasteland like the desert.
- 14  every wild animal of a nation;
even the desert owl and the screech owl
- shall lodge on her capitals.
A voice shall hoot in the window;
- rubble[fn] on the threshold;
for the cedar is laid bare.
- 15 is the city of rejoicing that lived securely;
the one saying in her heart,
- “[fn]
How she has become a desolation,
- a lair for wild animals!
Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.

Judgment of Jerusalem and the Nations

The oppressing city!
2  she does not accept correction.

In Yahweh she does not trust;
- to her God she does not draw near.
- 3 are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves;
  - they leave nothing until the morning.
- 4 are arrogant men of treachery; her priests have defiled that which is holy;
  - they do violence to the law.
- 5 is righteous in her midst; he does not do wickedness.
[fn] he renders his judgment;
- at dawn he does not fail,
but an evil one knows no shame.
- 6  their strongholds are deserted.
I have laid waste their streets,
- so that none pass through.
Their cities have been destroyed
- and are without a man, without an inhabitant.
- 7  she will accept discipline.
Then her dwelling place will not be cut down,
- nor all that I have brought upon her.’
Surely they rise early;
- they make all their deeds corrupt.
- 8  “for the day of my rising as a witness.
For my decision is to gather nations,
- to assemble[fn] kingdoms,
- to pour out my wrath upon them, all my burning anger.
For by the fire of my anger all the land shall be consumed.
- 9 [fn] that all of them might call on the name of Yahweh,
- to serve him[fn]
- 10  my worshipers and the daughter of my scattered ones
- shall bring my offering.
- 11  on account of all your deeds
- by which you have rebelled against me.
For then I shall remove from your midst
- those exulting in your pride,
and you shall no longer be haughty
- in[fn]
- 12  a people afflicted and poor,
and they shall take refuge
- in the name of Yahweh.
- 13  shall not do wickedness;
they shall not speak deception,
- nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth.
For they shall graze and lie down,
- and none shall frighten them.”
- 14  Cry aloud, O Israel!
Rejoice and be jubilant with all your heart,
- O daughter of Jerusalem!
- 15  he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, Yahweh, is in your midst;
- you shall no longer fear misfortune.
- 16  “Fear not, O Zion;
- your hands shall not hang limp.
- 17 is in your midst; a mighty warrior who saves.
He shall rejoice over you with joy;
- he renews[fn] you in his love;
- he will exult over you with singing.
- 18  they were raising against her a reproach.
- 19  I will save the lame and gather the outcast.
I will change[fn] them from shame
- to glory and[fn] throughout the whole world.
- 20 in; at the time of my gathering you together.
For I will make you[fn] and praised
- among all the nations of the earth
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
- says Yahweh.

1:1 A reference to idols

1:1 The last phrase, “with the priests,” may be a later explanatory gloss

1:1 Or “their king”

1:1 Literally “after”

1:1 Literally “voice of a cry of distress”

1:1 Or “great”

1:1 Literally “who are thickened with their dregs”

1:1 Hebrew “cloud”

2:? Literally “from there is not an inhabitant”

2:? Literally “sons/children of Ammon”

2:? Or “islands”

2:? The traditional Hebrew text has “waste,” while LXX has “a raven,” reflecting a different word with one consonant changed

2:? Literally “I am and none me”

3:? Literally “In the morning, in the morning”

3:? The traditional Hebrew has “assemble me”; this translation follows LXX

3:? Literally “I will turn to the nations a purged lip”

3:? Literally “with one shoulder”

3:? Literally “the mountain of my holiness”

3:? The translation follows the LXX text; the traditional Hebrew text reads “he will silence you in his love”

3:? Or “make”

3:? Literally “a name”