\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Zephaniah}
{\MTB The Book of
\par }{\MT Zephaniah

\par }\ChapOne{1}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The
LORD’s\FTNT{*}{{\FR 1:1 }
When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.}
word
which
came
to
Zephaniah,
the
son
of Cushi,
the
son
of
Gedaliah,
the
son
of
Amariah,
the
son
of
Hezekiah,
in
the
days
of
Josiah,
the
son
of
Amon,
king
of
Judah.
\par }{\PP \VS{2}I
will utterly
sweep
away
everything
from
the
surface
of
the
earth,
says
the
LORD.
\VS{3}I
will
sweep
away
man
and
animal.
I
will
sweep
away
the
birds
of
the
sky,
the
fish
of
the
sea,
and
the heaps
of rubble
with
the
wicked.
I
will
cut
off
man
from
the
surface
of
the
earth,
says
the
LORD.
\VS{4}I
will
stretch
out
my
hand
against
Judah
and
against
all
the
inhabitants
of
Jerusalem.
I
will
cut
off
the
remnant
of
Baal
from
this
place—the
name
of
the
idolatrous
and pagan
priests,
\VS{5}those
who
worship
the
army
of
the
sky
on
the
housetops,
those
who
worship
and
swear
by
the
LORD
and
also
swear
by Malcam,
\VS{6}those
who
have
turned
back
from
following
the
LORD,
and
those
who
haven’t
sought
the
LORD
nor enquired
after
him.
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Be
silent
at
the
presence
of
the
Lord\FTNT{†}{{\FR 1:7 }
The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”}
GOD,
for
the
day
of
the
LORD
is
at
hand.
For
the
LORD
has
prepared
a
sacrifice.
He
has
consecrated
his
guests.
\VS{8}It
will
happen
in
the
day
of
the
LORD’s
sacrifice
that
I
will
punish
the
princes,
the
king’s
sons,
and
all
those
who
are
clothed
with
foreign
clothing.
\VS{9}In
that
day,
I
will
punish
all
those
who
leap
over
the
threshold,
who
fill
their
master’s
house
with
violence
and
deceit.
\par }{\PP \VS{10}In
that
day,
says
the
LORD,
there
will
be
the
noise
of
a
cry
from
the
fish
gate,
a
wailing
from
the
second quarter,
and
a
great
crashing
from
the
hills.
\VS{11}Wail,
you
inhabitants
of Maktesh,
for
all
the
people
of
Canaan are undone!
All
those
who
were loaded
with
silver are
cut
off.
\VS{12}It
will
happen
at
that
time,
that
I
will
search
Jerusalem
with
lamps,
and
I
will
punish
the
men
who
are settled
on
their
dregs,
who
say
in
their
heart, “The
LORD
will
not
do
good,
neither
will
he
do
evil.”
\VS{13}Their
wealth
will
become
a
plunder,
and
their
houses
a
desolation. Yes,
they
will
build
houses,
but
won’t
inhabit
them.
They
will
plant
vineyards,
but
won’t
drink
their
wine.
\par }{\PP \VS{14}The
great
day
of
the
LORD
is
near.
It
is
near
and hurries
greatly,
the
voice
of
the
day
of
the
LORD.
The
mighty
man
cries
there
bitterly.
\VS{15}That
day
is
a
day
of
wrath,
a
day
of
distress
and
anguish,
a
day
of
trouble
and ruin,
a
day
of
darkness
and
gloom,
a
day
of
clouds
and blackness,
\VS{16}a
day
of
the
trumpet
and
alarm
against
the
fortified
cities
and
against
the
high battlements.
\VS{17}I
will
bring such distress
on
men
that
they
will
walk
like
blind
men
because
they
have
sinned
against
the
LORD.
Their
blood
will
be
poured
out
like
dust
and
their
flesh
like
dung.
\VS{18}Neither
their
silver
nor
their
gold
will
be
able
to
deliver
them
in
the
day
of
the
LORD’s
wrath,
but
the
whole
land
will
be
devoured
by
the
fire
of
his
jealousy;
for
he
will
make
an
end,
yes,
a terrible
end,
of
all
those
who
dwell
in
the
land.

\par }\Chap{2}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together,
you
nation
that
has
no
shame,
\VS{2}before
the
appointed
time
when
the
day
passes
as
the
chaff,
before
the
fierce
anger
of
the
LORD
comes
on
you,
before
the
day
of
the
LORD’s
anger
comes
on
you.
\VS{3}Seek
the
LORD,
all
you
humble
of
the
land,
who
have kept
his
ordinances.
Seek
righteousness.
Seek
humility.
It
may
be
that
you
will
be
hidden
in
the
day
of
the
LORD’s
anger.
\VS{4}For
Gaza
will
be forsaken,
and
Ashkelon
a
desolation.
They
will
drive
out
Ashdod
at noonday,
and
Ekron
will
be rooted
up.
\VS{5}Woe
to
the
inhabitants
of
the
sea coast,
the
nation
of
the
Cherethites!
The
LORD’s
word
is
against
you,
Canaan,
the
land
of
the
Philistines.
I
will
destroy
you
until
there
is
no
inhabitant.
\VS{6}The
sea coast
will
be pastures,
with cottages
for
shepherds
and
folds
for
flocks.
\VS{7}The coast
will
be
for
the
remnant
of
the
house
of
Judah.
They
will find pasture.
In
the
houses
of
Ashkelon,
they
will
lie
down
in
the
evening,
for
the
LORD,
their
God,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 2:7 }
The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).}
will
visit
them
and
restore
them.
\VS{8}I
have
heard
the
reproach
of
Moab
and
the
insults
of
the
children
of
Ammon,
with
which
they
have reproached
my
people
and
magnified
themselves
against
their
border.
\VS{9}Therefore,
as
I
live,
says
the
LORD
of
Armies,
the
God
of
Israel,
surely
Moab
will
be
as
Sodom,
and
the
children
of
Ammon
as
Gomorrah,
a
possession
of
nettles
and
salt
pits,
and
a
perpetual
desolation.
The
remnant
of
my
people
will
plunder
them,
and
the
survivors
of
my
nation
will
inherit
them.
\VS{10}This
they
will
have
for
their
pride,
because
they
have reproached
and
magnified
themselves
against
the
people
of
the
LORD
of
Armies.
\VS{11}The
LORD
will
be
awesome
to
them,
for
he
will famish
all
the
gods
of
the
land.
Men
will
worship
him,
everyone
from
his
place,
even
all
the shores
of
the
nations.
\par }{\PP \VS{12}You Cushites
also,
you
will
be
killed
by
my
sword.
\par }{\PP \VS{13}He
will
stretch
out
his
hand
against
the
north,
destroy
Assyria,
and
will
make
Nineveh
a
desolation,
as
dry
as
the
wilderness.
\VS{14}Herds
will
lie
down
in
the
middle
of
her,
all
kinds
of
animals.
Both
the
pelican
and
the porcupine
will lodge
in
its
capitals.
Their
calls
will echo
through
the
windows. Desolation
will
be
in
the
thresholds,
for
he
has
laid
bare
the
cedar beams.
\VS{15}This
is
the joyous
city
that
lived carelessly,
that
said
in
her
heart, “I
am,
and
there
is
no
one
besides
me.”
How she
has
become
a
desolation,
a
place
for
animals
to
lie
down
in!
Everyone
who
passes
by
her
will
hiss
and
shake
their fists.

\par }\Chap{3}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Woe
to her
who is rebellious and polluted,
the
oppressing
city!
\VS{2}She
didn’t
obey
the
voice.
She
didn’t
receive
correction.
She
didn’t
trust
in
the
LORD.
She
didn’t
draw
near
to
her
God.
\par }{\PP \VS{3}Her
princes
within
her
are
roaring
lions.
Her
judges
are
evening
wolves.
They leave
nothing until
the next
day.
\VS{4}Her
prophets
are arrogant
and
treacherous
people.
Her
priests
have
profaned
the
sanctuary.
They
have
done
violence
to
the
law.
\VS{5}The
LORD,
within
her,
is
righteous.
He
will
do
no
wrong.
Every
morning
he
brings
his
justice
to
light.
He
doesn’t
fail,
but
the
unjust
know
no
shame.
\par }{\PP \VS{6}I
have
cut
off
nations.
Their battlements
are
desolate.
I
have
made
their
streets
waste,
so
that
no
one
passes
by.
Their
cities
are
destroyed,
so
that
there
is
no
man,
so
that
there
is
no
inhabitant.
\VS{7}I
said, “Just
fear
me.
Receive
correction,”
so
that
her
dwelling
won’t
be
cut
off,
according
to
all
that
I
have
appointed
concerning
her.
But
they
rose
early
and
corrupted
all
their doings.
\par }{\PP \VS{8}“Therefore
wait
for
me”,
says
the
LORD, “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
on
them
my
indignation,
even
all
my
fierce
anger,
for
all
the
earth
will
be
devoured
with
the
fire
of
my
jealousy.
\par }{\PP \VS{9}For
then
I
will
purify
the
lips
of
the
peoples,
that
they
may
all
call
on
the
LORD’s
name,
to
serve
him
shoulder
to
shoulder.
\VS{10}From
beyond
the
rivers
of
Cush,
my worshippers, even
the
daughter
of
my
dispersed people,
will
bring
my
offering.
\VS{11}In
that
day
you
will
not
be
disappointed
for
all
your doings
in
which
you
have
transgressed
against
me;
for
then
I
will
take
away
out
from amongst
you
your
proudly
exulting
ones,
and
you
will
no
more
be
arrogant
in
my
holy
mountain.
\VS{12}But
I
will
leave amongst
you
an
afflicted
and
poor
people,
and
they
will
take
refuge
in
the
LORD’s
name.
\VS{13}The
remnant
of
Israel
will
not
do
iniquity
nor
speak
lies,
neither
will
a deceitful
tongue
be
found
in
their
mouth,
for
they
will
feed
and
lie
down,
and
no
one
will
make
them
afraid.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}Sing,
daughter
of
Zion!
Shout,
Israel!
Be
glad
and
rejoice
with
all
your
heart,
daughter
of
Jerusalem.
\VS{15}The
LORD
has
taken
away
your judgements.
He
has thrown
out
your
enemy.
The
King
of
Israel,
the
LORD,
is amongst
you.
You
will
not
be
afraid
of
evil
any
more.
\VS{16}In
that
day,
it
will
be
said
to
Jerusalem, “Don’t
be
afraid,
Zion.
Don’t
let
your
hands
be weak.”
\VS{17}The
LORD,
your
God,
is amongst
you,
a
mighty
one
who
will
save.
He
will
rejoice
over
you
with
joy.
He
will calm
you
in
his
love.
He
will
rejoice
over
you
with
singing.
\VS{18}I
will remove
those who
grieve
about
the
appointed
feasts
from
you.
They
are
a
burden
and
a
reproach
to
you.
\VS{19}Behold,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 3:19 }
“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.}
at
that
time
I
will
deal
with
all
those
who
afflict
you;
and
I
will
save
those
who
are
lame
and
gather
those
who
were
driven
away.
I
will
give
them
praise
and honour,
whose
shame
has
been
in
all
the
earth.
\VS{20}At
that
time
I
will
bring
you
in,
and
at
that
time
I
will
gather
you;
for
I
will
give
you honour
and
praise amongst
all
the
peoples
of
the
earth
when
I
restore
your
fortunes
before
your
eyes,
says
the
LORD.
\par }