1:1 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of

Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of

Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

1:2 I will utterly consume all [things] from off the land, saith

the LORD.

1:3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of

the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks

with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land,

saith the LORD.

1:4 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all

the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of

Baal from this place, [and] the name of the Chemarims with the

priests;

1:5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops;

and them that worship [and] that swear by the LORD, and that

swear by Malcham;

1:6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and [those]

that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

1:7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day

of the LORD [is] at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a

sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.

1:8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S

sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's

children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

1:9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on

the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence

and deceit.

1:10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD,

[that there shall be] the noise of a cry from the fish gate,

and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the

hills.

1:11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant

people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

1:12 And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will

search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are

settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will

not do good, neither will he do evil.

1:13 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.

1:14 The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it is] near, and

hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD: the

mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

1:15 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,

1:16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities,

and against the high towers.

1:17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk

like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and

their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the

dung.

1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to

deliver them in the day of the LORD'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;

2:2 Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the

chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you,

before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.

2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have

wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may

be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

2:4 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they

shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be

rooted up.

2:5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the

Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan,

the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that

there shall be no inhabitant.

2:6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings [and] cottages for

shepherds, and folds for flocks.

2:7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of

Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon

shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God

shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

2:8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the

children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and

magnified [themselves] against their border.

2:9 Therefore [as] I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of

Israel, Surely Moab 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.

2:10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have

reproached and magnified [themselves] against the people of the

LORD of hosts.

2:11 The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: for he will famish

all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every

one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen.

2:12 Ye Ethiopians also, ye [shall be] slain by my sword.

2:13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and

destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, [and] dry

like a wilderness.

2:14 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.

2:15 This [is] the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that

said in her heart, I [am], and [there is] none beside 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!

3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she

trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.

3:3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are]

evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

3:4 Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her

priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to

the law.

3:5 The just LORD [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.

3:6 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.

3:7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive

instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever

I punished them: but they rose early, [and] corrupted all their

doings.

3:8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith 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 upon

them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce anger: for all the

earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

3:9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that

they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with

one consent.

3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, [even]

the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

3:11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings,

wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take

away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride,

and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.

3:12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and

poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

3:13 The remnant of Israel 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.

3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and

rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

3:15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out

thine enemy: the king of Israel, [even] the LORD, [is] in the

midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

3:16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not:

[and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; he will

save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his

love, he will joy over thee with singing.

3:18 I will gather [them that are] sorrowful for the solemn

assembly, [who] are of thee, [to whom] the reproach of it [was]

a burden.

3:19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: 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.

3:20 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 the LORD.

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