1 Day of Judgment on Judah The word of the Lwhich came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son ofZephaniah’s great-great-grandfather, Hezekiah, ruled Judah (the Southern Kingdom) from 715-686 b.c. He was a godly king who restored the temple and abolished pagan worship. He was also notable as the great warrior who defended Jerusalem from the attacking Assyrians, and the great builder who developed the Siloam tunnel and reservoir to enhance the fresh water supply of Jerusalem.Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah:
2 “I will completely consumeandsweep away allthingsFrom the face of the earth [in judgment],” says the L.
3 “I will consumeandsweep away man and beast;I will consumeandsweep away the birds of the airAnd the fish of the sea,And theMT reads ruins.stumbling blocks (idols) along with the wicked;And I will cut offanddestroy man from the face of the earth,” declares the L.
4 “I will also stretch out My hand [in judgment] against JudahAnd against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.And I will cut offanddestroy the remnant ofOne of the major male gods of Canaan. His female consort was Asherah.Baal from this place,And the namesandremembrance of the idolatrous priests along with the [false] priests,
5 And those who bow downandworship the host of heaven [the sun, the moon, and the stars]The flat roofs of the houses were often used as convenient places of planetary worship (i.e. Sabeanism, astrology).on their housetopsAnd those who bow down and swear [oaths] to [and pretend to worship] the Land [yet also] swear by [the pagan god called] Milcom [god of the Ammonites],
6 And those who have turned back from following the L,And those who have not sought the L[as their most important need] or inquired of Him.”
7 [Hush!] Be silent before the Lord G[there is no acceptable excuse to offer]!For the day [of the vengeance] of the Lis near,For the Lhas prepared a sacrifice (Judah),He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation [the Chaldeans who rule Babylon].
8 “Then it will come about on the day of the L’sacrificeThat I will punish the princes and the king’s sonsAnd all who are clothed in [lavish] foreign apparel [reflecting their paganism].
9 On that day I will also punish all those whoThis may have a connection to the pagan custom mentioned in 1 Sam 5:5, or to the pagan belief that spirits resided in the threshold.leap over thetemplethreshold,Who fill their [pagan] lord’s temple with violence and deceit.
10 On that day,” declares the L,“There will be the sound of crying from the Fish (Damascus) Gate [in the northern wall of Jerusalem where invaders enter]And wailing from theI.e. the lower, newer part of the city.Second Quarter [of the city],And a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail [in anguish], you inhabitants of theA shallow hollow that was a district in Jerusalem.Mortar (Valley of Siloam),For all the merchants of Canaan will be silencedanddestroyed;All who weigh out silver will be cut off.
12 It will come about at that timeThat I will search Jerusalem with lampsAnd I will punish the menWho [like old wine] are stagnant in spirit,Who say in their hearts,‘The Lwill not do good, nor will He do evil.’
13 Furthermore, their wealth will become plunderAnd their houses a desolation.Yes, they will build houses but not live in them,And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”
14 The great [judgment] day of the Lis near,Near and coming very quickly.Listen! The [voice of the] day of the L!The warrior cries out bitterly [unable to fight or to flee].
15 That day is a day of [the outpouring of the] wrath [of God],A day of trouble and distress,A day of destruction and devastation,A day of darkness and gloom,A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of trumpet and the battle cry [of invaders]Against the fortified citiesAnd against the high corner towers (battlements).
17 I will bring distress on menSo that they will walk like the blind [unable to find a way of escape],Because they have sinned against the L;Their blood will be poured out like dust [and trampled underfoot],And their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their goldWill be able to rescue themOn the day of the L’indignationandwrath.And the whole earth will be consumedIn the fire of His jealousGod’s judgment and God’s mercy are the twin themes of the prophets. In this dramatic passage, the Lord describes the destruction that will sweep the earth in the day of His wrath. Yet the Lord is true to His promises: the remnant will be restored (Zeph 3:18-20); the last day is also “the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). See also Matt 24:31; John 14:3; 1 Thess 4:15-17.wrath,For He shall make a fullandcomplete end,Indeed a terrifying one,Of all the inhabitants of the earth.