1 Yahweh Will End All Things The word of 1:1 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15 Yahweh which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:
2 ¶“I will completely end allthingsFrom the face of the ground,” declares Yahweh.
3 “I will end man and beast;I will end the birds of the skyAnd the fish of the seaAnd the 1:3Or stumbling blocks ruins along with the wicked;And I will cut off man from the face of the ground,” declares Yahweh.
4 “So I will stretch out My hand against JudahAnd against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place,Andthe names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
5 And those who worship on the housetops the host of heaven,And those who worshipandswear to Yahweh andyetswear by 1:5 Or their king; M.T. Malcam, probably a variant spelling of Milcom Milcom,
6 And those who have turned back from following Yahweh,And those who have not sought Yahweh or inquired of Him.”The Day of Yahweh Is Near
7 ¶ 1:7Lit Hush Be silent before Lord Yahweh!For the day of Yahweh is near,For Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice;He has set apart His guests.
8 “Then it will be on the day of Yahweh’s sacrificeThat I will punish the princes, the king’s sons,And all who clothe themselves with foreign garments.
9 “And I will punish on that day all who leap on thetemplethreshold,Who fill the house of their 1:9 Or lord Lord with violence and deceit.
10 “And it will be in that day,” declares Yahweh,“Thatthere will be the sound of a cry from the Fish GateAnd a wail from the 1:10 A district of Jerusalem Second QuarterAnd a great destruction from the hills.
11 “Wail, O inhabitants of the 1:11 A district of Jerusalem Mortar,For all the 1:11 Or merchant people will people of Canaan will be silenced;All who weigh out silver will be cut off.
12 “And it will be at that timeThat I will search Jerusalem with lamps,And I will punish the menWho are 1:12Lit thickening on their lees stagnant in spirit,Who say in their hearts,‘Yahweh will not do good or evil!’
13 “And it will be that their wealth will become spoilAnd their houses desolate;Indeed, they will build houses but not inhabitthem,And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”
14 ¶Near is the great day of Yahweh,Near and coming very quickly;O the sound, the day of Yahweh! 1:14 Lit There In it the mighty man cries out bitterly.
15 A day of fury is that day,A day of trouble and distress,A day of destruction and desolation,A day of darkness and thick darkness,A day of clouds and dense gloom,
16 A day of trumpet and loud shoutingAgainst the fortified citiesAnd the high corner towers.
17 I will bring distress on menSo that they will walk like the blindBecause they have sinned against Yahweh;And their blood will be poured out like dustAnd their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their goldWill be able to deliver themOn the day of the fury of Yahweh;And all the earth will be devouredIn the fire of His jealousy,For He will make a complete destruction,Indeed a terrifying one,Of all the inhabitants of the earth.