﻿Zephaniah.
Chapter 1.
The word of the LORD that 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. 
“I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. 
“I will sweep away people and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, the stumbling blocks together with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. 
“I will stretch out my hand against Judah and all who live in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, 
those who bow down on the rooftops to the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear allegiance to the LORD but also swear by Malcam, 
and those who turn back from following the LORD, who have not sought the LORD or inquired of him.” 
Be silent before the Lord GOD, for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated his invited guests. 
“On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all who dress in foreign clothing. 
On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill their masters’ house with violence and deceit. 
On that day,” declares the LORD, “there will be a cry from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, and a great crashing from the hills. 
Wail, inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people have been destroyed; all who carry silver have been cut off. 
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will do neither good nor harm.’ 
Their wealth will become plunder and their houses a desolation. They will build houses but not live in them; they will plant vineyards but not drink their wine.” 
The great day of the LORD is near, near and coming very quickly! Bitter is the sound of the day of the LORD; the warrior cries out there. 
That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, 
a day of horn blast and battle cry against fortified cities and high corner towers. 
“I will bring distress upon mankind, and they will walk like the blind because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.” 
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORD’s wrath. All the earth will be consumed by the fire of his jealousy, for he will make a complete and sudden end of all who live on the earth. 
