Zephaniah, 1

1. The word of the LORD 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.

1. The word of Yahweh which was addressed 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 sweep away all things from the face of the earth, says the LORD.

2. I shall sweep away everything off the face of the earth, declares Yahweh.

3. I will sweep away man and beast, I will sweep away the birds of the sky, and the fishes of the sea. I will overthrow the wicked; I will destroy mankind from the face of the earth, says the LORD.

3. I shall sweep away humans and animals, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, I shall topple the wicked and wipe all people off the face of the earth -declares Yahweh.

4. I will stretch out my hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; I will destroy from this place the last vestige of Baal, the very names of his priests.

4. I shall raise my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem, and from this place I will wipe out Baal's remnant, the very name of his priests,

5. And those who adore the host of heaven on the roofs, with those who adore the LORD but swear by Milcom;

5. and those who prostrate themselves on the roofs before the array of heaven, and those who prostrate themselves before Yahweh but swear by Milcom,

6. And those who have fallen away from the LORD, and those who do not seek the LORD.

6. and those who have turned their back on Yahweh, who do not seek Yahweh and do not consult him.

7. Silence in the presence of the Lord GOD! for near is the day of the LORD, Yes, the LORD has prepared a slaughter feast, he has consecrated his guests.

7. Silence before Lord Yahweh, for the Day of Yahweh is near! Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests.

8. On the day of the LORD'S slaughter feast I will punish the princes, and the king's sons, and all that dress in foreign apparel.

8. On the Day of Yahweh's sacrifice, I shall punish the courtiers, the royal princes and all who dress in outlandish clothes.

9. I will punish, on that day, all who leap over the threshold, Who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.

9. On that day I shall punish all who go up the Step and fill the Temple of their lords, with violence and deceit.

10. On that day, says the LORD, A cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the New Quarter, loud crashing from the hills.

10. On that Day -- declares Yahweh -- uproar will be heard from the Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter and a great crash from the hills.

11. Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! for all the merchants will be destroyed, all who weigh out silver, done away with.

11. Wail, you who live in the Hollow, for it is all over with the merchants, all the money-bags have been wiped out!

12. At that time I will explore Jerusalem with lamps; I will punish the men who thicken on their lees, Who say in their hearts, "Neither good nor evil can the LORD do."

12. When that time comes I shall search Jerusalem by lamplight and punish the men stagnating over the remains of their wine, who say in their hearts, 'Yahweh can do nothing, either good or bad.'

13. Their wealth shall be given to pillage and their houses to devastation; They will build houses, but shall not dwell in them, plant vineyards, but not drink their wine,

13. For this, their wealth will be looted and their houses laid in ruins; they will build houses but not live in them, they will plant vineyards but not drink their wine.

14. Near is the great day of the LORD, near and very swiftly coming, Hark, the day of the LORD! bitter, then, the warrior's cry.

14. The great Day of Yahweh is near, near, and coming with great speed. How bitter the sound of the Day of Yahweh, the Day when the warrior shouts his cry of war.

15. A day of wrath is that day a day of anguish and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, A day of thick black clouds,

15. That Day is a day of retribution, a day of distress and tribulation, a day of ruin and of devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick fog,

16. a day of trumpet blasts and battle alarm Against fortified cities, against battlements on high.

16. a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against fortified town and high corner-tower.

17. I will hem men in till they walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; And their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their brains like dung.

17. I shall bring such distress on humanity that they will grope their way like the blind for having sinned against Yahweh. Their blood will be poured out like mud, yes, their corpses like dung;

18. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to save them on the day of the LORD'S wrath, When in the fire of his jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. For he shall make an end, yes, a sudden end, of all who live on the earth.

18. nor will their silver or gold be able to save them. On the Day of Yahweh's anger, by the fire of his jealousy, the whole earth will be consumed. For he will destroy, yes, annihilate everyone living on earth.