English Standard Version

New Living Translation

The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

1

The LORD gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.
Coming Judgment against Judah

2

The Coming Judgment on Judah

“I will utterly sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.

2

“I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.

3

“I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the heavens
and the fish of the sea,
and the rubblea with the wicked.
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.

3

“I will sweep away people and animals alike.
I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea.
I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble,a
and I will wipe humanity from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.

4

“I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal
and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,

4

“I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist
and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship.
I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests,
so that even the memory of them will disappear.

5

those who bow down on the roofs
to the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear to the Lord
and yet swear by Milcom,b

5

For they go up to their roofs
and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars.
They claim to follow the LORD,
but then they worship Molech,b too.

6

those who have turned back from following the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.”

6

And I will destroy those who used to worship me
but now no longer do.
They no longer ask for the LORD’s guidance
or seek my blessings.”

7

The Day of the Lord Is Near

Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.

7

Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign LORD,
for the awesome day of the LORD’s judgment is near.
The LORD has prepared his people for a great slaughter
and has chosen their executioners.c

8

And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice —
“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire.

8

“On that day of judgment,”
says the LORD,
“I will punish the leaders and princes of Judah
and all those following pagan customs.

9

On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’sc house
with violence and fraud.

9

Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies,
and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

10

“On that day,” declares the Lord,
“a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.

10

“On that day,” says the LORD,
“a cry of alarm will come from the Fish Gate
and echo throughout the New Quarter of the city.d
And a great crash will sound from the hills.

11

Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
For all the tradersd are no more;
all who weigh out silver are cut off.

11

Wail in sorrow, all you who live in the market area,e
for all the merchants and traders will be destroyed.

12

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are complacent,e
those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
nor will he do ill.’

12

“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners
to punish those who sit complacent in their sins.
They think the LORD will do nothing to them,
either good or bad.

13

Their goods shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.”

13

So their property will be plundered,
their homes will be ransacked.
They will build new homes
but never live in them.
They will plant vineyards
but never drink wine from them.

14

The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
the mighty man cries aloud there.

14

“That terrible day of the LORD is near.
Swiftly it comes —
a day of bitter tears,
a day when even strong men will cry out.

15

A day of wrath is that day,
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,

15

It will be a day when the LORD’s anger is poured out —
a day of terrible distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness,

16

a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.

16

a day of trumpet calls and battle cries.
Down go the walled cities
and the strongest battlements!

17

I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.

17

“Because you have sinned against the LORD,
I will make you grope around like the blind.
Your blood will be poured into the dust,
and your bodies will lie rotting on the ground.”

18

Neither their silver nor their gold
shall be able to deliver them
on the day of the wrath of the Lord.
In the fire of his jealousy,
all the earth shall be consumed;
for a full and sudden end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

18

Your silver and gold will not save you
on that day of the LORD’s anger.
For the whole land will be devoured
by the fire of his jealousy.
He will make a terrifying end
of all the people on earth.f

Parallel

English Standard Version

New Living Translation

Zephaniah 1

Zephaniah 1