1The word of Jehovah which came unto 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 . 2I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the ground , saith Jehovah . 3I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens , and the fishes of the sea , and the stumblingblocks with the wicked ; and I will cut off man from off the face of the ground , saith Jehovah .
Judgment on Judah
4And I will stretch out my hand upon Judah , and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem ; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place , and the name of the Chemarim with the priests ; 5and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops ; and them that worship , that swear to Jehovah and swear by Malcam ; 6and them that are turned back from following Jehovah ; and those that have not sought Jehovah , nor inquired after him .
The Day of the Lord
7Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord Jehovah ; for the day of Jehovah is at hand : for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice , he hath consecrated his guests . 8And it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah ’s sacrifice , that I will punish the princes , and the king ’s sons , and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel . 9And in that day I will punish all those that leap over the threshold , that fill their master’s house with violence and deceit . 10And in that day , saith Jehovah , there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate , and a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills .
Call to Repentance
11Wail , ye inhabitants of Maktesh ; for all the people of Canaan are undone ; all they that were laden with silver are cut off . 12And it shall come to pass at that time , that I will search Jerusalem with lamps ; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees , that say in their heart , Jehovah will not do good , neither will he do evil . 13And their wealth shall become a spoil , and their houses a desolation : yea, they shall build houses , but shall not inhabit them ; and they shall plant vineyards , but shall not drink the wine thereof .
The Final Judgment
14The great day of Jehovah is near , it is near and hasteth greatly , even the voice of the day of Jehovah ; the mighty man crieth there bitterly . 15That day is a day of wrath , a day of trouble and distress , a day of wasteness and desolation , a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness , 16a day of the trumpet and alarm , against the fortified cities , and against the high battlements. 17And I will bring distress upon men , that they shall walk like blind men , because they have sinned against Jehovah ; and their blood shall be poured out as dust , and their flesh as dung . 18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah ’s wrath ; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy : for he will make an end , yea , a terrible end , of all them that dwell in the land.