1The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi , the son of Gedaliah , the son of Amariah , the son of Hizkiah , in the days of Josiah the son of Amon , king of Judah . 2I will utterly consume all things from off the land , saith the LORD . 3I will consume man and beast ; I will consume the fowls of the heaven , and the fishes of the sea , and the stumblingblocks with the wicked ; and I will cut off man from off the land , saith the LORD .
Judgment on Judah
4I will also stretch out mine 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 Chemarims with the priests ; 5And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops ; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD , and that swear by Malcham ; 6And them that are turned back from the LORD ; and those that have not sought the LORD , nor enquired for him.
The Day of the Lord
7Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD : for the day of the LORD is at hand : for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice , he hath bid his guests . 8And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice , that I will punish the princes , and the king’s children , and all such as are clothed with strange apparel . 9In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold , which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit . 10And it shall come to pass in that day , saith the LORD , that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate , and an howling from the second , and a great crashing from the hills .
Call to Repentance
11Howl , ye inhabitants of Maktesh , for all the merchant people are cut down ; all they that bear silver are cut off . 12And it shall come to pass at that time , that I will search Jerusalem with candles , and punish the men that are settled on their lees : that say in their heart , The LORD will not do good , neither will he do evil . 13Therefore their goods shall become a booty , and their houses a desolation : they shall also build houses , but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards , but not drink the wine thereof.
The Final Judgment
14The great day of the LORD is near , it is near , and hasteth greatly , even the voice of the day of the LORD : the mighty man shall cry 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 fenced cities , and against the high towers . 17And I will bring distress upon men , that they shall walk like blind men , because they have sinned against the LORD : and their blood shall be poured out as dust , and their flesh as the dung . 18Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath ; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy : for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land .