The book of Zephaniah claims to be a particular instance of the Lord's word, namely
that associated with Zephaniah, the son of Cushi. The book is set in the time of Josiah (late 7th century BCE), the last great king of Judah according to the books of Kings and Chronicles. Judah as described in Zephaniah is quite an ungodly place, however. Prophetic books that include divine announcements of judgment and destruction against Judah tend for obvious reasons to describe the social and religious situation in monarchic Judah in harsh, negative terms.