Jonathan Zephaniah

Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

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

2 “I will utterly destroy everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord. 3 “I will make an end of people and animals. I will make an end of the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, because the stumbling blocks of the wicked have multiplied, and I will wipe out humankind from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

4 “I will raise the blow of My might against the people of Judah and against everyone who lives in Jerusalem. From this place I will wipe out what remains of Baal, and the name of those who serve it along with their idol priests, 5 and those who bow down on the rooftops to the armies of heaven, and those who bow down and swear by the name of the Lord, then turn around and swear by the name of their idols, 6 and those who have turned back from following the worship of the Lord, who have not sought the fear of the Lord and have not prayed before Him.”

The Day of Slaughter

7 All the wicked have come to an end before the Lord God, for the day that is coming from the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a slaughter and has called together those He invited. 8 “On the day of the slaughter that is coming from the Lord, I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who crowd together to worship idols. 9 At that time I will punish all who live by the customs of the Philistines, who fill their masters’ house with robbery and deceit.

10 At that time,” says the Lord, “the sound of crying will rise from the Fish Gate, wailing from Ophel, and a great crash from the hills. 11 Wail, all you who live in the Kidron Valley, for all the people whose deeds are like the deeds of the people of the land of Canaan are crushed, and all who are rich in possessions have been wiped out.

12 At that time I will appoint searchers, and they will search Jerusalem the way people search with a lamp. I will punish the men who live at ease on their wealth, who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord has no wish to do good to the righteous, or to bring harm on the wicked either.’ 13 Their wealth will be looted and their houses plundered. They will build houses but not live in them, and plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”

The Great Day of the Lord

14 The great day that is coming from the Lord is near, near and hurrying on fast. The sound of the day that is coming from the Lord is full of bitterness and outcry, for there the warriors are being killed. 15 That day is a day of fury, a day of trouble and distress, a day of tumult and uproar, of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and deep darkness, 16 a day of the trumpet and the battle cry against the fortified cities and the lofty heights.

17 “I will bring distress on humankind, and they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned before the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their corpses like refuse.” 18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s anger. All the wicked of the earth will come to an end in the fire of His punishment, for He will bring a full end, an utter destruction, on everyone who lives on the earth.

A Call to Seek the Lord

1 Gather together, come and draw near, you people of a generation that has no desire to return to the Torah, 2 before the decree of the court goes out against you and you become like chaff the wind carries off, like a shadow that passes away before the day, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.

3 Seek the fear of the Lord, all you humble of the earth who have carried out the laws He desires. Seek truth, seek humility. Perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Against the Philistines

4 For Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left desolate. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted. 5 How terrible for those who live along the seacoast, the people who deserve to be destroyed! The decree of the word of the Lord is against you who live in Canaan, the land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you until no one is left living there.”

6 The seacoast will become pastures, a camping place for shepherds and pens for flocks. 7 It will be a portion for the remnant of the house of Judah, and they will find their living there. In the evening they will lodge in the houses of Ashkelon, for their remembrance will come before the Lord their God for good, and He will bring back their exiles.

Against Moab and Ammon

8 “I have heard the taunts of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, how they taunted My people and boasted against their territory. 9 Therefore, as I live,” says the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, “Moab will become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land abandoned to salt plants and salt pits, a desolation forever. The remnant of My people will plunder them, and the rest of the tribes will possess them.”

10 This will be their lot for their pride, because they taunted the people of the Lord of armies and boasted against them.

11 The Lord is to be feared. He has said He will redeem them, for He will bring down all the idols of the earth, and all the islands of the nations will pray before Him, each from its own place.

Against Cush and Assyria

12 “You too, Cushites, will be killed by My sword.”

13 He will raise the blow of His might against the north and destroy Assyria. He will make Nineveh a desolation, laid waste like the wilderness. 14 Herds of every wild animal will lie down within her. The owl and the hedgehog will spend the night at the entrances of her gates. The cry of a bird will chirp in her windows. Her gates are laid waste, her roof is torn down.

15 This is the mighty city that lived in security, that said to herself, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a place where wild animals lie down! Everyone who passes by her will cry out and wave a hand.

Against Jerusalem

1 How terrible for her who hurries headlong and has been redeemed, the city that keeps on provoking anger! 2 She has not listened to the voice of His servants the prophets. She has not accepted instruction. She has not trusted in the Memra of the Lord, and she has not drawn near to the worship of her God.

3 Her officials within her are like roaring lions. Her judges are like wolves at evening that leave nothing until morning. 4 Her false prophets within her are wicked men, liars. Her priests profane what is holy and do violence to the Torah.

5 The righteous Lord has said He would make His Shekinah dwell within her. With Him no falsehood is done. As the morning light grows ever brighter, so His justice goes out into the open. It does not delay, yet the wicked know no shame.

6 “I have destroyed nations. Their fortresses lie desolate. I have laid waste their streets until no one passes through. Their cities are desolate, without people, without anyone living there. 7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me and accept instruction, so that their dwelling will not be cut off from the land of the house of My Shekinah, and I will bring them all the good things I promised them.’ But they were quick to corrupt all their deeds.

8 So wait for My Memra,” says the Lord, “for the day when I reveal Myself to judge. For My judgment is to gather the nations and bring kingdoms near, to pour out on them My fury, all My fierce anger, for in the fire of My punishment all the wicked of the earth will come to an end.

The Remnant Restored

9 Then I will turn the nations to one chosen language, so that all of them will pray in the name of the Lord and serve before Him side by side. 10 From beyond the rivers of India the exiles of My people who were carried away will come back in mercy, and they will be brought like offerings.

11 At that time you will not be put to shame for all your evil deeds, by which you rebelled against My Memra, for then I will remove from your midst those who boast of their strength, and you will never again act proudly on My holy mountain. 12 I will leave within you a humble people who bear insults patiently, and they will trust in the name of the Lord. 13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, and no deceitful tongue will be found in their mouths. They will be provided for and live in peace, with no one to make them afraid.”

A Song of Joy for Zion

14 Sing praise, congregation of Zion! Shout, Israel! Rejoice and be glad with all your heart, congregation of Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has banished the false judges from among you and cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, has said He will make His Shekinah dwell among you. You will no longer fear harm.

16 At that time it will be said to Jerusalem, “Do not be afraid, Zion. Do not let your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord your God has said He will make His Shekinah dwell among you, a mighty one who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will subdue your sins in His love, He will celebrate over you with joy.”

18 “Those who delayed the times of your festivals within you have been taken far from you. How terrible for them, for they took up their weapons against you and insulted you. 19 At that time I will make an end of all who enslave you. I will rescue the displaced and gather the scattered, and I will make them praised and renowned in every land where they were put to shame. 20 At that time I will gather you, and at that time I will bring your exiles near, for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth when I bring back your exiles before your eyes,” says the Lord.