ZEPHANIAH
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The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of
Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the days of King Josiah
son of Amon of Judah. 2 I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of
the earth, says the LORD. 3 I will sweep away humans and animals; I will sweep
away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. I will make the wicked
stumble. I will cut off 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 every remnant of Baal and the name
of the idolatrous priests; 5 those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the
heavens; those who bow down and swear to the LORD, but also swear by Milcom; 6
those who have turned back from following the LORD, who have not sought the LORD
or inquired of him. 7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is
at hand; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests. 8 And
on the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king's
sons and all who dress themselves in foreign attire. 9 On that day I will punish
all who leap over the threshold, who fill their master's house with violence and
fraud. 10 On that day, says the LORD, a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a
wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills. 11 The inhabitants of
the Mortar wail, for all the traders have perished; all who weigh out silver are
cut off. 12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish
the people who rest complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts,
"The LORD will not do good, nor will he do harm." 13 Their wealth 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.
14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the
day of the LORD is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there. 15 That day will be a
day of wrath, 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, 16 a day of
trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty
battlements. 17 I will bring such distress upon people 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. 18 Neither their silver nor
their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath; in the fire
of his passion the whole earth shall be consumed; for a full, a terrible end he
will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
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Gather together, gather, O shameless nation, 2 before you are
driven away like the drifting chaff, before there comes upon you the fierce
anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the Lord's wrath. 3
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek
righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the Lord's
wrath. 4 For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;
Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. 5 Ah,
inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD
is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until
no inhabitant is left. 6 And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, meadows for
shepherds and folds for flocks. 7 The seacoast shall become the possession of
the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall pasture, and in the
houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will
be mindful of them and restore their fortunes. 8 I have heard the taunts of Moab
and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made
boasts against their territory. 9 Therefore, as I live, says the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah,
a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of
my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.
10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they scoffed and
boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts. 11 The LORD will be terrible
against them; he will shrivel all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow
down, each in its place, all the coasts and islands of the nations. 12 You also,
O Ethiopians, shall be killed by my sword. 13 And he will stretch out his hand
against the north, and destroy Assyria; and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a
dry waste like the desert. 14 Herds shall lie down in it, every wild animal; the
desert owl and the screech owl shall lodge on its capitals; the owl shall hoot
at the window, the raven croak on the threshold; for its cedar work will be laid
bare. 15 Is this the exultant city that lived secure, that said to itself, "I
am, and there is no one else"? What a desolation it has become, a lair for wild
animals! Everyone who passes by it hisses and shakes the fist.
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Ah, soiled, defiled, oppressing city! 2 It has listened to no
voice; it has accepted no correction. It has not trusted in the LORD; it has not
drawn near to its God. 3 The officials within it are roaring lions; its judges
are evening wolves that leave nothing until the morning. 4 Its prophets are
reckless, faithless persons; its priests have profaned what is sacred, they have
done violence to the law. 5 The LORD within it is righteous; he does no wrong.
Every morning he renders his judgment, each dawn without fail; but the unjust
knows no shame. 6 I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have
laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been
made desolate, without people, without inhabitants. 7 I said, "Surely the city
will fear me, it will accept correction; it will not lose sight of all that I
have brought upon it." But they were the more eager to make all their deeds
corrupt. 8 Therefore wait for me, says the LORD, for the day when I arise as a
witness. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out
upon them my indignation, all the heat of my anger; for in the fire of my
passion all the earth shall be consumed. 9 At that time I will change the speech
of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the
LORD and serve him with one accord. 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my
suppliants, my scattered ones, shall bring my offering. 11 On that day you shall
not be put to shame because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against
me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you
shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. 12 For I will leave in the midst
of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the
LORD-- 13 the remnant of Israel; they shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor
shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. Then they will pasture and
lie down, and no one shall make them afraid. 14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! 15
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your
enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster
no more. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do
not let your hands grow weak. 17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior
who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in
his love; he will exult over you with loud singing 18 as on a day of festival. I
will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. 19 I
will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and
gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all
the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.
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