Zephaniah 1:7–18

⁷Be silent in the presence of the Lord God,^m

for the day of the Lord is near.ⁿ

Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;^o

he has consecrated his guests.^p

⁸On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice

I will punish the officials, the king’s sons,

and all who are dressed in foreign clothing.

⁹On that day^q I will punish

all who skip over the threshold,^Cr

who fill their master’s house

with violence and deceit.

¹⁰On that day—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate,^s

a wailing from the Second District,^t

and a loud crashing from the hills.

¹¹Wail, you residents of the Hollow,^D

for all the merchants^E will be silenced;

all those loaded with silver will be cut off.

¹²And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

and punish those who settle down comfortably,^Au

who say to themselves:

The Lord will do nothing—good or bad.^v

¹³Their wealth will become plunder

and their houses a ruin.

They will build houses but never live in them,

plant vineyards but never drink their wine.^w

¹⁴The great day of the Lord is near,^x

near and rapidly approaching.

Listen, the day of the Lord—

then the warrior’s cry is bitter.

¹⁵That day is a day of wrath,

a day of trouble and distress,

a day of destruction and desolation,

a day of darkness^y and gloom,

a day of clouds and total darkness,^z

¹⁶a day of trumpet and battle cry

against the fortified cities,

and against the high corner towers.

¹⁷I will bring distress on mankind,

and they will walk like the blind^aa

because they have sinned against the Lord.

Their blood will be poured out like dust

and their flesh like dung.

¹⁸Their silver and their gold

will be unable to rescue them

on the day of the Lord’s wrath.^a

The whole earth will be consumed

by the fire of his jealousy,^b

for he will make a complete,

yes, a horrifying end

of all the inhabitants of the earth.