6 Heb “I will stretch out my hand against,” is an idiom for hostile action.
7 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
8 Heb “cut off.”
9 Heb “the remnant of Baal.”
10 Heb “name.” Here the “name” is figurative for the memory of those who bear it.
11 Heb “of the pagan priests and priests.” The first word (כְּמָרִים, kémarim) refers to idolatrous priests in its two other appearances in the OT (2 Kgs 23:5, Hos 10:5), while the second word (כֹּהֲנִים, kohanim) is the normal term for “priest” and is used of both legitimate and illegitimate priests in the OT. It is likely that the second term, which is omitted in the , is a later scribal addition to the Hebrew text, defining the extremely rare word that precedes (see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [], 167–68; cf. also , ). Some argue that both words are original; among the modern English versions that include both are and . Possibly the first word refers to outright pagan priests, while the second has in view once-legitimate priests of the Lord who had drifted into idolatrous practices. Another option is found in Adele Berlin, who translates, “the idolatrous priests among the priests,” understanding the second word as giving the general category of which the idolatrous priests are a part (Zephaniah [ 25A], ).
12 The words “I will remove” are repeated from v. 4b for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 4b–6 contain a long list of objects for the verb “I will remove” in v. 4b. In the present translation a new sentence was begun at the beginning of v. 5 in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences.
13 Heb “those who worship on their roofs the host of heaven.” The “host of heaven” included the sun, moon, planets, and stars, all of which were deified in the ancient Near East.
14 The reads, “those who worship, those who swear allegiance to the Lord.” The original form of the omits the phrase “those who worship”; it may have been accidentally repeated from the preceding line. J. J. M. Roberts prefers to delete as secondary the phrase “those who swear allegiance” (J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah [], 168).
15 Heb “those who swear by.”
16 The referent of “their king” is unclear. It may refer sarcastically to a pagan god (perhaps Baal) worshiped by the people. Some English versions (cf. , , ) prefer to emend the text to “Milcom,” the name of an Ammonite god (following some , , and ) or “Molech,” a god to whom the Israelites offered their children (cf. , ). For a discussion of the options, see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah ( 25A), .
17 Heb “turn back from [following] after.”
18 Heb “who do not seek the Lord and do not inquire of him.” The present translation assumes the first verb refers to praying for divine help and the second to seeking his revealed will through an oracle. Note the usage of the two verbs in 2 Chr 20:3–4.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“I will stretch out my hand against Judah

and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal

and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,

those who bow down on the roofs

to the host of the heavens,

those who bow down and swear to the Lord

and yet swear by Milcom,

those who have turned back from following the Lord,

who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“I will stretch out my hand against Judah

and against all who live in Jerusalem.

I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,

the very names of the idolatrous priests—

those who bow down on the roofs

to worship the starry host,

those who bow down and swear by the Lord

and who also swear by Molek,

those who turn back from following the Lord

and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I will stretch out my hand against Judah

and against all the residents of Jerusalem.

I will cut off every vestige of Baal

from this place,

the names of the pagan priests

along with the priests;

those who bow in worship on the rooftops

to the stars in the sky;

those who bow and pledge loyalty to the Lord

but also pledge loyalty to Milcom;

and those who turn back from following the Lord,

who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.

NLTNew Living Translation

“I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist

and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship.

I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests,

so that even the memory of them will disappear.

For they go up to their roofs

and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars.

They claim to follow the Lord,

but then they worship Molech, too.

And I will destroy those who used to worship me

but now no longer do.

They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance

or seek my blessings.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“And I will stretch out my hand against Judah

and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And I will cut off from this place

the remnant of Baal,

and the name of idolatrous priests with the priests,

and those who bow down on the rooftops

to the host of heaven,

and those who bow down, swearing to Yahweh

but also swearing by Milcom,

and those who turned back from following Yahweh,

and who did not seek Yahweh,

and did not inquire of him.”

KJV 1900King James Version

I 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;

And 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;

And them that are turned back from the Lord;

And those that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for him.

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