The Lord gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.

Coming Judgment against Judah

²“I will sweep away everything

from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

³“I will sweep away people and animals alike.

I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea.

I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble,

and I will wipe humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

⁴“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.

⁵For 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.

⁶And 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.”

⁷Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign Lord,

for the awesome day of the Lord’s judgment is near.

The Lord has prepared his people for a great slaughter

and has chosen their executioners.

⁸“On that day of judgment,”

says the Lord,

“I will punish the leaders and princes of Judah

and all those following pagan customs.

⁹Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies,

and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

¹⁰“On that day,” says the Lord,

“a cry of alarm will come from the Fish Gate

and echo throughout the New Quarter of the city.

And a great crash will sound from the hills.

¹¹Wail in sorrow, all you who live in the market area,

for all the merchants and traders will be destroyed.

¹²“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners

to punish those who sit complacent in their sins.

They think the Lord will do nothing to them,

either good or bad.

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