Zephaniah 1:1–12

¹The 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.^*

The Coming Judgment on Judah

²I will utterly sweep away everything

from the face of the earth, says the Lord.^*

³I 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.^a

I will cut off humanity

from the face of the earth, says the Lord.^*

⁴I 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,^b*

⁵those 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,^c*

⁶those who have turned back from following the Lord,

who have not sought the Lord or inquired of him.^*

⁷Be 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.^*

⁸And 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.^*

⁹On that day I will punish

all who leap over the threshold,

who fill their master’s house

with violence and fraud.^*

¹⁰On 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.^*

¹¹The inhabitants of the Mortar wail,

for all the traders have perished;

all who weigh out silver are cut off.

¹²At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,

and I will punish the people

who settle like dregs in wine,

those who say in their hearts,

“The Lord will not do good,

nor will he do harm.”^*