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1 A message came to Zephaniah from the Lord. He was the son of Cushi. Cushi was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of King Hezekiah. The Lord spoke to Zephaniah during the rule of Josiah. He was king of Judah and the son of Amon.
2 “I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,”
announces the Lord.
3 “I will destroy people and animals alike.
I will wipe out the birds of the air
and the fish in the waters.
I will destroy sinful people along with their gods.
I will wipe man off the face of the earth,”
announces the Lord.
4 “I will reach out my powerful hand against Judah.
I will punish all those who live in Jerusalem.
I will cut off from that place
what is left of Baal worship.
The officials and priests who serve other gods
will be removed.
5 I will wipe out those who bow down on their roofs
to worship all of the stars.
I will destroy those who take oaths
not only in my name but also in the name of Molech.
6 I will cut off those who stop following me.
They no longer look to me or ask me for advice.
I am the Lord and King.
The day of the Lord is near.
I have prepared a sacrifice.
I have set apart for myself
the people I invited.
8 When my sacrifice is ready to be offered,
I will punish the princes and the king’s sons.
I will also judge all those who follow
the practices of other nations.
all those who worship other gods.
They fill the temples of their gods
with lies and other harmful things.
10 “At that time people at the Fish Gate in Jerusalem
will cry out,” announces the Lord.
“So will those at the New Quarter.
The buildings on the hills will come crashing down
with a loud noise.
11 Cry out, you who live in the market places.
All of your merchants will be wiped out.
Those who trade in silver will be destroyed.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps.
I will punish those who are so contented.
They are like wine that has not been shaken up.
They think, ‘The Lord won’t do anything.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s good or bad.’
13 Their wealth will be stolen.
Their houses will be destroyed.
They will build houses.
But they will not live in them.
They will plant vineyards.
But they will not drink the wine they produce.
14 “The great day of the Lord is near.
In fact, it is coming quickly.
Listen! The cries on that day will be bitter.
Even soldiers will cry out in fear.
15 At that time I will pour out my anger.
There will be great suffering and pain.
It will be a day of horrible trouble.
It will be a time of darkness and gloom.
It will be filled with the blackest clouds.
16 Trumpet blasts and battle cries will be heard.
Soldiers will attack cities
that have forts and corner towers.
17 I will bring trouble on the people.
They will trip and fall as if they were blind.
They have sinned against me.
Their blood will be poured out like dust.
Their bodies will lie rotting on the ground.
will not be able to save them
on the day I pour out my anger.
The whole world will be burned up
when my jealous anger blazes out.
Everyone who lives on earth
will come to a sudden end.”
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About New International Reader’s Version (1998)The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) was developed to help early readers understand the Bible. Begun in 1992, the NIrV is a simplification of the New International Version (NIV). The NIrV uses shorter words and sentences so that those with a typical fourth grade reading level can comprehend what they are reading. The chapters have been separated into shorter sections and most have titles that clearly indicate what the section is all about. The NIrV will be a valuable translation to those for whom English is a second language. The NIrV still relies on the best and oldest copies of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts for its translation, guaranteeing that those who read it are getting the actual Word of God. |
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Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. The NIrV text may be quoted for non-commercial usage in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio) up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without the express written permission of the publisher, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted. Notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page of the work as follows: Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION™. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. When quotations from the NIrV text are used in non-saleable media, such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, transparencies or similar media, a complete copyright notice is not required, but the initials (NIrV) must appear at the end of each quotation. Any commentary or other Biblical reference work produced for commercial sale that uses the New International Reader’s Version must obtain written permission for use of the NIrV text. Permission requests for commercial use within the U.S. and Canada that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, Zondervan, 5300 Patterson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530. Permission requests for commercial use within the U.K., EEC, and EFTA countries that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, Hodder Headline Plc., 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH, England. Permission requests for non-commercial usage that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, International Bible Society, 1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. |
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