Berean Standard Bible

Zephaniah 1:2-18

2“I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.3“I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers.1 I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.4“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—5those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,26and those who turn back from following the LORD, neither seeking the LORD nor inquiring of Him.”

7Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD,for the Day of the LORD is near.Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice;He has consecrated His guests.

8“On the Day of the LORD’s sacrificeI will punish the princes,the sons of the king,and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.9On that day I will punishall who leap over the threshold,3who fill the house of their master4with violence and deceit.10On that day,” declares the LORD,“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,a wail from the Second District,5and a loud crashing from the hills.11Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow,6for all your merchants7 will be silenced;all who weigh out silver will be cut off.

12And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lampsand punish the men settled in complacency,8who say to themselves,‘The LORD will do nothing,either good or bad.’13Their wealth will be plunderedand their houses laid waste.They will build houses but not inhabit them,and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.

14The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly.Listen, the Day of the LORD!Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.15That day will bea day of wrath,a day of trouble and distress,a day of destruction and desolation,a day of darkness and gloom,a day of clouds and blackness,16a day of horn blast and battle cryagainst the fortified cities,and against the high corner towers.17I will bring such distress on mankindthat they will walk like the blind,because they have sinned against the LORD.Their blood will be poured out like dustand their flesh like dung.18Neither their silver nor their goldwill be able to deliver themon the Day of the LORD’s wrath.The whole earth will be consumedby the fire of His jealousy.”

For indeed, He will make a sudden endof all who dwell on the earth.9

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Notes

1. Zephaniah 1:3 Or and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble ↩
2. Zephaniah 1:5 Or by their king; Milcom is a variant of Molech; see Leviticus 18:21 and 1 Kings 11:7. ↩
3. Zephaniah 1:9 See 1 Samuel 5:5. ↩
4. Zephaniah 1:9 Or the temple of their gods ↩
5. Zephaniah 1:10 Or the Second Quarter, a newer section of Jerusalem; Hebrew the Mishneh ↩
6. Zephaniah 1:11 Or the market district or the Mortar ↩
7. Zephaniah 1:11 Or all the people of Canaan ↩
8. Zephaniah 1:12 Or thickening on the dregs ↩
9. Zephaniah 1:18 Or of all the people living in the land ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Zephaniah 1