36:001:001 The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of
Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in
the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
36:001:002 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith
the LORD.
36:001:003 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of
the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the
wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
36:001:004 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;
36:001:005 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;
36:001:006 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that
have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
36:001:007 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day
of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath
bid his guests.
36:001:008 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's
sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and
all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
36:001:009 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on
the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and
deceit.
36:001:010 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that
there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling
from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
36:001:011 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people
are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
36:001:012 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search
Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their
lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will
he do evil.
36:001:013 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses
a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and
they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
36:001:014 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth
greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall
cry there bitterly.
36:001:015 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a
day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a
day of clouds and thick darkness,
36:001:016 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities,
and against the high towers.
36:001:017 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk
like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their
blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
36:001:018 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver
them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be
devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy
riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
36:002:001 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation
not desired;
36:002:002 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the
chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the
day of the LORD's anger come upon you.
36:002:003 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have
wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye
shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.
36:002:004 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they
shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
36:002:005 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the
Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of
the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no
inhabitant.
36:002:006 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for
shepherds, and folds for flocks.
36:002:007 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of
Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they
lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and
turn away their captivity.
36:002:008 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the
children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and
magnified themselves against their border.
36:002:009 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of
Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as
Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual
desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant
of my people shall possess them.
36:002:010 This shall they have for their pride, because they have
reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of
hosts.
36:002:011 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all
the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his
place, even all the isles of the heathen.
36:002:012 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.
36:002:013 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and
destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a
wilderness.
36:002:014 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the
beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge
in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows;
desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall uncover the cedar
work.
36:002:015 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said
in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a
desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth
by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.
36:003:001 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing
city!
36:003:002 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she
trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.
36:003:003 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are
evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
36:003:004 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests
have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
36:003:005 The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do
iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth
not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
36:003:006 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I
made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are
destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
36:003:007 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive
instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I
punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
36:003:008 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day
that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the
nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine
indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be
devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
36:003:009 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that
they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one
consent.
36:003:010 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the
daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
36:003:011 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings,
wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away
out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt
no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
36:003:012 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor
people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.
36:003:013 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies;
neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they
shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
36:003:014 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and
rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
36:003:015 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out
thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of
thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
36:003:016 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not:
and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
36:003:017 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will
save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he
will joy over thee with singing.
36:003:018 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn
assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
36:003:019 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and
I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I
will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to
shame.
36:003:020 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I
gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of
the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the
LORD.