1The word of Yahweh which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.
2I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth, says Yahweh.
3I will sweep away people and animals. I will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the heaps of rubble along with the wicked. I will remove people from the face of the earth, says Yahweh.
4I will punish Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place what is left of Baal worship: the names of the idol-worshipping priests and pagan priests,
5those who worship the stars on their rooftops, those who worship and swear by Yahweh but also swear by Malcam,
6those who have stopped following Yahweh, and those who have neither sought Yahweh nor asked for his guidance.
7Be silent in the presence of the Lord Yahweh, because the day of Yahweh is near. Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice and invited his guests.
8On the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice, I will punish the officials, the king’s sons, and all those who wear foreign clothing.
9On that day, I will punish everyone who steps over the threshold and fills their master’s house with violence and deception.
10On that day, says Yahweh, there will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second Quarter, and a great crashing sound from the hills.
11Cry out, you who live in Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are ruined! All those burdened with silver are cut off.
12At that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who are complacent, who say to themselves, “Yahweh will do neither good nor evil.”
13Their wealth will be stolen, and their houses will become empty. Yes, they will build houses, but not live in them. They will plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.
14The great day of Yahweh is near. It is near and coming very quickly. Listen to the sound of the day of Yahweh. Even the strong warrior cries out bitterly there.
15That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16a day when the trumpet sounds and a battle cry is raised against the fortified cities and against the high walls.
17I will bring such distress on people that they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Yahweh. Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of Yahweh’s wrath. The whole land will be consumed by the fire of his intense anger; for he will bring an end, a terrifying end, to everyone living in the land.