1The wordof the LORDwhich came unto Zephaniahthe sonof Cushi, the sonof Gedaliah, the sonof Amariah, the sonof Hizkiah, in the daysof Josiahthe sonof Amon, kingof Judah.
2I will utterlyconsume all things from off the land, saiththe LORD.
3I will consumemanand beast; I will consumethe fowlsof the heaven, and the fishesof the sea, and the stumblingblockswith the wicked; and I will cut offmanfrom offthe land, saiththe LORD.
4I will also stretch outmine handupon Judah, and upon all the inhabitantsof Jerusalem; and I will cut offthe remnantof Baalfrom this place, and the nameof the Chemarimswith the priests;
5And them that worshipthe hostof heavenupon the housetops; and them that worship and that swearby the LORD, and that swearby Malcham;
6And them that are turned backfromthe LORD; and those that have not soughtthe LORD, nor enquired for him.
7Hold thy peaceat the presenceof the LordGOD: for the dayof the LORD is at hand: for the LORDhath prepareda sacrifice, he hath bidhis guests.
8And it shall come to pass in the dayof the LORD'sacrifice, that I will punishthe princes, and the king'children, and all such as are clothedwith strangeapparel.
9In the same dayalso will I punishall those that leapon the threshold, which filltheir masters'houseswith violenceand deceit.
10And it shall come to pass in that day, saiththe LORD, that there shall be the noiseof a cryfrom the fishgate, and an howlingfrom the second, and a greatcrashingfrom the hills.
11Howl, ye inhabitantsof Maktesh, for all the merchantpeopleare cut down; all they that bearsilverare cut off.
12And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will searchJerusalemwith candles, and punishthe menthat are settledon their lees: that sayin their heart, The LORDwill not do good, neither will he do evil.
13Therefore their goodsshall become a booty, and their housesa desolation: they shall also buildhouses, but not inhabit them ; and they shall plantvineyards, but not drinkthe wine thereof.
14The greatdayof the LORD is near, it is near, and hastethgreatly, even the voiceof the dayof the LORD: the mighty manshall crythere bitterly.
15That day is a dayof wrath, a dayof troubleand distress, a dayof wastenessand desolation, a dayof darknessand gloominess, a dayof cloudsand thick darkness,
16A dayof the trumpetand alarmagainst the fencedcities, and against the hightowers.
17And I will bring distressupon men, that they shall walklike blind men, because they have sinnedagainst the LORD: and their bloodshall be poured outas dust, and their fleshas the dung.
18Neither their silvernor their goldshall be ableto deliverthem in the dayof the LORD'wrath; but the whole landshall be devouredby the fireof his jealousy: for he shall makeeven a speedyriddanceof all them that dwellin the land.