Zephaniah

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.

1This is the message the LORD gave to Zephaniah. Zephaniah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. His father was Cushi, and Cushi's father was Gedaliah. Gedaliah's father was Amariah, and Amariah's father was Hizkiah. The message came when Josiah, son of Amon, was king of Judah.

2I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.

2"I will sweep everything away from this land," says the LORD.

3I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

3"I will sweep away people and animals. I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. I will sweep away the idols and the bad people who worship them. I will wipe people off the land," says the LORD.

NoteThe King James Bible says "stumbling blocks." It does not mean rocks on a path. It means idols, statues that people worshiped instead of God.

4I 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;

4"I will reach out my hand to punish Judah and everyone in Jerusalem. I will remove every last bit of Baal worship from this place. Baal was a false god. I will wipe out the names of the priests who served false gods."

5And 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;

5"I will punish people who go up on their roofs to bow down to the sun, moon, and stars. I will punish people who bow to the LORD but also make promises by Malcham, another false god."

6And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

6"I will punish people who turned away from following the LORD. I will punish people who never looked for him or asked him anything."

7Hold 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.

7Be quiet in front of the Lord GOD. The day of the LORD is almost here. The LORD has made ready a sacrifice, a gift offered to him. He has chosen the guests he has invited.

8And 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.

8"On the day of the LORD's sacrifice, I will punish the leaders. I will punish the king's sons. I will punish everyone dressed in clothes from other lands."

9In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.

9"On that same day I will punish everyone who jumps over the doorstep. They fill their master's house with violence and lies."

10And 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.

10"On that day," says the LORD, "you will hear crying at the Fish Gate. You will hear loud wailing from the Second Part of the city. You will hear a great crash from the hills."

11Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

11Cry out loud, you people who live in the Hollow. All the traders are wiped out. Everyone who weighs out silver is gone.

NoteThe King James Bible calls this place Maktesh. That name means a hollow, or a low dish shape. It was a part of Jerusalem where traders sold things.

12And 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.

12"At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish men who sit still and do not care. They say to themselves, 'The LORD will not do anything, good or bad.'"

NoteThe King James Bible says these men were "settled on their lees." Lees are the thick bits that sink to the bottom of old wine. It is a picture of people who sit still and do not care.

13Therefore 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.

13So their things will be taken away by others. Their houses will be left empty. They will build houses but not live in them. They will plant grapevines but not drink the wine.

14The 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.

14The great day of the LORD is near. It is near, and it is coming fast. Listen, that is the sound of the day of the LORD. Even strong soldiers will cry bitterly then.

15That 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,

15That day will be a day of anger. It will be a day of trouble and pain. It will be a day when everything is wrecked and empty. It will be a day of darkness and gloom. It will be a day of clouds and thick blackness.

16A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.

16It will be a day of horn blasts and battle shouts. They will sound against cities with strong walls and tall towers.

17And 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.

17"I will bring so much trouble on people that they will walk like blind men. This is because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust. Their bodies will be thrown out like waste."

18Neither 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.

18"Their silver and gold will not be able to save them on the day of the LORD's anger. The fire of his jealousy will burn up the whole land." He will bring a sudden end to everyone living in the land.