Zephaniah Chapter 1
Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1999 American Bible Society

The use of the shofar -- see chapter 16

1 I am Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, the great-grandson of Amariah, and the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah.
When Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, the LORD gave me this message. 

Judgment on Judah

   ²I, the LORD, now promise
to destroy everything on this earth
  ³people and animals, birds and fish.
Everyone who is evil will crash to the ground,
and I will wipe out the entire human race.
  ⁴I will reach out to punish Judah and Jerusalem
nothing will remain of the god Baal;
nothing will be remembered of his pagan priests.
  ⁵Not a trace will be found of those who worship stars
from their rooftops,
or bow down to the god Milcom, while claiming loyalty
to me, the LORD.
  ⁶Nothing will remain of anyone who has turned away
and rejected me.

   ⁷Be silent! I am the LORD God, and the time is near.
I am preparing to sacrifice my people
and to invite my guests.
   ⁸On that day I will punish national leaders
and sons of the king,
along with all who follow foreign customs.
  ⁹I will punish worshipers of pagan gods
and cruel palace officials who abuse their power.

  ¹⁰I, the LORD, promise that on that day
noisy crying will be heard
from Fish Gate, New Town, and Upper Hills.
   ¹¹Everyone in Lower Hollow will mourn loudly,
because merchants and money changers
will be wiped out.
  ¹²I'll search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those people
who sit there unworried while thinking,
"The LORD won't do anything, good or bad."
   ¹³Their possessions will be taken, their homes left in ruins.
They won't get to live in the houses they build,
or drink wine from the grapes in their own vineyards. 

A Terrible Day

   ¹⁴The great day of the LORD is coming soon, very soon.
On that terrible day, fearsome shouts of warriors
will be heard everywhere.
   ¹⁵It will be a time of anger
of trouble and torment, of disaster and destruction,
of darkness and despair, of storm clouds and shadows,
  ¹⁶of trumpet calls and battle cries
against fortified cities and mighty fortresses.

   ¹⁷The LORD warns everyone who has sinned against him,
"I'll strike you blind!
Then your blood and your insides
will gush out like vomit.
   ¹⁸Not even your silver or gold can save you on that day
when I, the LORD, am angry.
My anger will flare up like a furious fire
scorching the earth and everyone on it." 

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