Zephaniah Prophesies Judgment on Judah (Matthew 13:36–43)
1 ULT The word of Yahweh that was to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. BSB BSB: This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
2 ULT “Removing, I will exterminate everything from upon the face of the ground”— the declaration of Yahweh. BSB BSB: “I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
3 ULT “I will take away man and beast; I will take away the birds of the skies and the fish of the sea and the stumbling blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off man from upon the face of the ground”— the declaration of Yahweh. BSB BSB: “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
4 ULT “And I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all of the ones living in Jerusalem, and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, the name of the idol- priests with the priests, BSB BSB: “I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—
5 ULT and the ones bowing down on the housetops to the army of the skies, and the ones bowing down, swearing to Yahweh but swearing by their king, BSB BSB: those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,
6 ULT and the ones turning back from after Yahweh, and who do not search for Yahweh and do not seek him.” BSB BSB: and those who turn back from following the LORD, neither seeking the LORD nor inquiring of Him.”
The Day of the LORD (Malachi 4:1–6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11; 2 Peter 3:8–13)
7 ULT Hush from the face of Lord Yahweh, for the day of Yahweh{ is} near. For Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice, he has sanctified his invited ones. BSB BSB: Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.
8 ULT “And it will happen on the day of the sacrifice of Yahweh that I will visit upon the princes and upon the sons of the king and upon all the ones wearing foreign clothing, BSB BSB: “On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the sons of the king, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.
9 ULT and on that day I will visit upon all the ones leaping over the threshold, the ones filling the house of their lords{ with} violence and fraud. BSB BSB: On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.
10 ULT And it will happen on that day”— the declaration of Yahweh—“the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate and a wailing from the Second{ District} and a great ruin from the hills. BSB BSB: On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second District, and a loud crashing from the hills.
11 ULT Wail, inhabitants of the Maktesh, for all of the people of Canaan will be destroyed, all of the ones weighing silver will be cut off. BSB BSB: Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.
12 ULT And it will happen at that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will visit upon the men thickening on their sediment, the ones saying in their heart,‘Yahweh will not do good, and he will not do bad,’ BSB BSB: And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’
13 ULT and their wealth will become plunder and their houses a ruin, and they will build houses, but they will not inhabit{ them}, and they will plant vineyards, but they will not drink their wine. BSB BSB: Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.
14 ULT The great day of Yahweh{ is} near, near and hastening quickly! The sound of the day of Yahweh{ is} bitter; the warrior cries out then! BSB BSB: The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.
15 ULT That day{ will be} a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and overcast, BSB BSB: That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
16 ULT a day of horn and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the high corners. BSB BSB: a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.
17 ULT For I will bring distress to man, and they will walk like the blind, for they have sinned against Yahweh. And their blood will be poured out like dust, and their innards like dung. BSB BSB: I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.
18 ULT Even their silver, even their gold, will not be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of Yahweh.” For in the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed. For he will make all of the inhabitants of the earth a consummation, indeed, a hastened one. BSB BSB: Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.