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¹ The Word of Jehovah which 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:² I will completely gather away all from on the face of the ground, declares Jehovah.³ I will gather away man and beast: I will gather away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks, even the wicked. And I will cut off man from the face of the ground, declares Jehovah.⁴ I will also stretch out My hand on Judah and on all those dwelling in Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the idol worshipers, with the priests;⁵ and those bowing to the host of the heavens on the housetops; and those bowing, swearing to Jehovah, also swearing by Malcham,⁶ and those drawing back from after Jehovah, and who have not sought Jehovah, nor asked of Him.

⁷ Be silent before the face of the Lord Jehovah, for the day of Jehovah is near. For Jehovah has appointed a sacrifice; He has consecrated ones He called.⁸ And it shall be in the day of the sacrifice of Jehovah, I will punish the rulers and the king's sons, and all those clothed in foreign clothing.⁹ And I will punish all those who leap on the threshold in that day, who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.¹⁰ And it shall be in that day, declares Jehovah, the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, and a howling from the Second, and a great breaking from the hills.¹¹ Howl, those living in Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan have perished; all those carrying silver are cut off.¹² And it shall be in that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men being settled on their lees; who say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, nor will He do evil.¹³ And their goods shall become a prize, and their houses a waste. They shall also build houses, but not live there . And they shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine.

¹⁴ The great day of Jehovah is near; it is near and rushing greatly, the sound of the day of Jehovah. The mighty man shall cry out bitterly there.¹⁵ That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and pressure, a day of waste and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,¹⁶ a day of the ram's horn and alarm against the fortified cities, and against the high towers.¹⁷ And I will bring distress to men, and they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against Jehovah. And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh like dung.¹⁸ Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah. But all the earth shall be consumed by the fire of His jealousy. For He shall make a complete, yea, a speedy end of all those living in the land.