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¹ A word of YHWH that has been to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezikiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amoz, king of Judah:² "I utterly consume all from off the face of the ground," || A declaration of YHWH.³ "I consume man and beast, || I consume bird of the heavens, and fishes of the sea, || And the stumbling-blocks—the wicked, || And I have cut off man from the face of the ground," || A declaration of YHWH,⁴ "And I have stretched out My hand against Judah, || And against all inhabiting Jerusalem, || And cut off from this place the remnant of Ba‘al, || The name of the idolatrous priests, with the priests,⁵ And those bowing themselves || On the roofs to the host of the heavens, || And those bowing themselves, || Swearing to YHWH, and swearing by Malcham,⁶ And those removing from after YHWH, || And who have not sought YHWH, nor implored Him."

⁷ Hush! Because of Lord YHWH, || For near [is the] Day of YHWH, || For YHWH has prepared a sacrifice, || He has sanctified His invited ones.⁸ "And it has come to pass, || In the day of the sacrifice of YHWH, || That I have laid a charge on the heads, || And on sons of the king, || And on all putting on strange clothing.⁹ And I have laid a charge on everyone || Who is leaping over the threshold in that day, || Who are filling the house of their masters || [With] violence and deceit.¹⁰ And there has been in that day," || A declaration of YHWH, || "The noise of a cry from the Fish Gate, || And of a howling from the Second [Quarter], || And of great destruction from the hills.¹¹ Howl, you inhabitants of the hollow place, || For all the merchant people have been cut off, || All carrying silver have been cut off.¹² And it has come to pass at that time, || I search Jerusalem with lights, || And I have laid a charge on the men || Who are hardened on their preserved things, || Who are saying in their heart: YHWH does no good, nor does He do evil.¹³ And their wealth has been for a spoil, || And their houses for desolation, || And they have built houses, and do not inhabit, || And they have planted vineyards, || And they do not drink their wine."

¹⁴ Near [is] the Great Day of YHWH, || Near, and hastening exceedingly, || The noise of the Day of YHWH, || There a mighty one bitterly shrieks.¹⁵ A day of wrath [is] that day, || A day of adversity and distress, || A day of devastation and desolation, || A day of darkness and gloominess, || A day of cloud and thick darkness,¹⁶ A day of horn and shouting against the fortified cities, || And against the high corners.¹⁷ "And I have sent distress to men, || And they have walked as the blind, || For against YHWH they have sinned, || And poured out is their blood as dust, || And their flesh [is] as dung."¹⁸ Even their silver, even their gold, is not able to deliver them in a day of the wrath of YHWH, and in the fire of His jealousy is the whole land consumed, for He makes only a hurried end of all the inhabitants of the land!