1. The Lord’s word that came to Zephaniah, Cushi’s son, Gedaliah’s grandson, Amariah’s great-grandson, and Hezekiah’s great-great-grandson in the days of Judah’s King Josiah, Amon’s son.
2. I will wipe out everything from the earth, says the Lord.
3. I will destroy humanity and the beasts;I will destroy the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea.I will make the wicked into a heap of ruins;I will eliminate humanity from the earth, says the Lord.
4. I will stretch out my hand against Judahand against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.I will eliminate what’s left of Baal from this placeand the names of the priests of foreign gods,
5. those bowing down to the forces of heaven on the rooftops,those swearing by the Lord along with those swearing by Milcom,
6. those turning away from the Lord, those who don’t seek the Lord and don’t pursue him.
7. Hush before the Lord God,for the day of the Lord is near!The Lord has established a sacrifice;he has made holy those he has summoned.
8. On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice,I will punish the princes, the king’s sons,and all those wearing foreign clothes.
9. I will punish the one leaping on the threshold on that day,those filling the house of their master with violence and deceit.
10. On that day—says the Lord—an outcry will resound from the Fish Gate,wailing from the second quarter,a loud crash from the hills.
11. The ones who grind the grain will wail;all the merchants will be silenced.I will eliminate all those weighing out silver.
12. At that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps;I will punish the men growing fat on the sediment in their wine,those saying to themselves, The Lord won’t do good or evil.