The Day of the Lord Is Near

(A)Be silent before the Lord God!
    For (B)the day of the Lord is near;
(C)the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
    and (D)consecrated his guests.
And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice—
(E)“I will punish the officials and the king's sons
    and (F)all who array themselves in foreign attire.
On that day I will punish
    everyone (G)who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master's[a] house
    with violence and fraud.

10 “On that day,” declares the Lord,
    “a cry will be heard from (H)the Fish Gate,
(I)a wail from (J)the Second Quarter,
    a loud crash from the hills.
11 (K)Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
    For all the traders[b] are no more;
    all who weigh out silver are cut off.
12 At that time (L)I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
    and I will punish the men
(M)who are complacent,[c]
    (N)those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
    nor will he do ill.’
13 Their goods shall be (O)plundered,
    and their houses laid waste.
(P)Though they build houses,
    they shall not inhabit them;
(Q)though they plant vineyards,
    they shall not drink wine from them.”

14 (R)The great day of the Lord is near,
    near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
    (S)the mighty man cries aloud there.
15 (T)A day of wrath is that day,
    a day of distress and anguish,
a day of (U)ruin and devastation,
    (V)a day of darkness and gloom,
(W)a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16     (X)a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
(Y)against the fortified cities
    and against the lofty battlements.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 1:9 Or their Lord's
  2. Zephaniah 1:11 Or all the people of Canaan
  3. Zephaniah 1:12 Hebrew are thickening on the dregs [of their wine]

Be silent(A) before the Sovereign Lord,
    for the day of the Lord(B) is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;(C)
    he has consecrated those he has invited.

“On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
    I will punish(D) the officials
    and the king’s sons(E)
and all those clad
    in foreign clothes.
On that day I will punish
    all who avoid stepping on the threshold,[a](F)
who fill the temple of their gods
    with violence and deceit.(G)

10 “On that day,(H)
    declares the Lord,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,(I)
    wailing(J) from the New Quarter,
    and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail,(K) you who live in the market district[b];
    all your merchants will be wiped out,
    all who trade with[c] silver will be destroyed.(L)
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
    and punish those who are complacent,(M)
    who are like wine left on its dregs,(N)
who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing,(O)
    either good or bad.’(P)
13 Their wealth will be plundered,(Q)
    their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
    they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
    they will not drink the wine.”(R)

14 The great day of the Lord(S) is near(T)
    near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
    the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15 That day will be a day of wrath—
    a day of distress and anguish,
        a day of trouble and ruin,
    a day of darkness(U) and gloom,
        a day of clouds and blackness(V)
16     a day of trumpet and battle cry(W)
against the fortified cities
    and against the corner towers.(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 1:9 See 1 Samuel 5:5.
  2. Zephaniah 1:11 Or the Mortar
  3. Zephaniah 1:11 Or in