1The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah,a in the days of Josiahb son of Amon,c king of Judah.

The Great Day of the Lord

2I will completely sweep away everything

from the face of the eartha —

this is the Lord’s declaration.

3I will sweep away people and animals;a

I will sweep away the birds of the sky

and the fish of the sea,

and the ruinsA along with the wicked.b

I will cut off mankind

from the face of the earth.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

4I will stretch out my handa against Judah

and against all the residents of Jerusalem.

I will cut off every vestige of Baalb

from this place,

the names of the pagan priestsc

along with the priests;

5those who bow in worship on the rooftopsa

to the stars in the sky;

those who bow and pledge loyalty to the Lordb

but also pledge loyalty to Milcom;a c

6and those who turn back from following the Lord,

who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.

7Be silent in the presence of the Lord God,a

for the day of the Lord is near.b

Indeed, the Lord has prepared a sacrifice;c

he has consecrated his guests.d

8On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice

I will punish the officials, the king’s sons,

and all who are dressed in foreign clothing.

9On that daya I will punish

all who skip over the threshold,a b

who fill their master’s house

with violence and deceit.

10On that day —

this is the Lord’s declaration —

there will be an outcry from the Fish Gate,a

a wailing from the Second District,b

and a loud crashing from the hills.

11Wail, you residents of the Hollow,A

for all the merchantsB will be silenced;

all those loaded with silver will be cut off.

12And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps

and punish those who settle down comfortably,a a

who say to themselves:

The Lord will do nothing — good or bad.b

13Their wealth will become plunder

and their houses a ruin.

They will build houses but never live in them,

plant vineyards but never drink their wine.a

14The great day of the Lord is near,a

near and rapidly approaching.

Listen, the day of the Lord —

then the warrior’s cry is bitter.

15That day is a day of wrath,

a day of trouble and distress,

a day of destruction and desolation,

a day of darknessa and gloom,

a day of clouds and total darkness,b

16a day of ram’s horn and battle cry

against the fortified cities,

and against the high corner towers.

17I will bring distress on mankind,

and they will walk like the blinda

because they have sinned against the Lord.

Their blood will be poured out like dust

and their flesh like dung.

18Their silver and their gold

will be unable to rescue them

on the day of the Lord’s wrath.a

The whole earth will be consumed

by the fire of his jealousy,b

for he will make a complete,

yes, a horrifying end

of all the inhabitants of the earth.