Study Desk

The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of ^(C1)Josiah son of ^(C2)Amon, king of Judah:

"I will completely ^(C1)remove all things From the face of the ^(F1)earth," declares the LORD.

"I will remove ^(C1)human and animal life; I will remove the ^(C2)birds of the sky And the fish of the sea, And the ^(F1)(C3)ruins along with the wicked; And I will eliminate mankind from the face of the ^(F2)earth," declares the LORD.

"So I will ^(C1)stretch out My hand against Judah And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will ^(C2)eliminate the remnant of Baal from this place, And the names of the ^(C3)idolatrous priests along with the other priests.

-"And those who bow down on the ^(C1)housetops to the heavenly ^(F1)lights, And those who bow down and ^(C2)swear to the LORD, but also swear by ^(F2)(C3)Milcom,

And those who have ^(C1)turned back from following the LORD, And those who have ^(C2)not sought the LORD nor inquired of Him."

^(F1)(C1)Be silent before the Lord ^(F2)GOD! For the ^(C2)day of the LORD is near, Because the LORD has prepared a ^(C3)sacrifice, He has ^(C4)consecrated His guests.

"Then it will come about on the day of the LORD'S sacrifice That I will ^(C1)punish the princes, the king's sons, And all who clothe themselves with ^(C2)foreign garments.

-"And on that day I will punish all who leap on the temple threshold, Who fill the house of their ^(F1)lord with ^(C1)violence and deceit.

-"And on that day," declares the LORD, "There will be the sound of a cry from the ^(C1)Fish Gate, Wailing from the ^(F1)(C2)Second Quarter, And a loud crash from the ^(C3)hills.

-"Wail, you inhabitants of the ^(F1)Mortar, Because all the ^(F2)people of ^(C1)Canaan will be destroyed; All who weigh out ^(C2)silver will be eliminated.

-"And it will come about at that time That I will ^(C1)search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the people Who are ^(F1)(C2)stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will ^(C3)not do good nor harm!'

-"Their wealth will become ^(C1)plunder, And their houses desolate; Yes, ^(C2)they will build houses but not inhabit them, And plant vineyards but not drink their wine."

The ^(C1)great ^(C2)day of the LORD is near, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! ^(F1)In it the warrior ^(C3)cries out bitterly.

That day is a day of anger, A day of ^(C1)trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of ^(C2)darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,

A day of ^(C1)trumpet and battle cry Against the ^(C2)fortified cities And the high corner towers.

I will bring ^(C1)distress on mankind So that they will walk ^(C2)like those who are blind, Because they have sinned against the LORD; And their ^(C3)blood will be poured out like dust, And their ^(C4)flesh like dung.

Neither their ^(C1)silver nor their gold Will be able to save them On the day of the LORD'S anger; And ^(C2)all the earth will be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will ^(C3)make a complete end, Indeed a horrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.