1 The word of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Lord} that came to Zephaniah {tsefanyah: God hides}, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah.
2 I will surely gather up everything {kol: totality of creation} from the surface of the ground, declares the LORD {YHWH, Universal Judge}.
3 I will completely sweep away humans and beasts; I will likewise sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and I will remove the stumbling blocks {makhshelot: idolatrous obstacles} together with the wicked. I will cut off humanity from the face of the land, declares the LORD {YHWH, Supreme Judge}.
4 I {YHWH, Judge of Nations} will extend my hand {yadi: symbol of authority} against Judah and against everyone living in Jerusalem; from this place I will cut off what remains of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests with the priests.
5 I will cut off those who bow down upon the rooftops to the host of the heavens, and those who bow down and swear to the LORD {YHWH, Divine Judge} and swear by Malkam {Malkam: Ammonite Deity}.
6 I will cut off those who turn back from following the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Judge}, and those who did not seek Him or inquire {derashuhu: seek diligently} of Him.
7 Be silent before the Lord GOD {Adonai YHWH, Sovereign Judge}, for the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has made ready a sacrifice {zevach: ritual offering} and has consecrated those He has invited.
8 And it will be on the day of the LORD’s {YHWH, Righteous Judge} sacrifice that I will punish the princes and the king’s sons, and all who wear foreign garments {malbush: garment}.
9 On that day I {YHWH, Avenging Judge} will punish all who leap over the threshold, those who fill their masters’ house with violence {chamas: cruel wrongdoing} and deceit {mirmah: deliberate fraud}.
10 It shall be on that day, declares the LORD {YHWH, Ultimate Judge}, that a voice of outcry {tzeakah: intense distress} will come from the Fish Gate, and wailing from the Second Quarter, and a great breaking from the hills.
11 Wail, you inhabitants of the Mortar {hamakhtesh: Mortar-Shaped Plaza}, for all the people of Canaan {kenaʿan: Merchant Class} are silenced; all who weigh out silver have been cut off.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are stagnant on their dregs {shimrehem: wine sediment}, those who say in their heart, “The LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} will not do good nor will He do evil.”
13 And their wealth {cheilam: material possessions} will be taken as spoil, and their houses {lishmamah: utter ruin} will become a wasteland; they will build houses but will not live in them, and they will plant vineyards but will not drink their wine.
14 The great day of the LORD {YHWH, Cosmic Judge} is drawing near—near and coming with great speed. The sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; there the mighty man {gibbor: valiant warrior} cries out.
15 A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress {tsarah: crushing pressure} and anguish, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness {arafel: black fog}.
16 A day of trumpet {shofar: Ram’s Horn} and alarm, against fortified cities and against high towers {pinot: Elevated Strongholds}.
17 I will bring anguish upon humanity, and they will stagger like those without sight, because they have sinned against the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge}; their blood will be scattered like dust, and their flesh like dung pellets {ka-gelalim: animal waste}.
18 Neither their silver {kaspam: symbolic wealth} nor their gold will be able to rescue them on the day of the LORD’s {YHWH, Righteous Avenger} wrath; by the flame of His jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for He will effect a total—indeed, a sudden—end to all who dwell on the earth.