1The Word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2"I will utterly consume all things from the face of the earth," says the LORD.

3"I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks, with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the face of the earth," says the LORD.

4"I will also stretch out My hand upon Judah and upon all the people of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the idolatrous priests, with the priests,

5And those worshiping the host of heaven upon the housetops, and those worshiping, swearing to the LORD, also swearing by Milcom;

6And those who have turned away from the LORD, and who have not sought the LORD, nor asked of Him."

7Be silent before the face of the Lord GOD, for the day of the LORD is at hand, for the LORD has appointed a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.

8"And it shall be in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, I will punish the rulers, and the king's children, and all who are clothed in strange garments.

9And in that day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.

10And it shall be in that day," says the LORD, "the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, and a howling from the Second Quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.

11Howl, people of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all those who are laden with silver are cut off.

12And it shall be in that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled on their lees; who say in their heart, 'The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil. '

13And their goods shall become a prize and their houses a desolation. They shall also build houses, but not live in them, and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink their wine."

14The great day of the LORD is near; it is near and comes swiftly, the sound of the day of the LORD. The mighty man shall cry bitterly there.

15That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16A day of the ram's horn and alarm against the fortified cities, and against the high towers.

17"And I will bring distress on men, so that they shall walk as the blind because they have sinned against the LORD. And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung."

18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole earth shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He shall make even a full end, yea, a terrible end of all who dwell upon the earth.