This eBook was produced by David Widger
with the help of Derek Andrew's text from January 1992
and the work of Bryan Taylor in November 2002.





Book 36        Zephaniah

36:001:001 The word of the LORD which came unto 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.

36:001:002 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the
           LORD.

36:001:003 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the
           heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks
           with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land,
           saith the LORD.

36:001:004 I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the
           inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of
           Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the
           priests;

36:001:005 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops;
           and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that
           swear by Malcham;

36:001:006 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that
           have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

36:001:007 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of
           the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice,
           he hath bid his guests.

36:001:008 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD's sacrifice,
           that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and
           all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

36:001:009 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the
           threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and
           deceit.

36:001:010 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that
           there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an
           howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.

36:001:011 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people
           are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

36:001:012 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search
           Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on
           their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do
           good, neither will he do evil.

36:001:013 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a
           desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit
           them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine
           thereof.

36:001:014 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth
           greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man
           shall cry there bitterly.

36:001:015 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a
           day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and
           gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

36:001:016 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and
           against the high towers.

36:001:017 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like
           blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and
           their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as
           the dung.

36:001:018 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver
           them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall
           be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make
           even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

36:002:001 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not
           desired;

36:002:002 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the
           chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you,
           before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you.

36:002:003 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought
           his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye
           shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.

36:002:004 For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they
           shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be
           rooted up.

36:002:005 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the
           Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan,
           the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that
           there shall be no inhabitant.

36:002:006 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for
           shepherds, and folds for flocks.

36:002:007 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah;
           they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall
           they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall
           visit them, and turn away their captivity.

36:002:008 I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the
           children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and
           magnified themselves against their border.

36:002:009 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of
           Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of
           Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits,
           and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall
           spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

36:002:010 This shall they have for their pride, because they have
           reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the
           LORD of hosts.

36:002:011 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all
           the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one
           from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.

36:002:012 Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

36:002:013 And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and
           destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry
           like a wilderness.

36:002:014 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts
           of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge
           in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the
           windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds; for he shall
           uncover the cedar work.

36:002:015 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in
           her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she
           become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every
           one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.

36:003:001 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing
           city!

36:003:002 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she
           trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.

36:003:003 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are
           evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

36:003:004 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests
           have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the
           law.

36:003:005 The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do
           iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light,
           he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

36:003:006 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made
           their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are
           destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none
           inhabitant.

36:003:007 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive
           instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off,
           howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted
           all their doings.

36:003:008 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that
           I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the
           nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them
           mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth
           shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

36:003:009 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they
           may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one
           consent.

36:003:010 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the
           daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

36:003:011 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings,
           wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will
           take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy
           pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy
           mountain.

36:003:012 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor
           people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

36:003:013 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies;
           neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for
           they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

36:003:014 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice
           with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

36:003:015 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine
           enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of
           thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

36:003:016 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and
           to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

36:003:017 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save,
           he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love,
           he will joy over thee with singing.

36:003:018 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly,
           who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

36:003:019 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I
           will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven
           out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where
           they have been put to shame.

36:003:020 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I
           gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all
           people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before
           your eyes, saith the LORD.