Zephaniah 1:7

דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֗ה אֶל־צְפַנְיָה֙ בֶּן־כּוּשִׁ֣י בֶן־גְּדַלְיָ֔ה בֶּן־אֲמַרְיָ֖ה בֶּן־חִזְקִיָּ֑ה בִּימֵ֛י יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־אָמ֖וֹן מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃ The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, during the reign of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah.

אָסֹ֨ף אָסֵ֜ף כֹּ֗ל מֵעַ֛ל פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ I will sweep everything away
From the face of the earth
—declares the LORD.

אָסֵ֨ף אָדָ֜ם וּבְהֵמָ֗ה אָסֵ֤ף עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֔ם וְהַמַּכְשֵׁל֖וֹת אֶת־הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים וְהִכְרַתִּ֣י אֶת־הָאָדָ֗ם מֵעַ֛ל פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the sky
And the fish of the sea.
^aMeaning of Heb. uncertain.I will make the wicked stumble,^-a
And I will destroy mankind
From the face of the earth
—declares the LORD.

וְנָטִ֤יתִי יָדִי֙ עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וְעַ֖ל כׇּל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְהִכְרַתִּ֞י מִן־הַמָּק֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ אֶת־שְׁאָ֣ר הַבַּ֔עַל אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם הַכְּמָרִ֖ים עִם־הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃ I will stretch out My arm against Judah
And against all who dwell in Jerusalem;
And I will wipe out from this place
Every vestige of Baal,
And the name of the priestlings^bHeb. kemarim, a term used only of priests of heathen gods. along with the priests;

וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥ים עַל־הַגַּגּ֖וֹת לִצְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְאֶת־הַמִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוִים֙ הַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֣ים לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וְהַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים בְּמַלְכָּֽם׃ And those who bow down on the roofs
To the host of heaven;
And those who bow down and swear to the LORD
But also swear by Malcam;^cApparently identical with “Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites”; cf. 1 Kings 11.5.

וְאֶת־הַנְּסוֹגִ֖ים מֵאַחֲרֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַאֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־בִקְשׁ֥וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א דְרָשֻֽׁהוּ׃ And those who have forsaken the LORD,
And those who have not sought the LORD
And have not turned to Him.

וְהָיָ֗ה בְּיוֹם֙ זֶ֣בַח יְהֹוָ֔ה וּפָקַדְתִּ֥י עַל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְעַ֥ל כׇּל־הַלֹּבְשִׁ֖ים מַלְבּ֥וּשׁ נׇכְרִֽי׃ And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials
And the king’s sons,^eApparently brothers of King Amon, who exercised influence during the minority of King Josiah (2 Kings 22.1).
^fApparently references to two customs of heathen worship; cf. 2 Kings 10.22 and 1 Sam. 5.5.And all who don a foreign vestment.

וּפָקַדְתִּ֗י עַ֧ל כׇּל־הַדּוֹלֵ֛ג עַל־הַמִּפְתָּ֖ן בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא הַֽמְמַלְאִ֛ים בֵּ֥ית אֲדֹנֵיהֶ֖ם חָמָ֥ס וּמִרְמָֽה׃ I will also punish on that day
Everyone who steps over the threshold,^-f
Who fill their master’s^gI.e., King Josiah’s. palace
With lawlessness and fraud.

וְהָיָה֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה ק֤וֹל צְעָקָה֙ מִשַּׁ֣עַר הַדָּגִ֔ים וִֽילָלָ֖ה מִן־הַמִּשְׁנֶ֑ה וְשֶׁ֥בֶר גָּד֖וֹל מֵהַגְּבָעֽוֹת׃ In that day there shall be
—declares the LORD—
A loud outcry from the Fish Gate,
And howling from the Mishneh,^hA quarter of Jerusalem; cf. 2 Kings 22.14.
And a sound of great anguish from the hills.

הֵילִ֖ילוּ יֹֽשְׁבֵ֣י הַמַּכְתֵּ֑שׁ כִּ֤י נִדְמָה֙ כׇּל־עַ֣ם כְּנַ֔עַן נִכְרְת֖וּ כׇּל־נְטִ֥ילֵי כָֽסֶף׃ {ס}         The dwellers of the MachteshⁱAnother quarter of Jerusalem. howl;
For all the tradesmen have perished,
All who weigh silver are wiped out.

וְהָיָה֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא אֲחַפֵּ֥שׂ אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בַּנֵּר֑וֹת וּפָקַדְתִּ֣י עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הַקֹּֽפְאִים֙ עַל־שִׁמְרֵיהֶ֔ם הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ בִּלְבָבָ֔ם לֹא־יֵיטִ֥יב יְהֹוָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יָרֵֽעַ׃ At that time,
I will search Jerusalem with lamps;
And I will punish the men
Who rest untroubled on their lees,
Who say to themselves,
“The LORD will do nothing, good or bad.”

וְהָיָ֤ה חֵילָם֙ לִמְשִׁסָּ֔ה וּבָתֵּיהֶ֖ם לִשְׁמָמָ֑ה וּבָנ֤וּ בָתִּים֙ וְלֹ֣א יֵשֵׁ֔בוּ וְנָטְע֣וּ כְרָמִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁתּ֖וּ אֶת־יֵינָֽם׃ Their wealth shall be plundered
And their homes laid waste.
They shall build houses and not dwell in them,
Plant vineyards and not drink their wine.

קָר֤וֹב יוֹם־יְהֹוָה֙ הַגָּד֔וֹל קָר֖וֹב וּמַהֵ֣ר מְאֹ֑ד ק֚וֹל י֣וֹם יְהֹוָ֔ה מַ֥ר צֹרֵ֖חַ שָׁ֥ם גִּבּֽוֹר׃ The great day of the LORD is approaching,
Approaching most swiftly.
^jEmendation yields: “The day of the Lord is faster than a runner, / Fleeter than a warrior”; cf. Ps. 19.6.Hark, the day of the LORD!
It is bitter:
There a warrior shrieks!^-j

י֥וֹם עֶבְרָ֖ה הַיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא י֧וֹם צָרָ֣ה וּמְצוּקָ֗ה י֤וֹם שֹׁאָה֙ וּמְשׁוֹאָ֔ה י֥וֹם חֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ וַאֲפֵלָ֔ה י֥וֹם עָנָ֖ן וַעֲרָפֶֽל׃ That day shall be a day of wrath,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of calamity and desolation,
A day of darkness and deep gloom,
A day of densest clouds,

י֥וֹם שׁוֹפָ֖ר וּתְרוּעָ֑ה עַ֚ל הֶעָרִ֣ים הַבְּצֻר֔וֹת וְעַ֖ל הַפִּנּ֥וֹת הַגְּבֹהֽוֹת׃ A day of horn blasts and alarms—
Against the fortified towns
And the lofty corner towers.

וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִי לָאָדָ֗ם וְהָֽלְכוּ֙ כַּֽעִוְרִ֔ים כִּ֥י לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה חָטָ֑אוּ וְשֻׁפַּ֤ךְ דָּמָם֙ כֶּעָפָ֔ר וּלְחֻמָ֖ם כַּגְּלָלִֽים׃ I will bring distress on the people,
And they shall walk like blind men,
Because they sinned against the LORD;
Their blood shall be spilled like dust,
And their fat^kOr “marrow”; meaning of Heb. uncertain. like dung.

גַּם־כַּסְפָּ֨ם גַּם־זְהָבָ֜ם לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל לְהַצִּילָ֗ם בְּיוֹם֙ עֶבְרַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה וּבְאֵשׁ֙ קִנְאָת֔וֹ תֵּאָכֵ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּֽי־כָלָ֤ה אַךְ־נִבְהָלָה֙ יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה אֵ֥ת כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס}         Moreover, their silver and gold
Shall not avail to save them.
On the day of the LORD’s wrath,
In the fire of His passion,
The whole land shall be consumed;
For He will make a terrible end
Of all who dwell in the land.