11 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 .
12 I will utterly consume all things from off the land saith
the LORD .
13 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 .
14 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 .
15 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 .
16 And them that are turned back from the LORD and those that
have not sought the LORD nor inquired for him .
17 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 .
18 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 .
19 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on
the threshold which fill their masters' houses with violence and
deceit .
110 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 .
111 Howl ye inhabitants of Maktesh for all the merchant people
are cut down all they that bear silver are cut off .
112 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 .
113 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 .
114 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 .
115 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 .
116 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities
and against the high towers .
117 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 .
118 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 .
* 21 Gather yourselves together yea gather together O nation
not desired .
22 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 .
23 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 .
24 For Gaza shall be forsaken and Ashkelon a desolation they
shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day and Ekron shall be rooted
up .
25 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 .
26 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for
shepherds and folds for flocks .
27 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 .
28 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 .
29 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 .
210 This shall they have for their pride because they have
reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the
LORD of hosts .
211 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 .
212 Ye Ethiopians also ye shall be slain by my sword .
213 And he will stretch out his hand against the north and
destroy Assyria and will make Nineveh a desolation and dry like
a wilderness .
214 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 .
215 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 .
* 31 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing
city .
32 She obeyed not the voice she received not correction she
trusted not in the LORD she drew not near to her God .
33 Her princes within her are roaring lions her judges are
evening wolves they gnaw not the bones till the morrow .
34 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons her priests
have polluted the sanctuary they have done violence to the law .
35 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 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 .
37 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
.
38 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 .
39 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 .
310 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants even the
daughter of my dispersed shall bring mine offering .
311 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 .
312 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and
poor people and they shall trust in the name of the LORD .
313 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 .
314 Sing O daughter of Zion shout O Israel be glad and rejoice
with all the heart O daughter of Jerusalem .
315 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 .
316 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem Fear thou not
and to Zion Let not thine hands be slack .
317 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 .
318 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn
assembly who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burden
.
319 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 .
320 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 .
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