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1. Warning of Coming Destruction

¹ The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the LORD

    ² “I will sweep away everything
   from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
³ “I will sweep away both man and beast;
   I will sweep away the birds in the sky
   and the fish in the sea—
   and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.” The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

   “When I destroy all mankind
   on the face of the earth,” declares the LORD,
⁴ “I will stretch out my hand against Judah
   and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,
   the very names of the idolatrous priests—
⁵ those who bow down on the roofs
   to worship the starry host,
those who bow down and swear by the LORD
   and who also swear by Molek, Hebrew Malkam
⁶ those who turn back from following the LORD
   and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.”

    ⁷ Be silent before the Sovereign LORD,
   for the day of the LORD is near.
The LORD has prepared a sacrifice;
   he has consecrated those he has invited.

    ⁸ “On the day of the LORD’s sacrifice
   I will punish the officials
   and the king’s sons
and all those clad
   in foreign clothes.
⁹ On that day I will punish
   all who avoid stepping on the threshold, See 1 Samuel 5:5.
who fill the temple of their gods
   with violence and deceit.

    ¹⁰ “On that day,”
   declares the LORD,
“a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,
   wailing from the New Quarter,
   and a loud crash from the hills.
¹¹ Wail, you who live in the market district Or the Mortar;
   all your merchants will be wiped out,
   all who trade with Or in silver will be destroyed.
¹² At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
   and punish those who are complacent,
   who are like wine left on its dregs,
who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing,
   either good or bad.’
¹³ Their wealth will be plundered,
   their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
   they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
   they will not drink the wine.”

    ¹⁴ The great day of the LORD is near—
   near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the LORD is bitter;
   the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
¹⁵ That day will be a day of wrath—
   a day of distress and anguish,
      a day of trouble and ruin,
   a day of darkness and gloom,
      a day of clouds and blackness—
    ¹⁶ a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
   and against the corner towers.

    ¹⁷ “I will bring such distress on all people
   that they will grope about like those who are blind,
   because they have sinned against the LORD.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
   and their entrails like dung.
¹⁸ Neither their silver nor their gold
   will be able to save them
   on the day of the LORD’s wrath.”

   In the fire of his jealousy
   the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
   of all who live on the earth.

He repeats what he has already said—that the helps which the Jews hoped would be in readiness to prevent God’s vengeance would be vain. For though men dare not openly to resist God, yet they hope by some winding courses to find out some way by which they may avert his judgment. As then the Jews, trusting in their wealth, and in their fortified cities, became insolent towards God, the Prophet here declares, that neither gold nor silver should be a help to them. Let them, he says, accumulate wealth; though by the mass of their gold and silver they form high mountains for themselves, yet they shall not be able to turn aside the hand of God, nor be able to deliver themselves,—and why? He repeats again the same thing, that it would be the day of wrath. We indeed know, that the most savage enemies are sometimes pacified by money, for avarice mitigates their cruelty; but the Prophet declares here, that as God would be the ruler in that war, there would be no redemption, and therefore money would be useless: for God could by no means receive them into favor, except they repented and truly humbled themselves before him.

He therefore adds, that the land would be devoured by the fire of God’s jealousy, or indignation. He compares God’s wrath to fire; for no agreement can be made when fire rages, but the more materials there are the more will there be to increase the fire. So then the Prophet excludes the Jews from any hope of deliverance, except they reconciled themselves to God by true and sincere repentance; for a consummation, he says, he will make as to all the inhabitants of the land, and one indeed very quick or speedy. ⁸⁹⁸⁹ Quickness rather than terror is what is evidently meant. See version 14. Most agree in this respect. Newcome renders it “speedy,” and Henderson “sudden.” The word “riddance,” for [כלה], in our version, is improper. It is rendered “full end” by Newcome, and “consummation” by Henderson, and “συντέλειαν—end” by the Septuagint. The particle [אך] does not mean “altogether,” as rendered by Henderson, but it is an asseveration—surely, indeed, certainly, doubtless. The [אח] before “inhabitants” has evidently here the meaning of κατα, with regard to. It is rendered επι, upon, in the Septuagint, and “with” by Marckius and Newcome. The whole verse is as follows,—
18. Neither their silver nor their gold
Shall be able to deliver them
In the day of the extreme-wrath of Jehovah;
By the fire of his jealousy
Shall be consumed the whole land;
For an end, doubtless sudden, will he make,
As to all the inhabitants of the land. In short, he means, that as the Jews had hardened themselves against every instruction, they would find God’s vengeance to be such as would wholly consume them, as they would not anticipate it, but on the contrary enhance it by their pride and stupidity, and even deride it. Now follows—