Zephaniah 1:3

דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֗ה אֶל־צְפַנְיָה֙ בֶּן־כּוּשִׁ֣י בֶן־גְּדַלְיָ֔ה בֶּן־אֲמַרְיָ֖ה בֶּן־חִזְקִיָּ֑ה בִּימֵ֛י יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־אָמ֖וֹן מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃ The word of GOD 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 GOD.

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^bpriestlings Heb. 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 GOD
But also swear by Malcam;^cMalcam Apparently 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 GOD,
And those who have not sought GOD
And have not made inquiry.

הַ֕ס מִפְּנֵ֖י אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֑ה כִּ֤י קָרוֹב֙ י֣וֹם יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּֽי־הֵכִ֧ין יְהֹוָ֛ה זֶ֖בַח הִקְדִּ֥ישׁ קְרֻאָֽיו׃ Be silent before my Sovereign GOD,
For the day of GOD is approaching;
For GOD has prepared a sacrificial feast,^dsacrificial feast I.e., a slaughter of sinners.
Has bidden the guests purify themselves.^ebidden the guests purify themselves I.e., invitations have already been issued in anticipation; cf. 1 Sam. 16.5.

וְהָיָ֗ה בְּיוֹם֙ זֶ֣בַח יְהֹוָ֔ה וּפָקַדְתִּ֥י עַל־הַשָּׂרִ֖ים וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְעַ֥ל כׇּל־הַלֹּבְשִׁ֖ים מַלְבּ֥וּשׁ נׇכְרִֽי׃ And on the day of GOD’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials
And the king’s sons,^fking’s sons Apparently brothers of King Amon, who exercised influence during the minority of King Josiah (2 Kings 22.1).
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,^gdon a foreign vestment … steps over the threshold Apparently two customs of heathen worship; cf. 2 Kings 10.22 and 1 Sam. 5.5.
Who fill their master’s^htheir master’s I.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 GOD—
A loud outcry from the Fish Gate,
And howling from the Mishneh,ⁱMishneh A quarter of Jerusalem; cf. 2 Kings 22.14.
And a sound of great anguish from the hills.

הֵילִ֖ילוּ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הַמַּכְתֵּ֑שׁ כִּ֤י נִדְמָה֙ כׇּל־עַ֣ם כְּנַ֔עַן נִכְרְת֖וּ כׇּל־נְטִ֥ילֵי כָֽסֶף׃ {ס}         The dwellers of the Machtesh^jMachtesh Another quarter of Jerusalem. howl;
For all the traders 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 all those
Who rest untroubled on their lees,
Who say to themselves,
“ GOD 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 GOD is approaching,
Approaching most swiftly.
Hark, the day of GOD!
It is bitter:
There a warrior shrieks!^kHark, the day of GOD! / It is bitter: / There a warrior shrieks! Emendation yields: “The day of GOD is faster than a runner, / Fleeter than a warrior”; cf. Ps. 19.6.

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 the blind,
Because they sinned against GOD;
Their blood shall be spilled like dust,
And their fat^lfat Or “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 GOD’s wrath,
In the fire of such passion,
The whole land shall be consumed;
For [God] will make a terrible end
Of all who dwell in the land.