Zephaniah Chapter 1

1 The word of Jehovah which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2 I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah.

3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah.

4 And I will stretch out my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place,

5 and the name of the Chemarim with the priests;

6 and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship, that swear to Jehovah and swear by Malcam;

7 and them that are turned back from following Jehovah; and those that have not sought Jehovah, nor inquired after him.

8 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is at hand: for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath consecrated his guests.

9 And it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.

10 And in that day I will punish all those that leap over the threshold, that fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.

11 And in that day, saith Jehovah, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.

12 Wail, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are undone; all they that were laden with silver are cut off.

13 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.

14 And their wealth shall become a spoil, and their houses a desolation: yea, they shall build houses, but shall not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink the wine thereof.

15 The great day of Jehovah is near, it is near and hasteth greatly,

16 even the voice of the day of Jehovah; the mighty man crieth there bitterly.

17 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,

18 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 The word of Jehovah that came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2 I will utterly take away everything from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah:

3 I will take away man and beast; I will take away the fowl of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off mankind from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah.

4 And I will stretch forth my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the Chemarim with the priests;

5 and them that bow down to the host of the heavens upon the housetops; and them that bow down to Jehovah, that swear by [him], and swear by Malcham;

6 and them that turn back from after Jehovah, and that do not seek Jehovah, nor inquire for him.

7 Be silent at the presence of the Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath hallowed his guests.

8 And it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.

9 And in that day will I punish all those that leap over the threshold, who fill their master's house with violence and deceit.

10 And in that day, saith Jehovah, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish-gate, and a howling from the second [quarter], and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are cut down, all they that are laden with silver are cut off.

12 And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.

13 And their wealth shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation; and they shall build houses, and not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and not drink the wine thereof.

14 The great day of Jehovah is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly. The voice of the day of Jehovah: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and gross darkness,

16 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fenced cities and against the high battlements.

17 And I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men; for they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung:

18 their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them, in the day of Jehovah's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for a full end, yea, a sudden [end], shall he make of all them that dwell in the land.

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 The word of the Lord which came to Sophonias the son of Chusi, the son of Godolias, the son of Amorias, the son of Ezekias, in the days of Josias son of Amon, king of Juda.

2 Let there be an utter cutting off from the face of the land, saith the Lord.

3 Let man and cattle be cut off; let the birds of the air and the fishes of the sea be cut off; and the ungodly shall fail, and I will take away the transgressors from the face of the land, saith the Lord.

4 And I will stretch out mine hand upon Juda, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will remove the names of Baal out of this place, and the names of the priests;

5 and them that worship the host of heaven upon the house-tops; and them that worship and swear by the Lord, and them that swear by their king;

6 and them that turn aside from the Lord, and them that seek not the Lord, and them that cleave not to the Lord.

7 Fear ye before the Lord God; for the day of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared his sacrifice, and has sanctified his guests.

8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will take vengeance on the princes, and on the king's house, and upon all that wear strange apparel.

9 And I will openly take vengeance on the porches in that day, [on the men] that fill the house of the Lord their God with ungodliness and deceit.

10 And there shall be in that day, saith the Lord, the sound of a cry from the gate of men slaying, and a howling from the second [gate], and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Lament, ye that inhabit the [city] that has been broken down, for all the people has become like Chanaan; and all that were exalted by silver have been utterly destroyed.

12 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will search Jerusalem with a candle, and will take vengeance on the men that despise the things committed to them; but they say in their hearts, The Lord will not do any good, neither will he do any evil.

13 And their power shall be for a spoil, and their houses for utter desolation; and they shall build houses, but shall not dwell in them; and they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink the wine of them.

14 For the great day of the Lord [is] near, [it is] near, and very speedy; the sound of the day of the Lord is made bitter and harsh.

15 A mighty day of wrath is that day, a day of affliction and distress, a day of desolation and destruction, a day of gloominess and darkness, a day of cloud and vapour,

16 a day of the trumpet and cry against the strong cities, and against the high towers.

17 And I will greatly afflict the men, and they shall walk as blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; therefore he shall pour out their blood as dust, and their flesh as dung.

18 And their silver and their gold shall in nowise be able to rescue them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will bring a speedy destruction on all them that inhabit the land.

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Verbum Domini, quod factum est ad Sophoniam filium Chusi, filii Godoliæ, filii Amariæ, filii Ezeciæ, in diebus Iosiæ filii Amon regis Iudæ.

2 Congregans congregabo omnia a facie terræ, dicit Dominus:

3 congregans hominem, et pecus, congregans volatilia cæli, et pisces maris: et ruinæ impiorum erunt: et disperdam homines a facie terræ, dicit Dominus.

4 Et extendam manum meam super Iudam, et super omnes habitantes Ierusalem: et disperdam de loco hoc reliquias Baal, et nomina ædituorum cum sacerdotibus:

5 et eos, qui adorant super tecta militiam cæli, et adorant, et iurant in Domino, et iurant in Melchom.

6 Et qui avertuntur de post tergum Domini, et qui non quæsierunt Dominum, nec investigaverunt eum.

7 Silete a facie Domini Dei: quia iuxta est dies Domini, quia præparavit Dominus hostiam, sanctificavit vocatos suos.

8 Et erit: in die hostiæ Domini visitabo super principes, et super filios regis, et super omnes, qui induti sunt veste peregrina:

9 et visitabo super omnem, qui arroganter ingreditur super limen in die illa: qui complent domum Domini Dei sui iniquitate, et dolo.

10 Et erit in die illa, dicit Dominus, vox clamoris a porta piscium, et ululatus a Secunda, et contritio magna a collibus.

11 Ululate habitatores Pilæ: conticuit omnis populus Chanaan, disperierunt omnes involuti argento.

12 Et erit in tempore illo: scrutabor Ierusalem in lucernis: et visitabo super viros defixos in fæcibus suis: qui dicunt in cordibus suis: Non faciet bene Dominus, et non faciet male.

13 Et erit fortitudo eorum in direptionem, et domus eorum in desertum: et ædificabunt domos, et non habitabunt: et plantabunt vineas, et non bibent vinum earum.

14 Iuxta est dies Domini magnus, iuxta est et velox nimis: vox diei Domini amara, tribulabitur ibi fortis.

15 Dies iræ dies illa, dies tribulationis et angustiæ, dies calamitatis et miseriæ, dies tenebrarum et caliginis, dies nebulæ et turbinis,

16 dies tubæ et clangoris super civitates munitas, et super angulos excelsos.

17 Et tribulabo homines, et ambulabunt ut cæci, quia Domino peccaverunt: et effundetur sanguis eorum sicut humus, et corpora eorum sicut stercora.

18 Sed et argentum eorum, et aurum eorum non poterit liberare eos in die iræ Domini: in igne zeli eius devorabitur omnis terra, quia consummationem cum festinatione faciet cunctis habitantibus terram.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 The LORD’s word which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2 I will utterly sweep away everything from the surface of the earth, says the LORD.

3 I will sweep away man and animal. I will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the heaps of rubble with the wicked. I will cut off man from the surface of the earth, says the LORD.

4 I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place—the name of the idolatrous and pagan priests,

5 those who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by the LORD and also swear by Malcam,

6 those who have turned back from following the LORD, and those who haven’t sought the LORD nor inquired after him.

7 Be silent at the presence of the Lord GOD, for the day of the LORD is at hand. For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests.

8 It will happen in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.

9 In that day, I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.

10 In that day, says the LORD, there will be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.

12 It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.”

13 Their wealth will become a plunder, and their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses, but won’t inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won’t drink their wine.

14 The great day of the LORD is near. It is near and hurries greatly, the voice of the day of the LORD. The mighty man cries there bitterly.

15 That day is 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 the trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.

17 I will bring such distress on men that they will walk like blind men because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.

18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who dwell in the land.

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezikiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amoz, king of Judah:

2 I utterly consume all from off the face of the ground, An affirmation of Jehovah.

3 I consume man and beast, I consume fowl of the heavens, and fishes of the sea, And the stumbling-blocks--the wicked, And I have cut off man from the face of the ground, An affirmation of Jehovah,

4 And stretched out My hand against Judah, And against all inhabiting Jerusalem, And cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, The name of the idolatrous priests, with the priests,

5 And those bowing themselves On the roofs to the host of the heavens, And those bowing themselves, Swearing to Jehovah, and swearing by Malcham,

6 And those removing from after Jehovah, And who have not sought Jehovah, nor besought Him.

7 Hush! because of the Lord Jehovah, For near <FI>is<Fi> a day of Jehovah, For prepared hath Jehovah a sacrifice, He hath sanctified His invited ones.

8 And it hath come to pass, In the day of the sacrifice of Jehovah, That I have laid a charge on the heads, And on sons of the king, And on all putting on strange clothing.

9 And I have laid a charge on every one Who is leaping over the threshold in that day, Who are filling the house of their masters <FI>With<Fi> violence and deceit.

10 And there hath been in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah, The noise of a cry from the fish-gate, And of a howling from the Second, And of great destruction from the hills.

11 Howl, ye inhabitants of the hollow place, For cut off hath been all the merchant people, Cut off have been all bearing silver.

12 And it hath come to pass, at that time, I search Jerusalem with lights, And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things, Who are saying in their heart: Jehovah doth no good, nor doth He evil.

13 And their wealth hath been for a spoil, And their houses for desolation, And they have built houses, and do not inhabit, And they have planted vineyards, And they do not drink their wine.

14 Near <FI>is<Fi> the great day of Jehovah, Near, and hasting exceedingly, The noise of the day of Jehovah, Bitterly shriek there doth a mighty one.

15 A day of wrath <FI>is<Fi> that day, A day of adversity and distress, A day of waste and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of cloud and thick darkness.

16 A day of trumpet and shouting against the fenced cities, And against the high corners.

17 And I have sent distress to men, And they have walked as the blind, For against Jehovah they have sinned, And poured out is their blood as dust, And their flesh <FI>is<Fi> as dung.

18 Even their silver, even their gold, Is not able to deliver them in a day of the wrath of Jehovah, And in the fire of His jealousy consumed is the whole land, For only a hastened end doth He make Of all the inhabitants of the land!

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).