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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Zephaniah 1 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/zephaniah/1.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/zephaniah/1-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > Zephaniah 1</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../habakkuk/3.htm" title="Habakkuk 3">◄</a> Zephaniah 1 <a href="../zephaniah/2.htm" title="Zephaniah 2">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/zephaniah/1.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>The LORD gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah.</p><p class="hdg">Coming Judgment against Judah</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>“I will sweep away everything</p><p class="line2">from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>“I will sweep away people and animals alike.</p><p class="line2">I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish in the sea.</p><p class="line1">I will reduce the wicked to heaps of rubble,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a></p><p class="line2">and I will wipe humanity from the face of the earth,” says the LORD.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>“I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist</p><p class="line2">and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship.</p><p class="line1">I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests,</p><p class="line2">so that even the memory of them will disappear.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>For they go up to their roofs</p><p class="line2">and bow down to the sun, moon, and stars.</p><p class="line1">They claim to follow the LORD,</p><p class="line2">but then they worship Molech,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a> too.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And I will destroy those who used to worship me</p><p class="line2">but now no longer do.</p><p class="line1">They no longer ask for the LORD’s guidance</p><p class="line2">or seek my blessings.”</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign LORD,</p><p class="line2">for the awesome day of the LORD’s judgment is near.</p><p class="line1">The LORD has prepared his people for a great slaughter</p><p class="line2">and has chosen their executioners.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a></p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>“On that day of judgment,”</p><p class="line2">says the LORD,</p><p class="line1">“I will punish the leaders and princes of Judah</p><p class="line2">and all those following pagan customs.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Yes, I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies,</p><p class="line2">and those who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>“On that day,” says the LORD,</p><p class="line2">“a cry of alarm will come from the Fish Gate</p><p class="line1">and echo throughout the New Quarter of the city.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">d</span></a></p><p class="line2">And a great crash will sound from the hills.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Wail in sorrow, all you who live in the market area,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">e</span></a></p><p class="line2">for all the merchants and traders will be destroyed.</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners</p><p class="line2">to punish those who sit complacent in their sins.</p><p class="line1">They think the LORD will do nothing to them,</p><p class="line2">either good or bad.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>So their property will be plundered,</p><p class="line2">their homes will be ransacked.</p><p class="line1">They will build new homes</p><p class="line2">but never live in them.</p><p class="line1">They will plant vineyards</p><p class="line2">but never drink wine from them.</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>“That terrible day of the LORD is near.</p><p class="line2">Swiftly it comes—</p><p class="line1">a day of bitter tears,</p><p class="line2">a day when even strong men will cry out.</p><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>It will be a day when the LORD’s anger is poured out—</p><p class="line2">a day of terrible distress and anguish,</p><p class="line1">a day of ruin and desolation,</p><p class="line2">a day of darkness and gloom,</p><p class="line1">a day of clouds and blackness,</p><p class="line2"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>a day of trumpet calls and battle cries.</p><p class="line1">Down go the walled cities</p><p class="line2">and the strongest battlements!</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>“Because you have sinned against the LORD,</p><p class="line2">I will make you grope around like the blind.</p><p class="line1">Your blood will be poured into the dust,</p><p class="line2">and your bodies will lie rotting on the ground.”</p><p class="b"/><p class="line1"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/zephaniah/1-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Your silver and gold will not save you</p><p class="line2">on that day of the LORD’s anger.</p><p class="line1">For the whole land will be devoured</p><p class="line2">by the fire of his jealousy.</p><p class="line1">He will make a terrifying end</p><p class="line2">of all the people on earth.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">f</span></a></p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">1:3 </span><span class="ft">The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">1:5 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">Malcam,</span><span class="ft"> a variant spelling of Molech; or it could possibly mean </span><span class="it">their king.</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">1:7 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">has prepared a sacrifice and sanctified his guests.</span><br><span class="fn">d</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">1:10 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="it">the Second Quarter,</span><span class="ft"> a newer section of Jerusalem. Hebrew reads </span><span class="it">the Mishneh.</span><br><span class="fn">e</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">1:11 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="it">in the valley,</span><span class="ft"> a lower section of Jerusalem. Hebrew reads </span><span class="it">the Maktesh.</span><br><span class="fn">f</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">1:18 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="it">the people living in the land.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of <a href="http://www.tyndale.com">Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.</a>, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. 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