The book of the Prophet Zephaniah

(The Scriptures) The book of the Prophet Zephaniah
Chap. Lookup: 1 2 3

1:1: This is the word of the LORD, which came unto Sophony the son of Chusi, the son of Gedoliah, the son of Amariah the son of Hezkiah: in the time of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah.
1:2: I will gather up all things in the land (sayeth the LORD)
1:3: I will gather up man and beast: I will gather up the fowls in the air and the fish in the sea (to the great decay of the wicked) and will utterly destroy the men out of the land, sayeth the LORD.
1:4: I will stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all such as dwell at Jerusalem. Thus will I root out the remnant of Baal from this place, and the names of the Remurins and priests:
1:5: yea and such as upon their house tops worship and bow them selves unto the host of heaven: which swear by the LORD, and by their Malchom also:
1:6: which start back from the LORD, and neither seek after the LORD, nor regard him.
1:7: Be still at the presence of the Lord GOD,_{|LORDE God|} for the day of the LORD is at hand: yea the LORD hath prepared a slain offering, and called his guests thereto.
1:8: And thus shall it happen in the day of the LORD's a slainoffering: I will visit the princes, the king's children, and all such as wear strange clothing.
1:9: In the same day also will I visit all those, that tread over the threshold so proudly, which fill their lords' house with robbery and falsity.
1:10: At the same time (sayeth the LORD) there shall be heard a great cry from the fish port and an howling from the other port, and a great murder from the hills.
1:11: Howl ye that dwell in the mill, for all the merchant people are gone, and all they that were laden with silver, are rooted out.
1:12: At the same time will I seek thorow Jerusalem with lanterns, and visit them that continue in their dregs, and say in their hearts: Tush, the LORD will do neither good nor evil.
1:13: Their goods shall be spoiled, and their houses laid waste: They shall build houses, and not dwell in them: they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
1:14: For the great day of the LORD is at hand, it is heard by, and cometh on a pace. Horrible is the tidings of the LORD's day, then shall the giant cry out:
1:15: for that day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and heaviness, a day of utter destruction and misery, a dark and gloomy day, a cloudy and stormy day,
1:16: a day of the noise of trumpets and shawmes, against the strong cities and high towers.
1:17: I will bring the people to such vexation, that they shall go about like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood shall be shed as the dust, and their bodies as the mire.
1:18: Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in that wrothful day of the LORD, but the whole land shall be consumed thorow the fire of his jealousy: for he shall soon make clean riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

2:1: Come together and gather you, O _|ye| froward people:
2:2: Or the thing go forth that is concluded, and or the time be passed away as the dust: or the fearful wrath of the LORD come upon you,
2:3: yea or the day of the LORD's sore displeasure come upon you. Seek the LORD all ye_|yea| meek hearted upon earth, ye that work after his judgement: seek righteousness, seek lowliness: that ye may be defended in the wrothfull day of the LORD.
2:4: For Gaza shall be destroyed, and Ascalon shall be laid waste. They shall cast out Asood at the noon day, and Accaron shall be plucked_|pluckte| up by the roots.
2:5: Woe unto you that dwell upon the sea coast, ye murderous people: the word of the LORD shall come upon you. O Canaan thou land of the Phillistines, I will destroy thee, so that there shall no man dwell in thee any more:
2:6: and as for the sea coast, it shall be herdmen's cottages and sheep folds:
2:7: yea it shall be a portion for such as remain of the house of Juda, to feed there upon. In the houses of Ascalon shall they rest toward the night: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
2:8: I have heard the despite of Moab, and the blasphemies of the children of Ammon how they have shamefully intreated my people, and magnified themselves within the borders of their land.
2:9: Therefore as truly as I live (sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel) Moab shall be as Sodom, and Ammon as Gomora: even dry thorn hedges, salt pits and perpetual wilderness. The residue of my folk shall spoil them, the remnant of my people shall have them in possession.
2:10: This shall happen unto them for their pride, because they have dealt so shamefully with the LORD of Hosts' people, and magnified them selves above them.
2:11: The LORD shall be grim_|grimme| upon them, and destroy all the goods in the land. And all the Isles of the Heathen shall worship him, every man in his place.
2:12: Ye Morians also shall perish with my sword:
2:13: Yea he shall stretch out his hand over the north, and destroy Assur. As for Nivive, he shall make it desolate, dry and waste.
2:14: The flocks and all the beasts of the people shall lie in the middest of it, pelicans and storks shall abide in the upper posts of it, fowls shall sing in the windows, and ravens shall sit upon the balks, for the borders of Cedar shall be riven down.
2:15: This is the proud and careless city, that said in her heart: I am, and there is else none. O how is she made so waste, that the beasts lie therein? Who so goeth by, mocketh her, and pointeth at her with his finger.

3:1: Woe to the abominable, filthy and cruel city:
3:2: which will not hear, nor be reformed. Her trust is not in the LORD, neither will she hold her to her God.
3:3: Her rulers within her are as roaring lions: her judges are as wolves in the evening, which leave nothing behind them till the morrow.
3:4: Her prophets are light persons and unfaithful men: her priests unhallow the Sanctuary, and do wrong under the pretence of the law.
3:5: But the just LORD that doth no unright, was among them, every morning shewing them his law clearly, and ceased not. But the ungodly will not learn to be ashamed.
3:6: Therefore will I root out this people, and destroy their towers: yea and make their streets so void, that no man shall go therein. Their cities shall be broken down, so that no body shall be left, nor dwell there any more.
3:7: I said unto them: O fear me, and be content to be reformed. That their dwelling should not be destroyed, and that there should happen unto them none of these things, wherewith I shall visit them. But nevertheless they stand up early, to follow the filthiness of their own imaginations.
3:8: Therefore ye shall wait upon me (sayeth the LORD) until the time that I stand up: for I am determined, to gather the people and to bring the kingdoms together, that I may pour out mine anger, yea all my wrothfull displeasure upon them. For all the world shall be consumed with the fire of my jealousy.
3:9: And then will I cleanse the lips of the people, that they may every each one call upon the name of the LORD, and serve him with one shoulder.
3:10: Such as I have subdued, and my children also whom I have scattered abroad, shall bring me presents beyond the waters of Ethiopia.
3:11: In that time shalt thou no more be confounded, because of all thy imaginations, where thorow thou hadst_|haddest| offended me: for I will take away the proud boasters of thine honour from thee, so that thou shalt no more triumph because of my holy hill.
3:12: In thee also will I leave a small poor simple people, which shall trust in the name of the LORD.
3:13: The remnant of Israel shall do no wickedness, nor speak lies: neither shall there any deceitful tongue be found in their mouths: For they shall be fed, and take their rest, and no man shall make them afraid.
3:14: Give thanks O daughter Sion, be joyful O Israel: rejoice and be glad from thy whole heart, O daughter Jerusalem,
3:15: for the LORD hath taken away thy punishment, and turned back thine enemies. The king of Israel, even the LORD himself is with thee: so that thou needest no more to fear any misfortune.
3:16: In that time it shall be said unto Jerusalem: fear not, and to Sion: let not thine hands be slack,
3:17: for the LORD thy God is with thee, it is he that hath power to save: he hath a special pleasure in thee, and a marvelous love toward thee: yea he rejoiceth over thee with gladness.
3:18: Such as have been in heaviness, will I gather together, and take out of thy congregation: as for the shame and reproof that hath been laid upon thee, it shall be far from thee.
3:19: And lo, in that time will I destroy all those that vex thee: I will help the lame, and gather up the cast away: yea I will get them honour and praise in all lands, where they have been put to shame.
3:20: At the same time will I bring you in, and at the same time will I gather you. I will get you a name and a good report among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, sayeth the LORD.

The ende of the Prophecye of Sophony.