Tzefanyah 1

Orthodox Jewish Bible

1 The Devar Hashem which came unto Tzephanyah ben Cushi, ben Gedalyah, ben Amaryah, ben Chizkiyah, in the yamim of Yoshiyahu (Josiah) ben Amon, Melech Yehudah.

² I will utterly sweep away all things from off the adamah, saith Hashem.

³ I will sweep away Adam (humankind) and Behemah (beast, animal, cattle); I will sweep away Oph HaShomayim (Birds of the Air) and the Dagim of HaYam (Fish of the Sea), and the michsholim (stumbling blocks, what causes to fall into sin) with the resha’im; and I will cut off adam from off the adamah, saith Hashem.

⁴ I will also stretch out Mine hand against Yehudah, and against all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim; and I will cut off from this place the she’ar HaBa’al (remnant of Baal), and the shem (name) of the Kemarim (the idolatrous priests; see 2Kgs 23:5) with the [idolatrous] kohanim;

⁵ And those that worship the Tz’va HaShomayim (Army of Heaven, star g-ds) upon the rooftops; and those that worship and that swear [oaths] by Hashem, but also swear by Milcom (i.e., Their King [Baal]);

⁶ And those that turned back from following Hashem; and those that have not sought Hashem, nor inquired of Him.

⁷ Hold thy peace (keep silent) at the presence of Adonai Hashem: for the Yom Hashem is at hand; for Hashem hath prepared a zevach (sacrifice), Hashem hath consecrated His guests [i.e., made HaKeru’im (the Invited ones) of Him His Mequddashim, Consecrated ones, i.e., the nations set apart to consume His apostate people, see Yeshayah 13:3].

⁸ And it shall come to pass in the Yom Zevach Hashem, that I will punish the sarim (princes), and Bnei HaMelech, and all such as are clothed with malbush nochri (foreign apparel).

⁹ In the same Yom also will I visit to punish all those that leap over the threshold [See 1 Sm 5:5], which fill their masters’ batim (houses) with chamas (violence) and mirmah (deceit).

¹⁰ And it shall come to pass in that Yom, saith Hashem, that there shall be the noise of a cry from Sha’ar HaDagim, and a wail from the Second Quarter of the city, and a loud crash from the hills.

¹¹ Howl, ye inhabitants of HaMakhtesh [a locality in Yerushalayim], for all the merchants are cut down; all they that weigh out kesef are cut off.

¹² And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Yerushalayim with nerot (lamps), and visit to punish the [proud] men that are [complacently] settled on their lees [wine dregs]; that say in their lev, Hashem will not do tov, neither will Hashem do rah.

¹³ Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their batim a desolation; they shall also build batim, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant kramim (vineyards), but not drink the yayin thereof.

¹⁴ The Yom Hashem HaGadol is near, near and hastening quickly; the sound of the Yom Hashem is mar (bitter); there the gibbor (mighty man, warrior) cries aloud.

¹⁵ That Yom is a Yom Evrah (day of wrath), a Yom Tzarah and Metzukah (a day of trouble and distress, pressure), a Yom of Sho’ah (catastrophe) and Meshoah (desolation), a Yom of Choshech and Afelah (gloom), a Yom of Anan and Arafel (thick darkness),

¹⁶ A Yom of the Shofar and Teruah (battle cry) against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements.

¹⁷ And I will bring distress upon adam, that they shall walk like ivrim, because they have sinned against Hashem; and their dahm shall be poured out like dust, and their bowels like dung.

¹⁸ Neither their kesef nor their zahav shall be able to save them in the Yom Evrat Hashem (Day of Hashem’s Wrath); but kol ha’aretz (the whole earth) shall be devoured by the eish of Hashem’s kina (jealousy, zeal, passion); for He shall make a complete end, a terrible end, of kol yoshvei ha’aretz (all them that dwell on the earth).