This is the word of Yahweh that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. "I will utterly destroy everything from off the surface of the earth—this is Yahweh's declaration. I will destroy men and animals; I will destroy the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, the ruins along with the wicked. For I will off man from the surface of the—this is Yahweh's declaration. I will out with my hand over Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every remnant of Baal from this place and the names of the idolatrous among the priests, the people who on the housetops worship the heavenly bodies, and the people who worship and swear to Yahweh but who also swear by their king. I will also cut off those who have turned away from following Yahweh, those who neither seek Yahweh nor ask for his guidance." Be silent before the Lord Yahweh! For the day of Yahweh is near; Yahweh has prepared sacrifice and set apart his guests. "It will come about on the day of Yahweh's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king's sons, and everyone dressed in foreign clothes. On that day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, those who fill their master's house with violence and deceit.
