1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to 1 Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of 2 King Josiah son of Amon of Judah:
1:3 “I will destroy people and animals;
I will destroy the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea.
(The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.) 3
I will remove 4 humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.
1:12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.
I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, 5
those who think to themselves, 6
‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’ 7
1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.
The whole earth 8 will be consumed by his fiery wrath. 9
Indeed, 10 he will bring terrifying destruction 11 on all who live on the earth.” 12
2:9 Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the Lord who commands armies, the God of Israel,
“be certain that Moab will become like Sodom
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah.
They will be overrun by weeds, 13
filled with salt pits, 14
and permanently desolate.
Those of my people who are left 15 will plunder their belongings; 16
those who are left in Judah 17 will take possession of their land.”
3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 18 for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder. 19
I have decided 20 to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 21 the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
3:20 At that time I will lead you –
at the time I gather you together. 22
Be sure of this! 23 I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you 24
when you see me restore you,” 25 says the Lord.
1 tn Heb “The word of the
2 tn Heb “in the days of.” The words “Zephaniah delivered this message” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
3 tn Heb “And the stumbling blocks [or, “ruins”] with the evil”; or “the things that make the evil stumble.” The line does not appear in the original form of the LXX; it may be a later scribal addition. The present translation assumes the “stumbling blocks” are idolatrous images of animals, birds, and fish. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, and Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB), 73-74.
4 tn Heb “cut off.”
5 tn Heb “who thicken on their sediment.” The imagery comes from wine making, where the wine, if allowed to remain on the sediment too long, will thicken into syrup. The image suggests that the people described here were complacent in their sinful behavior and interpreted the delay in judgment as divine apathy.
6 tn Heb “who say in their hearts.”
7 tn Heb “The
7 tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.
8 tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”
9 tn Or “for.”
10 tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”
11 tn It is not certain where the
9 tn The Hebrew text reads מִמְשַׁק חָרוּל (mimshaq kharul, “[?] of weeds”). The meaning of the first word is unknown. The present translation (“They will be overrun by weeds”) is speculative, based on the general sense of the context. For a defense of “overrun” on linguistic grounds, see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 347. Cf. NEB “a pile of weeds”; NIV “a place of weeds”; NRSV “a land possessed by nettles.”
10 tn The Hebrew text reads וּמִכְרֵה־מֶלַח (umikhreh-melakh, “and a [?] of salt”). The meaning of the first word is unclear, though “pit” (NASB, NIV, NRSV; NKJV “saltpit”), “mine,” and “heap” (cf. NEB “a rotting heap of saltwort”) are all options. The words “filled with” are supplied for clarification.
11 tn Or “The remnant of my people.”
12 tn Heb “them.” The actual object of the plundering, “their belongings,” has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Heb “[the] nation.” For clarity the “nation” has been specified as “Judah” in the translation.
11 tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.
12 tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).
13 tn Heb “for my decision is.”
14 tn Or “certainly.”
13 tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.
14 tn Or “for.”
15 tn Heb “I will make you into a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth.” Here the word “name” carries the nuance of “good reputation.”
16 tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.