Zephaniah 1:7-9

1:7 Be silent before the Lord God,

for the Lord’s day of judgment is almost here.

The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal;

he has ritually purified his guests.

1:8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal,

I will punish the princes and the king’s sons,

and all who wear foreign styles of clothing.

1:9 On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold,

who fill the house of their master with wealth taken by violence and deceit. 10 


tn Heb “Lord Lord.” The phrase אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה (adonai yÿhvih) is customarily rendered by Jewish tradition as “Lord God.”

tn Heb “the day of the Lord.”

tn Or “near.”

tn Heb “a sacrifice.” This same word also occurs in the following verse.

tn Or “consecrated” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

tn Or “officials” (NRSV, TEV); NLT “leaders.”

sn The very dress of the royal court, foreign styles of clothing, revealed the degree to which Judah had assimilated foreign customs.

11 sn The point of the statement all who hop over the threshold is unclear. A ritual or superstition associated with the Philistine god Dagon may be in view (see 1 Sam 5:5).

12 tn The referent of “their master” is unclear. The king or a pagan god may be in view.

13 tn Heb “who fill…with violence and deceit.” The expression “violence and deceit” refers metonymically to the wealth taken by oppressive measures.