Zephaniah 1:4-12

1:4 “I will attack Judah

and all who live in Jerusalem.

I will remove from this place every trace of Baal worship,

as well as the very memory of the pagan priests.

1:5 I will remove those who worship the stars in the sky from their rooftops,

those who swear allegiance to the Lord while taking oaths in the name of their ‘king,’

1:6 and those who turn their backs on the Lord

and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.”

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.

1:10 On that day,” says the Lord,

“a loud cry will go up from the Fish Gate,

wailing from the city’s newer district,

and a loud crash from the hills.

1:11 Wail, you who live in the market district,

for all the merchants will disappear

and those who count money will be removed.

1:12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.

I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin,

those who think to themselves,

‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’