Zephaniah-Tzephanyah
To Our Forefathers Yisrael
1 The Word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 which came to Tzephanyah the son of Kushi, the son of Gedalyahu, the son of Amaryah, the son of Hizkiyah, in the yamim of Yoshiyahu the son of Amon, melech of Yahudah.
2 I will utterly consume all things from eretz Yisrael, says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the shamayim and the fishes of the sea and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off eretz Yisrael, says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
4 I will also stretch out My hand upon Yahudah and upon all the inhabitants of Yahrushalayim; and I will cut off the remnant of Ba’al from this place and the name of the leading kohanim of idolatry with the kohanim;
5 And them that worship the host of the shamayim upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and that swear by Malcham at the same time;
6 And them that are turned back from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄; and those that have not sought 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, nor inquired of Him.
7 Keep silent at the presence of The Master 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄: for Yom 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is at hand: for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 has prepared a sacrifice, He has invited His guests.
8 And it shall come to pass in the yom of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄’s sacrifice, that I will punish the rulers and the melech’s children and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
9 In the same yom also will I punish all those that do violence and plunder, who fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
10 And it shall come to pass in that yom, says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the Fish Gate and a howling from the second quarter and a great crashing from the hills.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Yahrushalayim with candles and punish the men that despise their watchmen: that say in their lev,𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 will not do tov, neither will He do evil.
13 Therefore their goods shall become a spoil and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine of it.
14 The great Yom 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is near, it is near and approaching greatly, even the voice of the Yom 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄: then the mighty man shall cry out bitterly.
15 That yom is a yom of wrath, a yom of trouble and tribulation, a yom of waste and desolation, a yom of darkness and gloominess, a yom of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A yom of the shofars and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers.
17 And I will bring tribulation upon men, that they shall walk like blind men because they have sinned against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄: and their dahm shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the Yom of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄’s wrath; but the fire of His zeal shall devour the whole earth: for He shall make even a speedy end of all them that dwell in the earth.
2 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O nation without discipline;
2 Before the decree comes forth, before the yom pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 comes upon you, before the Yom of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄’s anger comes upon you.
3 Seek 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, all you meek of the earth, who have done His mishpat of Torah; seek tzedakah, seek meekness: it may be that you shall be hidden in the Yom of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄’s anger.
4 For Azah shall be forsaken and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noonday and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of Crete! The Word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is against you also; O Kanaan, the land of the Plishtim, I will even destroy you, that there shall be no inhabitant.
6 And the seacoast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast shall be for the remnant of Beit Yahudah; they shall feed there: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 their Ahlohim shall visit them and turn back their captivity.
8 I have heard the reproach of Moav and the reviling of the children of Ammon, by which they have reproached My people and magnified themselves against their border.
9 Therefore as I live, says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Tzevaot, the Ahlohim of Yisrael, Surely Moav shall be as Sedom and the children of Ammon as Amorah, even the breeding of weeds and salt pits and a waste le-olam-va-ed: the remnant of My people shall plunder them, and the remnant of My people shall possess them.
10 This shall they have in return for their pride because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Tzevaot.
11 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 will be a fright to them: for He will destroy all the ahlahim of the earth; and men shall worship Him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the seas.
12 Yes Ethiopians also, you too shall be slain by My sword.
13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Ashshur; and will make Ninveh a desolation and dry like a wilderness.
14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the goyim: both the pelican and the owls shall lodge in the upper tops of her columns; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in her gates: for He shall uncover the cedar foundations and lay them bare.
15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her lev, I am and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! Everyone that passes by her shall whistle and shake his hand.
3 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄; she drew not near to her Ahlohim.
3 Her rulers within her are roaring lions; her shophtim are evening wolves; they leave no bones until tomorrow.
4 Her neviim are weak and treacherous persons: her kohanim have polluted the Kadosh-Place, they have done violence to the Torah.
5 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is tzadik in the midst of her; He will not do iniquity: every boker He brings His mishpatim to light, He fails not; but the unjust knows no shame.
6 I have cut off the goyim: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passes by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is no inhabitant.
7 I said, Surely you will fear Me, you will receive Torah; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings.
8 Therefore wait upon Me, says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, until the yom that I rise up to the plunder: for My determination is to gather the goyim, that I may assemble all malchutim, to pour upon them My indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My zeal.
9 For then will I return to the people a pure clean language, that they may all call upon the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, to serve Him with one consent.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshippers, even the daughter of My dispersed, shall bring My offering.
11 In that yom shall you not be ashamed of all your doings, in what you have transgressed against Me: for then I will take away out of the midst of you those that gilah in your pride and you shall no more be haughty because of My kadosh har.
12 I will also leave in the midst of you an afflicted and humble people and they shall trust in the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
13 The remnant of Yisrael shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid.
14 Roni Bat Tzion; shout aloud, O Yisrael; be in simcha and gilah with all the lev, O Bat Yahrushalayim.
15 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 has taken away your mishpatim He has cast out your enemy: The Melech of Yisrael, even 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, is in the midst of you: you shall not see nor fear evil any more.
16 In that yom it shall be said to Yahrushalayim, Fear not: and to Tzion, Let not your hands be weak.
17 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Ahlohim in the midst of you is mighty; He will save, He will gilah over you with simcha; He will rest in His ahava for you, He will simcha over you with shirim.
18 I will gather all those that grieve for the kadosh kehilla, who are among you, to whom the reproach of exile was a burden.
19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all that afflict you: and I will save her that is lame and gather her that was driven out; and I will get for them tehilla and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make your name a tehilla among all peoples of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.