Bible (Bishops')/Zephaniah

Chapter 1
The worde of the Lord which came vnto Sophoni the sonne of Chusi, the sonne of Gedaliah, the sonne of Amariah, the sonne of Hezekiah in the time of Iosia the sonne of Amon king of Iuda.

I will surely destroy all thinges in the land, sayth the Lorde.

I will destroy man and beast, I will destroy the foules in the ayre, and the fishe in the sea, and great ruine shall fall on the wicked, and I wil vtterly destroy the men out of the land, sayth the Lorde.

I wil stretch out myne hand vpon Iuda and vpon all such as dwell at Hierusalem: thus will I roote out the remnaunt of Baal from this place, and the names of the Kemurins and priestes:

Yea & such as vpon their house toppes worship and bowe them selues vnto the hoast of heauen, whiche sweare by the Lorde, and by their Malchom also:

Which start backe from the Lorde, and neither seke after the Lorde nor regard hym.

Be still at the presence of the Lorde God, for the day of the Lord is at hand: yea the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, and called his ghestes therto.

And thus shall it happen, in the day of the Lordes sacrifice I will visite the princes and the kinges children, and al such as weare straunge clothing.

In the same day also will I visite all those that leape ouer the thresholde so proudly, whiche fill their lordes house with robberie and falshood.

At the same time sayth the Lord, [there shalbe hearde] a great crye from the fishe porte, and an howling from the seconde porte, and a great destruction from the hylles.

Howle ye that dwel in the lowe places, for al the marchaunt people are destroyed, and all they that were laden with siluer, are rooted out.

At the same time will I searche Hierusalem with lanternes, and visite them that continue in their dregges, and say in their heartes, Tush, the Lorde will do neither good nor euyll.

Therfore their goodes shalbe spoyled, & their houses layed waste: they shall buylde houses, and not dwell in them, they shall plante vineyardes, but not drinke the wine therof.

For the great day of the Lorde is at hande, it is harde by, and commeth on a pace, euen the bitter voyce of the Lordes day, then shall the strong man crye out.

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and heauinesse, a day of vtter destruction and miserie, a darke & glowming day, a cloudy and stormie day.

A day of the trumpet and alarum against the strong cities, and hie towres.

I will bring the people into such vexation, that they shall go about like blinde men, because they haue sinned against the Lorde, their blood shalbe powred out as dust, & their bodies as the myre.

Neither their siluer nor their gold shalbe able to deliuer them in that wrothful day of the Lorde, but the who lande shalbe consumed thorowe the fire of his ielousie: for he shall soone make cleane riddaunce of all them that dwell in the lande.

Chapter 2
Gather your selues, eue gather you, O nation not worthy to be loued,

Before the decree go foorth that God hath concluded [and ye be] as chaffe that passeth in a day, & before the fearfull wrath of the Lorde come vpon you, & before the day of the Lordes sore displeasure come vpon you.

Seke the Lorde all ye meeke hearted vpon earth, ye that worke after his iudgement: seke righteousnesse, seke lowlinesse, that ye may be defended in the wrothfull day of the Lorde:

For Gaza shalbe destroyed, and Ascalon shalbe layde waste, they shall cast out Asdod at the noone day, and Accaron shalbe rooted vp.

Wo vnto you that dwell vpon the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethims: the worde of the Lord shal come vpon you O Chanaan thou lande of the Philistines, I will destroy thee, so that there shall no man dwell in thee any more.

And as for the sea coast, it shalbe heardmens cotages, and sheepefoldes.

Yea it shalbe a portion for such as remayne of the house of Iuda, to feede therevpon, in the houses of Ascalon shal they rest towarde night: for the Lorde their God shall visite them, and turne away their captiuitie.

I haue heard the despite of Moab, and the blasphemies of the children of Ammon, how they haue shamefully intreated my people, & magnified them selues within the borders of their lande.

Therefore as I liue, sayth the Lord of hoastes the God of Israel, Moab shalbe as Sodoma, & Ammon as Gomorra, euen the breeding of nettles, and salt pittes, & a perpetuall wildernesse: The residue of my folke shal spoyle them, the remnaunt of my people shall haue them in possession.

This shall happen vnto them for their pryde, because they haue dealt so shamefully with the Lorde of hoastes people, and magnified them selues aboue them.

The Lord shalbe terrible vnto them, and destroy all the gods in the lande: and all the Iles of the Heathen shall worship hym, euery man in his place.

Ye Morians also shall perishe with my sworde.

Yea he shall stretch out his hande ouer the north, and destroy Assur: As for Niniue he shall make it desolate, drye, and waste.

The flockes and all the beastes of the people shall lye in the middest of it, pellicanes and owles shal abide in the vpper postes of it, foules shall sing in the wyndowes, and desolation shalbe vpon the postes, for the Cedars are vncouered.

This is the proude and carelesse citie that sayd in her heart, I am, and there is els none besides me: O howe is she made so wast that the beastes lie in her? Who so goeth by, mocketh her, & poynteth at her with his finger.

Chapter 3
Wo to that abhominable, filthy, and cruel citie.

She hearde not the voyce, she receaued not correction, she trusted not in the Lorde, she drewe not neare to her God.

Her rulers within her are as roaring lions, her iudges are as wolues in the euening, whiche leaue nothing behinde them till the morowe.

Her prophetes are light persons & vnfaythful men, her priestes haue polluted the sanctuarie, & haue wrested the law.

But the iust Lord that doth no vnright, was in the middes therof, euery morning shewing them his lawe clearly, and ceassed not: but the vngodly will not learne to be ashamed.

I haue destroyed the nations, their towres are desolate, I haue made their streetes wast, that none shall passe by: their cities are destroyed, without man, and without inhabitaunt.

I sayde vnto them, O feare me, and be content to be refourmed, so their dwelling shoulde not be destroyed howe soeuer I visited them: But neuerthelesse, they rose vp early, and corrupted all their workes.

Therfore wayte ye vpon me, sayth the Lorde, vntill the time that I ryse vp to the pray: for I am determined to gather the people, & to bring the kingdomes together, that I may poure out myne anger, yea all my wrathfull displeasure vpon them: For all the earth shalbe consumed with the fire of my ielousie.

And then will I clense the lippes of the people, that they may euery one call vpon the name of the Lorde, and serue him with one consent.

From beyonde the riuers of Ethiopia, the daughter of my dispearsed prayng vnto me, shall bring me an offering.

In that time shalt thou no more be confounded, because of all the imaginations wherethorowe thou haddest offended me: for I will take away the proude boasters of thyne honour from thee, so that thou shalt no more triumph because of my holy hill.

In thee also will I leaue a smal poore simple people, whiche shall trust in the name of the Lorde.

The remnaunt of Israel shall do no wickednesse, nor speake lyes, neither shall there any deceytfull tongue be found in their mouthes: For they shalbe fed, and take their rest, and no man shall make them afrayde.

Reioyce O daughter Sion, be ioyfull O Israel: reioyce and be glad from thy whole heart O daughter Hierusalem,

For the Lorde hath taken away thy punishment, & hath cast out thyne enemies: The king of Israel, euen the Lord him selfe is with thee, so that thou nedest no more to feare any misfortune.

In that time it shalbe sayde to Hierusalem, Feare not: and to Sion, Let not thyne handes be flacke:

For the Lorde thy God in the mids of thee is mightie, he will saue [thee] he wil reioyce ouer thee with ioy, he wil quiet him selfe in his loue, he will reioyce ouer thee with gladnesse.

After a certayne time will I gather the afflicted that were of thee, and them that bare the reproche for it.

And behold, in that time will I destroy all those that vexe thee, I will helpe the lame, and gather vp the castaway: yea I will get them prayse and honour in al landes, where they haue ben put to shame.

At the same time will I bring you againe, & at the same time will I gather you: I will get you a name and a good report among all people of the earth, when I turne backe your captiuitie before your eyes, sayth the Lorde.