(Matthew 13:36–43)

¹ This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

² “I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

³ “I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers.¹ I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

1. Or and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble

⁴ “I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—

⁵ those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,¹

1. Or by their king; Milcom is a variant of Molech; see Leviticus 18:21 and 1 Kings 11:7.

The Day of the LORD

(Malachi 4:1–6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11; 2 Peter 3:8–13)

⁶ and those who turn back from following the LORD, neither seeking the LORD nor inquiring of Him.”

⁷ Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near. Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.

⁸ “On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the sons of the king, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.

⁹ On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold,¹ who fill the house of their master² with violence and deceit.

1. See 1 Samuel 5:5.
2. Or the temple of their gods

¹⁰ On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second District,¹ and a loud crashing from the hills.

1. Or the Second Quarter, a newer section of Jerusalem; Hebrew the Mishneh

¹¹ Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow,¹ for all your merchants² will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.

1. Or the market district or the Mortar
2. Or all the people of Canaan

¹² And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency,¹ who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’

1. Or thickening on the dregs

¹³ Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.

¹⁴ The great Day of the LORD is near— near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.

¹⁵ That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

¹⁶ a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.

¹⁷ I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.

¹⁸ Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.¹

1. Or of all the people living in the land