The wordדְּבַרof YHWHיְהוָהthatאֲשֶׁרcameהָיָהtoאֶלZephaniahצְפַנְיָהsonבֶּןof Cushi,כּוּשִׁיsonבֶןof Gedaliah,גְּדַלְיָהsonבֶּןof Amariah,אֲמַרְיָהsonבֶּןof Hezekiah,חִזְקִיָּהin the daysבִּימֵיof Josiahיֹאשִׁיָּהוּsonבֶןof Amon,אָמוֹןkingמֶלֶךְof Judah.יְהוּדָה
“CompletelyאָסֹףI will gatherאָסֵףeverythingכֹּלfrom uponמֵעַלthe faceפְּנֵיof the ground,הָאֲדָמָהdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהוָה
I will gatherאָסֵףhuman beingאָדָםand livestock;וּבְהֵמָהI will gatherאָסֵףthe birdsעוֹףof the skyהַשָּׁמַיִםand the fishוּדְגֵיof the sea,הַיָּםand the stumbling blocksוְהַמַּכְשֵׁלוֹתwithאֶתthe wicked;הָרְשָׁעִיםand I will cut offוְהִכְרַתִּיhuman beingsהָאָדָםfrom uponמֵעַלthe faceפְּנֵיof the ground,הָאֲדָמָהdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהוָה
And I will stretch outוְנָטִיתִיmy handיָדִיagainstעַלJudahיְהוּדָהand againstוְעַלallכָּלthe inhabitantsיוֹשְׁבֵיof Jerusalem;יְרוּשָׁלִָםand I will cut offוְהִכְרַתִּיfromמִןthisהַזֶּהplaceהַמָּקוֹםthe remnantשְׁאָרof Baal,הַבַּעַלthe nameשֵׁםof the pagan priestsהַכְּמָרִיםalong withעִםthe priests;הַכֹּהֲנִים
and those who bow downוְ הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִיםonעַלthe roofsהַגַּגּוֹתto the armyלִצְבָאof the heavens,הַשָּׁמָיִםand those who bow down,וְ הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִיםwho swearהַנִּשְׁבָּעִיםto YHWHלַיהוָהand swearוְהַנִּשְׁבָּעִיםby their king;בְּמַלְכָּם
and those who turn backוְ הַנְּסוֹגִיםfrom followingמֵאַחֲרֵיYHWH,יְהוָהand whoוַאֲשֶׁרhave notלֹאsoughtבִקְשׁוּYHWHיְהוָהnorוְלֹאconsulted him.”דְרָשֻׁהוּ
SilenceהַסbeforeמִפְּנֵיAdonaiאֲדֹנָיYHWH!יְהוִהForכִּיnearקָרוֹבis the dayיוֹםof YHWH;יְהוָהforכִּיYHWHיְהוָהhas preparedהֵכִיןa sacrifice,זֶבַחhe has consecratedהִקְדִּישׁhis guests.קְרֻאָיו
“And it will happenוְהָיָהon the dayבְּיוֹםof the sacrificeזֶבַחof YHWHיְהוָהthat I will call to accountוּפָקַדְתִּי עַלthe officialsהַשָּׂרִיםand the sonsוְעַל בְּנֵיof the kingהַמֶּלֶךְand allוְעַל כָּלwho wearהַלֹּבְשִׁיםforeignנָכְרִיclothing.מַלְבּוּשׁ
And I will call to accountוּפָקַדְתִּי עַלallכָּלwho leapהַדּוֹלֵגoverעַלthe thresholdהַמִּפְתָּןon that day,בַּיּוֹם הַהוּאwho fillהַמְמַלְאִיםthe houseבֵּיתof their mastersאֲדֹנֵיהֶםwith violenceחָמָסand deceit.וּמִרְמָה
And it will happenוְהָיָהon that day,בַיּוֹם הַהוּאdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH,יְהוָהthat there will be the soundקוֹלof a cryצְעָקָהfrom the Fish Gate,מִשַּׁעַר הַדָּגִיםand wailingוִילָלָהfrom the Second Quarter,מִן הַמִּשְׁנֶהand a greatגָּדוֹלcrashוְשֶׁבֶרfrom the hills.מֵהַגְּבָעוֹת
Wail,הֵילִילוּinhabitantsיֹשְׁבֵיof the Hollow,הַמַּכְתֵּשׁforכִּיallכָּלthe peopleעַםof Canaanכְּנַעַןhave been destroyed;נִדְמָהallכָּלwho are ladenנְטִילֵיwith silverכָסֶףhave been cut off.נִכְרְתוּ
And it will happenוְהָיָהat that timeבָּעֵת הַהִיאthat I will searchאֲחַפֵּשׂJerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַםwith lamps,בַּנֵּרוֹתand I will call to accountוּפָקַדְתִּי עַלthe menהָאֲנָשִׁיםwho are congealedהַקֹּפְאִיםon their dregs,עַל שִׁמְרֵיהֶםwho sayהָאֹמְרִיםin their heart,בִּלְבָבָם‘YHWHיְהוָהwill notלֹאdo good,יֵיטִיבnorוְלֹאwill he do evil.’יָרֵעַ
And their wealthוְ חֵילָםwill becomeהָיָהspoil,לִמְשִׁסָּהand their housesוּבָתֵּיהֶםa desolation;לִשְׁמָמָהand they will buildוּבָנוּhousesבָתִּיםbut notוְלֹאdwell in them;יֵשֵׁבוּand they will plantוְנָטְעוּvineyardsכְרָמִיםbut notוְלֹאdrinkיִשְׁתּוּtheir wine.”יֵינָם
Nearקָרוֹבis the greatהַגָּדוֹלdayיוֹםof YHWH,יְהוָהnearקָרוֹבand hasteningוּמַהֵרgreatly;מְאֹדthe soundקוֹלof the dayיוֹםof YHWH:יְהוָהbitterlyמַרthereשָׁםthe mighty manגִּבּוֹרraises the war cry.צֹרֵחַ
A dayיוֹםof wrathעֶבְרָהis that day,הַיּוֹם הַהוּאa dayיוֹםof distressצָרָהand straits,וּמְצוּקָהa dayיוֹםof devastationשֹׁאָהand desolation,וּמְשׁוֹאָהa dayיוֹםof darknessחֹשֶׁךְand gloom,וַאֲפֵלָהa dayיוֹםof cloudעָנָןand thick cloud,וַעֲרָפֶל
a dayיוֹםof the hornשׁוֹפָרand of the alarm cryוּתְרוּעָהagainstעַלthe fortifiedהַבְּצֻרוֹתcitiesהֶעָרִיםand againstוְעַלthe highהַגְּבֹהוֹתcorners.הַפִּנּוֹת
“And I will bring distressוַהֲצֵרֹתִיon human beings,לָאָדָםand they will walkוְהָלְכוּlike the blind,כַּעִוְרִיםforכִּיagainst YHWHלַיהוָהthey have sinned;חָטָאוּand their bloodוְ דָּמָםwill be poured outשֻׁפַּךְlike dust,כֶּעָפָרand their fleshוּלְחֻמָםlike dung.”כַּגְּלָלִים
Neitherגַּם לֹאtheir silverכַּסְפָּםnorגַּםtheir goldזְהָבָםwill be ableיוּכַלto deliver themלְהַצִּילָםon the dayבְּיוֹםof the wrathעֶבְרַתof YHWH;יְהוָהand by the fireוּבְאֵשׁof his jealousyקִנְאָתוֹallכָּלthe earthהָאָרֶץwill be devoured;תֵּאָכֵלforכִּיan extermination,כָלָהyes,אַךְa terrifying one,נִבְהָלָהhe will makeיַעֲשֶׂהof allכָּלthe inhabitantsיֹשְׁבֵיof the earth.הָאָרֶץ