Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is the entire book
of Zephaniah, chapters 1, 2, and 3. Chapter 1.
The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah,
the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son
of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days
of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah. I
will cut off man from the face of the land, says
the Lord. I will stretch out my hand against
Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will cut off every trace of Baal from this
place, the names of the idolatrous priests with
the pagan priests, those who worship the host
of heaven. on the housetops, those who worship
and swear oath by the Lord, but who also swear
by Milcom, those who have turned back from following
the Lord, and have not sought the Lord nor inquired
of him. Be silent in the presence of the Lord
God, for the day of the Lord is at hand, for
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice. He has invited
his guests, and it shall be in the day of the
Lord's sacrifice that I will punish the princes
and the king's children, and all such as are
clothed with foreign apparel. In the same day
I will punish all those who leap over the threshold,
who fill their masters' houses with violence
and deceit. And there shall be on that day, says
the Lord, the sound of a mournful cry from the
fish gate, a wailing from the second quarter,
and a loud crashing from the hills. Wail, you
inhabitants of Maktish, for all the merchant
people are cut down, all those who handle money
are cut off. and it shall come to pass at that
time that i will search jerusalem with lamps
and punish the men who are settled in complacency
who say in their heart the lord will not do good
nor will he do evil therefore their goods shall
become booty and their houses a desolation they
shall build houses but not inhabit them they
shall plant vineyards but not drink their wine
the great day of the lord is near it is near
and hastens quickly the noise of the day of the
lord is bitter There the mighty men shall cry
out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble
and distress, a day of devastation and desolation,
a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds
and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm
against the fortified cities and against the
high towers. I will bring distress upon men,
and they shall walk like blind men, because they
have sinned against the Lord. Their blood shall
be poured out like dust, and their flesh like
refuse. neither their silver nor their gold shall
be able to deliver them in a day of the lord's
wrath but the whole land shall be devoured by
the fire of his jealousy for he will make speedy
riddance of all those who dwell in the land chapter
two gather yourselves together yes gather together
o undesirable nation before the decree is issued
or the day passes like chaff before the lord's
fierce anger comes upon you seek the lord all
you meek of the earth who have upheld his justice.
Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be
that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's
anger. For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon
desolate. They shall drive out Ashdod at noonday,
and Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to the inhabitants
of the sea coast, the nation of the Caritites.
The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan,
land of the Philistines. I will destroy you,
so there shall be no inhabitant. The sea coast
shall be pastures, with shelters for shepherds
and folds for flocks. The coast shall be for
the remnant of the house of Judah. They shall
feed their flocks there. In the houses of Ashkelon
they shall lie down at evening, for the Lord
their God will intervene for them and return
their captives. I have heard the reproach of
Moab and the insults of the people of Ammon,
with which they have reproached my people, and
made arrogant threats against their borders.
Therefore, as I live, says the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, surely Moab shall be like
Sodom, and the people of Ammon like Gomorrah,
overrun with weeds and salt pits, and a perpetual
desolation. The residue of my people shall plunder
them, and the remnant of my people shall possess
them. This they shall have for their pride, because
they have reproached and made arrogant threats
against the people of the Lord of hosts. The
Lord will be awesome to them, for he will reduce
to nothing all the gods of the earth. People
shall worship him, each one from his place, indeed
all the shores of the nations. You Ethiopians
also, you shall be slain by my sword. And he
will stretch out his hand against the north,
destroy Assyria, and make Nineveh a desolation.
As dry as the wilderness, the herds shall lie
down in her midst, every beast of the nation.
Both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge
on the capitals of her pillars. Their voice shall
sing in the windows. Desolation shall be at the
threshold. for he will lay bare the cedar work.
This is the rejoicing city, that dwelt securely,
that said in her heart, I am it, and there is
none besides me. How has she become a desolation,
a place for beasts to lie down? Everyone who
passes by her shall hiss and shake his fist.
Chapter 3 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,
to the oppressing city! She has not obeyed his
voice, she has not received correction. She has
not trusted in the Lord. She has not drawn near
to her God. Her princes in her midst are roaring
lions. Her judges are evening wolves that leave
not a bone till morning. Her prophets are insolent,
treacherous people. Her priests have polluted
the sanctuary. They have done violence to the
law. The Lord is righteous in her midst. He will
do no unrighteousness. Every morning he brings
his justice to light. He never fails, but the
unjust knows no shame. I have cut off nations.
Their fortresses are devastated. I have made
their streets desolate. With none passing by,
their cities are destroyed. There is no one,
no inhabitant. I said, Surely you will fear me.
You will receive instruction, so that her dwelling
would not be cut off, despite everything for
which I punished her. But they rose early and
corrupted all their deeds. Therefore wait for
me, says the Lord, until the day I rise up for
plunder. My determination is to gather the nations
to my assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them my
indignation, all my fierce anger. All the earth
shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
For then I will restore to the peoples a pure
language, that they all may call on the name
of the Lord, to serve him with one accord. From
beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my worshippers,
the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring
my offering. In that day you shall not be shamed
for any of your deeds in which you transgress
against me. For then I will take away from your
midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you
shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain.
I will leave in your midst a meek and humble
people, and they shall trust in the name of the
Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness
and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue
be found in their mouth. For they shall feed
their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make
them afraid. Sing, O daughter of Zion. Shout,
O Israel. Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord has taken away
your judgments. He has cast out your enemy. The
King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst. You
shall see disaster no more. In that day it shall
be said to Jerusalem, Do not fear. Zion, let
not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in
your midst, the Mighty One, will save. He will
rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet
you with his love. He will rejoice over you with
singing. I will gather those who sorrow over
the appointed assembly who are among you, to
whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that
time I will deal with all who afflict you. I
will save the lame and gather those who were
driven out. I will appoint them for praise and
fame in every land where they were put to shame.
At that time I will bring you back. even at the
time I gather you, for I will give you fame and
praise among all the peoples of the earth when
I return your captives before your eyes, says
the Lord. I hope you enjoyed today's reading
as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing
you again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.