Zefanya 1:2-3

The Lord’s Day of Judgment is Approaching

1:2 “I will destroy ¹  everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

1:3 “I will destroy people and animals;

I will destroy the birds in the sky

and the fish in the sea.

(The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.) ² 

I will remove ³  humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

Zefanya 1:8

1:8 “On the day of the Lord’s sacrificial meal,

I will punish the princes ⁴  and the king’s sons,

and all who wear foreign styles of clothing. ⁵ 

Zefanya 3:8

3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently ⁶  for me,” says the Lord,

“for the day when I attack and take plunder. ⁷ 

I have decided ⁸  to gather nations together

and assemble kingdoms,

so I can pour out my fury on them –

all my raging anger.

For ⁹  the whole earth will be consumed

by my fiery anger.

[1:2]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text combines the infinitive absolute of אָסַף (’asaf, “gather up, sweep away”) with a Hiphil prefixed first person form of סוּף (suf, “come to an end”; see Jer 8:13 for the same combination). This can be translated literally, “Sweeping away, I will bring to an end.” Some prefer to emend the text so that the infinitive and finite form of the verb are from the same root (“I will certainly sweep away,” if from אָסַף [cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV]; “I will certainly bring to an end,” if from סוּף). For a discussion of proposals see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, 169.

[1:3]  ² tn Heb “And the stumbling blocks [or, “ruins”] with the evil”; or “the things that make the evil stumble.” The line does not appear in the original form of the LXX; it may be a later scribal addition. The present translation assumes the “stumbling blocks” are idolatrous images of animals, birds, and fish. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 167, and Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB), 73-74.

[1:3]  ³ tn Heb “cut off.”

[1:8]  ⁴ tn Or “officials” (NRSV, TEV); NLT “leaders.”

[1:8]  ⁵ sn The very dress of the royal court, foreign styles of clothing, revealed the degree to which Judah had assimilated foreign customs.

[3:8]  ⁶ tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.

[3:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).

[3:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “for my decision is.”

[3:8]  ⁹ tn Or “certainly.”