Zephaniah 1 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

The word of Yahweh that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.

I will sweep it all away from the face of the ground, declares Yahweh.

I will sweep away people and animals, I will sweep away the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, the rubble and the guilty along with it. I will cut humankind off from the face of the ground, declares Yahweh.

I will stretch my hand out against Judah and against everyone living in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place whatever is left of Baal, the names of the shrine priests along with the priests,

and those who bow on the rooftops to the army of the sky, and those who bow and swear to Yahweh while they swear by Milcom,

and those who have turned back from following Yahweh, who never looked for him and never asked after him.

Silence, in front of the Lord Yahweh, because the day of Yahweh is close. Yahweh has made a sacrifice ready and the guests he invited now belong to him.

On the day of Yahweh's sacrifice I will deal with the officials and the king's sons and everyone dressed in foreign clothes.

On that day I will deal with everyone who jumps over the threshold, who fill their master's house with violence and lies.

On that day, declares Yahweh, a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, a howl from the New Quarter, a great crash from the hills.

Howl, you who live in the Mortar, because the traders are all finished, and everyone weighed down with silver is cut off.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and deal with the men who have thickened on their dregs, who tell themselves, "Yahweh will do nothing, good or bad."

Their wealth will be looted, their houses left in ruins. They will build houses and never live in them, plant vineyards and never drink the wine.

The great day of Yahweh is close, close and coming fast. The sound of the day of Yahweh is bitter. Even the warrior screams there.

That day is a day of fury, a day of trouble and pressure, a day of wreckage and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and heavy black.

a day of ram's horn and battle cry against the walled cities and against the high corner towers.

I will press people so hard that they walk like the blind, because they have failed Yahweh. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their insides like dung.

Their silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of Yahweh's fury. The fire of his jealousy will eat the whole earth. He will finish off everyone living on it, and it will come as a terror.