The Book of the Prophet Sophony
(Zephanaih means "Jehovah
has treasured" from the Hebrew)
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Chapter 1
This is the word of the Lord,
which came unto Sophony the son of Chusi, the son of Gedoliah, the
son of Amariah, the son of Hezkiah, in the time of Josiah the son of
Amon king of Judah. I will gather up all things in the land (saith
the Lord) I will gather up man and beast: I will gather up the
fowls in the air and the fish in the sea (to the great decay of the
wicked) and will utterly destroy the men out of the land, saith the
Lord. I will stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all such as
dwell in Jerusalem. Thus I will root out the remnant of Baal from
this place, and the names of the *Remurins and priests: yee and such
as upon their house tops worship and bow themselves unto the host of
heaven: which swear by the lord, and by their Malcolom also: which
start back from the Lord, and neither seek after the Lord, nor
regard him.
Be still at the presence of the Lord God, for the day of the
Lord is at hand: yee the Lord hath prepared a slain offering, and
called his guests thereto. And thus shall it happen in the day of
the Lords a slain offering: I will visit the princes, the kings
children, and all such as wear strange clothing. In the same day
also will I visit all those, that tread over the threshold so
proudly, which fill their Lords house with robbery and falsehood. At
the same time ( sayeth the Lord ) there shall be a great cry from
the fish port and an howling from the other port, and a great murder
from the hills. Howl ye that dwell in the mill, for all the merchant
people are gone, and all they that are laden with silver are rooted
out.
At the same time I will seek through Jerusalem with lanterns,
and visit them that continue in their dregs, and say in their
hearts: Tush, the Lord will do neither good nor evil. Their goods
shall be spoiled, and their houses laid waste: they shall build
houses, and not dwell in them: they shall plant vineyards, but not
drink the wine, thereof. For the great day of the Lord is at hand,
it is heard by, and cometh on a pace. Horrible is the tidings of the
Lords day then shall the giant cry out: for that day is a day of
wrath, a day of trouble and heaviness, a day of utter destruction
and misery, a dark and gloomy day, a cloudy and stormy day, a day of
the noise of trumpets and *shawmes, against the strong cities and
high towers. I will bring the people to such *veracion, that they
shall go about like blind men, because they have sinned against the
Lord. Their blood shall be shed as dust, and their bodies as the
mire. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver
them in the wrothful day of the Lord, but the whole land shall be
consumed through the fire of his jealousy: for he shall soon make
clean riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
*Remurins (Chemarims in kjv and other
bibles of man) *shawmes=double reed wind instrument *veracion=veracious;
honesty truthfulness
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Chapter 2
Come together and gather you, O
*froward people: or the thing go forth that is concluded, and or the
time be passed away as dust: or the fearful wrath of the Lord come
upon you, yee or the day of the Lords sore displeasure come upon
you. Seek the Lord all yee meek hearted upon the earth, ye that work
after his judgement: seek righteousness, seek lowliness: that yee
may be defended in the wrothfull day of the Lord. For Gaza shall be
destroyed, and Ascalon shall be laid waste. They shall cast out
Asood at the noon day, and Accaron shall be plucked up by the roots.
Woe unto you that dwell upon the sea coast, ye murderous
people: the word of the Lord shall come upon you. O Canaan thou land
of the Phillistines, I will destroy thee, so that there shall no man
dwell in thee any more: and as for the sea coast, it shall be
herdmans cottages and sheep folds: yee it shall be a portion for
such as remain of the house of Juda, to feed there upon. In the
houses of Ascalon shall they rest toward the night: for the Lord
their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity. I have
heard the despite of Moab, and the blasphemies of the children of
Ammon how they have shamefully entreated my people, and magnified
themselves within the borders of their land. Therefore as truly as I
live ( sayeth the Lord of hosts the God of Israel ) Moab shall be as
Sodom, and Ammon as Gomora: even dry thorn hedges, *salt pits and
perpetual wilderness. The residue of my folk shall spoil them, the
remnant of my people shall have them in possession. This shall
happen unto them for their pride, because they have dealt so
shamefully with the Lord of hosts people, and magnified themselves
above them . The Lord shall be grime upon them, and destroy all the
goods in the land. And all the Isles of Heathen shall worship him,
every man in his place.
Ye Morians also shall perish with my sword: yee he shall
stretch out his hand over the north, and destroy Assur. As for
Nivive, he shall make it desolate, dry and waste. The flocks and the
beasts of all the people shall lye in the midest of it, pelicans and
storks shall abide in the upper posts of it, fowls shall sing in the
windows, and ravens shall sit upon the *balcks, for the boards of
cedar shall be run down. This the proud and careless city, that said
in her heart: I am, and there is else none. O how is she made so
waste, that the beasts lye therein? Who so goeth by, mock her, and
pointeth at her with his finger.
*froward=stubbornly contrary to truth, love and /or the spirit. *as
barren as the places where salt is cast. *balcks= wooden beam
or rafter
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Chapter 3
Woe unto the abominable, filthy
and cruel city: which will not hear, nor be reformed. Her trust
is not in the Lord, neither will she hold her to her God. Her
rulers within her are as roaring lions: her judges are as wolves * in the evening, which leave nothing behind them till the morrow.
Her prophets are light persons and unfaithful men: her priests
unhallow the Sanctuary, and do wrong under the pretence of the law.
But the just Lord that doth no unright, was among them, every
morning showing them his law clearly, and ceased not. But the
ungodly will not learn to be ashamed. Therefore I will root out this
people, and destroy their towers: yee and make their streets so
void, that no man shall go therein. Their cities shall be broken
down, so that no body shall be left, nor dwell there any more.
I said unto them: O fear me, and be content to be reformed.
That their dwelling should not be destroyed, and that there should
happen unto them none of these things, where with I shall visit
them. But nevertheless they stand up early, to follow the filthiness
of their own imaginations. Therefore ye shall wait upon me ( sayeth
the Lord ) until the time that I stand up: for I am determined, to
gather the people and to bring the kingdoms together, that I may
pour out mine anger, ye all my wrothfull displeasure upon them. For
all the world shall be consumed with the fire of my jealousy. And
then will I cleanse the lips of my people, that they may every each
one call upon the name of the Lord, and serve him with one shoulder.
Such as I have subdued, and my children also whom I have scattered
abroad, shall bring me presents beyond the waters of Ethiopia.
In that time shalt thou be no more confounded, because of all
thy imaginations, where through thou hadest offended me: for I will
take away the proud boosters of thine honor from thee, so that thou
shalt no more triumph because of my holy hill. In that also will I
leave a small poor simple people, which shall trust in the name of
the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no more wickedness, nor
speak lies: neither shall there any deceitful tongue be found in
their mouths: For they shall be fed, and take their rest, and no man
shall make them afraid. Give thanks O daughter Sion, be joyful O
Israel: rejoice and be glad from thy whole heart, O daughter
Jerusalem, for the Lord hath taken away thy punishment, and turned
back thine enemies. The King of Israel, even the Lord himself is
with thee: so that thou needest no more to fear any misfortune.
In that time it shall be said unto Jerusalem: fear not, and to
Sion: let not thine hands be slack, for the Lord thy God is with
thee, it is he that hath power to save: he hath a special pleasure
in thee, and a marvelous love toward thee: yee he rejoiceth over
thee with gladness. Such as have been in heaviness, will I gather
together, and take out of thy congregation: as for the shame and
reproof that hath been layed upon thee, it shall be far from thee.
And lo, in that time will I destroy all those that vex thee: I will
help the lame, and gather up the cast away: yee I will get them
praise and honor in all lands, where they have been put to shame. At
the same time will I bring you in, and at the same time I will
gather you. I will get you a name and good report among all people
of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes,
sayeth the Lord.
*wolves; That is , very hungry, because they have all the day long
waited for their prey. MN
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