Episode 228: Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)

Zephaniah 1-3

On the Lord's day, he'll kill everything on earth

1 ¹ The word of God came to Zephaniah in the days of King Josiah of Judah, saying,

² I'll destroy everything on earth.

³ I'll kill all the humans, birds, and fish.

⁴ I'll kill the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. I'll kill the worshipers of Baal.

⁵ I'll kill those that worship the stars. I'll kill those that swear by me or Malcham.

⁶ I'll kill those who rejected me or didn't seek me.

⁷ The day of the Lord is here, and I've prepared a sacrifice.

⁸ On the day of my sacrifice, I'll punish the king's children, and everyone with strange clothes.

⁹ I'll also punish those who leap on the threshold.

¹⁰ On that day, there'll be crying, howling, and crashing from the hills.

¹² I'll search Jerusalem with candles, and punish those who say in their hearts, "God will do neither good nor evil."

¹³ Their goods will become booty, and their houses a desolation. They'll plant vineyards but won't drink the wine.

¹⁴ The great day of the Lord is near.

¹⁵ It is a day of wrath, trouble, distress, desolation, darkness and gloominess.

¹⁷ I'll bring distress and blindness on everyone. Their blood will be poured out, and their flesh will be like dung.

¹⁸ The whole land will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy. I'll quickly get rid of everyone on earth.

Maybe you can hide from him on that day

2 ¹ Gather yourselves together and get ready for the day of God's fierce anger.

³ Maybe you can hide from him on that day.

⁴ Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron will be destroyed.

⁵ God says, "Woe to those who live by the sea. I’ll kill you all."

⁹ Moab will be like Sodom, and Ammon like Gomorrah. My people will steal their things and possess their land.

¹⁰ Because they said bad things about my people.

¹¹ God will be terrible to them. He'll starve all the gods of the earth. Everyone will worship God, even on the heathens' islands.

¹² God says, "I'll kill the Ethiopians with my sword."

¹³ He'll destroy Assyria and make Nineveh desolate.

¹⁴ Everyone who passes by will hiss and wag their hand.

Woe to her that is filthy and polluted

3 ¹ Woe to her that is filthy and polluted.

I have destroyed their cities and killed all of their inhabitants.

⁷ So now you'll be afraid of me.

⁸ Wait until the day I assemble the nations and kingdoms, when everyone will be devoured in the fire of my fierce anger and jealousy.

¹⁷ On that day, God will sing with joy.