Zephaniah 1

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

The Coming Judgment on Judah


2
“I will utterly sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
3
“I will sweep away man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds of the heavens
and the fish of the sea,
and the rubble with the wicked.
I will cut off mankind
from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.
4
“I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal
and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests,
5
those who bow down on the roofs
to the host of the heavens,
those who bow down and swear to the Lord
and yet swear by Milcom,
6
those who have turned back from following the Lord,
who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.”

The Day of the Lord Is Near


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Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
8
And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice⁠—
“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
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On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’s house
with violence and fraud.

10
“On that day,” declares the Lord,
“a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.
11
Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
For all the traders are no more;
all who weigh out silver are cut off.
12
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
nor will he do ill.’
13
Their goods shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.”

14
The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
the mighty man cries aloud there.
15
A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.

17
I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
18
Neither their silver nor their gold
shall be able to deliver them
on the day of the wrath of the Lord.
In the fire of his jealousy,
all the earth shall be consumed;
for a full and sudden end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Psalm 142

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You Are My Refuge

A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
2
I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.

3
When my spirit faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
4
Look to the right and see:
there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.

5
I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6
Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
7
Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.

Proverbs 9

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The Way of Wisdom


Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2
She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3
She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
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“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”

7
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11
For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

The Way of Folly


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The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
14
She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
15
calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
16
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
17
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18
But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.