The Lord gave His words to a man whose name was Zephaniah. He said, I will erase everything off the land, all the people and the animals and the birds and the fish and all the statues of the bad ones. I will cut them all off the land, says the Lord.

I will stretch out My hand on Judah and the people that live in Jerusalem and all the statues from the bad one and all his workers and the ones who bow down to him.

All of the ones that turned away from the Lord God who made them and don’t ask anything from Him anymore.

I will spank the princes and ones who hurt people and lie. There will be loud crying from the fish gate and crashing sounds from the hills when the shopping mall is empty and all the money taken away.

I will look all through Jerusalem with a candle to find the ones who say that I, the Lord, won’t do anything.

All their stuff will be taken by other people and their houses will be empty.

They will build houses but not live in them and plant vineyards and not drink their wine.

The Lord’s great day is close when He will get rid of all bad stuff and make everything right everywhere.

It will be a dark day of big trouble because they went against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out on the dirt.

Their piles of gold and silver won’t be able to save them in the day when trouble comes.

The whole land will be eaten up because the Lord wants back His people.

Everyone get together and look go find the Lord so the day of His big spanking won’t happen to you.

His word is against you.

The beach by the sea will be where shepherds live with their sheep. The family of Judah will live there and eat yummy food there.

The Lord will go to them and let them loose from the ones who captured them.

As strong as I live, says the Lord, this place that does bad will be full of stickers and pits of salt and always empty.

Here’s what they get for being puffed up against the Lord’s children, the Lord will be awful to them and he will starve their hearts to death, all the bad ones.

And men will bow down to Him right in the places where they live.

He will make the places the bad ones live to be empty and the flocks will rest there.

People will make fun of the ones who did bad.

Sad cries to the cities that press in on other people, cities that do not listen to the words from the Lord. They didn’t move close to their God.

Their princes are like lions roaring around eating everyone up. Their priests put up statues of bad ones in the Lord’s special house and twist up His rules.

The Lord who only does what is right is in the middle of them. He won’t do any bad. Every morning He shows what is right.

He can’t make any mistakes or let anyone down. He is always there holding up everyone.

When He let their trouble they did come back on them, He said, They will bow down to me, so I won’t have to spank them. But they let all they did go bad.

So wait for Me, says the Lord until I get up to spank all the countries. I will eat up all the bad ones of the world with the fire from My wanting My people to be only Mine.

The Lord says, Then I will make all the people of all the countries talk the same words and they will be the only best words.

They will all do the good stuff I want all together, says the Lord.

All the world will bring presents that show the Lord’s big love for us.

My people won’t be puffed up anymore because I live on My holy mountain in their country. I will keep some trouble on them so they will keep leaning on Me.

The rest of the people won’t tell lies any more, but they will lie down and rest and no one will make them scared anymore.

Sing and shout at how happy you are, My daughter of Zion. Be happy with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem because the Lord took away your spanking and threw the bad ones out of you.

The King of Israel is in you and you won’t have any trouble anymore.

Don’t be scared. Work hard because the Lord, the strongest One is in the middle of You. He will save you.

He will be so happy over you. He will rest in how much He loves you. He will be so happy that He sings songs over you.

He will gather all the sad ones who were embarrassed. He will put bad stuff on the ones who did bad to you.

The Lord will go get all the ones who were not liked and sent away and bring them back. He will make strong ones whose feet hurt. He will hold you up high everywhere you were made low and you will be the top, the best ones there, when the Lord brings you back to His special land.