Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe.

The Prophet Sophony. (Book Zephaniah)

What Sophony conteyneth.

• Chap. I. He prophecieth of plages for to come vpon Iuda.
• Chap. II. He exorteth them to amēde, that they maye escape the wrath of God: and sheweth the Gentiles their punyshment.
• Chap. III. Punyshment because of the wicked∣nesse of the Iewes: whom God therfore re∣fused, and chose the Heithen.

The first Chapter.

[ A] THis is the worde of the LORDE, which came vnto Sophony the sonne of Chusi, the sonne of Gedo∣lias, the sonne of Amarias y^e son∣ne of Hezechias: in the tyme of Iosias the sonne of Amonkinge of Iuda.* 1.1 I will gather vp all thinges in the londe (saieth the LOR∣DE) I wil gather vp man and beest: I wil ga¦ther vp the foules in the ayre, and the fysh in the see (to the greate decaye of the wicked) & wil vtterly destroye the men out of the lon∣de, saieth the LORDE. I wil stretch out my∣ne honde vpon Iuda, and vpon all soch as dwel at Ierusalem. Thus wil I rote out the remnaunt of Baal from this place, and the names of the Kemuryns and prestes: yee & soch as vpon their house toppes worshipe & bowe them selues vnto the hoost of heauen: which sweare by the LORDE,* 1.2 and by their Malchom also: which starte a backe from y^e LORDE, and nether seke after the LORDE, ner regarde him.

[ B] Be still at y^e presence of the LORDE God, for the daye of the LORDE is at honde:* 1.3 yee the LORDE hath prepared a slayne offerin¦ge, and called his gestes therto. And thus shall it happen in the daye of the LORDES a slaynofferynge:* 1.4 I will vyset the prynces, the kinges children, & all soch as weere straū¦ge clothinge. In the same daye also wil I vy¦set all those, that treade ouer the thresholde so proudly, which fyll their lordes house w^t robbery and falsede. At y^e same tyme (saieth the LORDE) there shall be herde a greate crie from the fyshporte, and an howlinge from y^e other porte, and a greate murthur from the hilles. Howle ye that dwel in the myll, for all the marchaunt people are gone, and all they that were laden with syluer, are roted out.

[ C] At the same tyme wil I seke thorow Ieru¦salem with lanternes,* 1.5 and vyset them that contynue in their dregges, and saye in their hertes: Tush, the LORDE wil do nether good ner euell. Their goodes shalbe spoyled, and their houses layed waist.* 1.6 They shall buylde houses, and not dwel in them: they shal plan¦te vynyardes, but not drynke the wyne ther¦of.* 1.7 For the greate daye of the LORDE is at honde, it is harde by, & commeth on a pace. Horrible is y^e tydinges of the LORDES daye, then shall the giaunte crie out: for that daye is a daye of wrath, a daye of trouble & heuy∣nesse, a daye of vtter destruccion & mysery, a darcke & glomynge daye, a cloudy & stormy daye, a daye of the noyse of trompettes and shawmes, agaynst the stronge cities and hie towres. I wil bringe y^e people into soch vexa¦cion, that they shal go aboute like blinde mē, because they haue synned agaynst the LOR∣DE. Their bloude shalbe shed as the dust, & their bodies as the myre.* 1.8 Nether their syl∣uer ner their golde shalbe able to delyuer thē in that wrothfull daye of the LORDE, but the whole londe shalbe cōsumed thorow the fyre of his gelousy:* 1.9 for he shall soone make clene ryddaunce of all them that dwell in the londe.

The II. Chapter.

COme together and gather you, O ye [ A] frauwerde people: or y^e thinge go forth that is concluded, & or the tyme be pas∣sed awaye as the dust: or the fearfull wrath of the LORDE come vpon you, yee or the daye of the LORDES sore displeasure come vpon you. Seke the LORDE all yee meke harted v∣pon earth, ye that worke after his iudgmēt:* 1.10 seke rightuousnesse, seke lowlynesse: that ye maye be defended in the wrothfull daye of y^e LORDE. For Gaza shal be destroyed,* 1.11 & Asca∣lon shall be layed waist: They shal cast out Aszdod at the noone daye, and Accaron shal be pluckte vp by the rotes.

Wo vnto you y^t dwel vpon the see coost, ye murthurous people: the worde of y^e LOR¦DE shal come vpon you. O Canaan thou lon¦de of the Philistynes, I wil destroye the, so that there shal no man dwel in the eny more: & as for the see coost, it shal be hyrdmens co∣tages & shepe foldes: yee it shalbe a porcion for soch as remayne of the house of Iuda, to fede ther vpon. In y^e houses of Ascalon shal they rest towarde night: for the LORDE their God shal vyset thē, & turne awaye their cap¦tyuite. I haue herde the despite of Moab, & [ B] the blasphemies of the children of Ammon:* 1.12 how they haue shamefully intreated my peo¦ple, and magnified them selues within the borders of their londe. Therfore as truly as I lyue (saieth the LORDE of hoostes the God of Israel) Moab shalbe as Sodome, &

Ammon as Gomorra: euen drie thorne hed∣ges, salt pittes and a perpetuall wyldernes. The residue of my folke shall spoyle them the remnaunt of my people shall haue them in possession. This shal happen vnto them for their pryde,* 1.13 because they haue dealte so shamefully with the LORDE of hoostes peo∣ple, and magnified them selues aboue them. The LORDE shall be grymme vpon them, and destroye all the goddes in the londe.* 1.14 And all the Iles of the Heithen shal worshi¦pe him, euery man in his place.

[ C] Ye Moriās also shal perish with my swer¦de: Yee he shall stretch out his honde ouer the north, and destroye Assur. As for Nini∣ue, he shal make it desolate, drye and waist. The flockes and all the beastes of the peo∣ple shall lye in the myddest of it, pellicanes and storckes shall abyde in the vpper postes of it, foules shal synge in the wyndowes, and rauens shal syt vpon the balckes, for the bor¦des of Cedre shalbe ryuē downe. This is the proude and carelesse cite,* 1.15 that sayde in hir herte: I am, and there is els none. O how is she made so waist, y^t the beestes lye therin? Who so goeth by, mocketh her, and poyn∣teth at her with his fynger.

The III. Chapter.

[ A] WO to the abhominable, fylthie and cruel cite: which wil not heare, ner be refourmed. Hir trust is not in the LORDE, nether wil she holde her to hir God. Hir rulers within her are as roaringe lyons:* 1.16 hir iudges are as wolues in the euenynge, which leaue nothinge behynde them till the morow. Hir prophetes are light personnes and vn faithfull men: hir prestes vnhalowe the Sanctuary, and do wronge vnder the pretence of the lawe. But the iust LORDE that doth no vnright, was amonge them, euery mornynge shewinge them his lawe cle¦arly, and ceassed not. But the vngodly will not lerne to be aszshamed. Therfore wil I ro¦te out this people, and destroye their tow∣res: yee and make their stretes so voyde, that no man shall go therin. Their cities shall be brokē downe, so that no body shal be left, ner dwel there eny more.

[ B] I sayde vnto them: O feare me, and be cō¦tent to be refourmed. That their dwellinge shulde not be destroyed, and that there shul∣de happen vnto them none of these thinges, wherwith I shal vyset thē. But neuertheles they stonde vp early, to folowe the filthynes of their owne ymaginacions. Therfore ye shal waite vpon me (saieth the LORDE) vntil the tyme that I stonde vp: for I am deter∣med, to gather the people and to bringe the kingdomes together, that I maye poure out myne anger, yee all my wrothfull displeasure vpon them.* 1.17 For all the worlde shalbe consu∣med with the fyre of my gelousy. And then wil I clense the lippes of the people, that they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 euerychone call vpon the name of the LORDE, and serue him with one sh••l¦der. So•••• as I haue subdued, and my chil∣dren also whom I haue scatred abrode, shal brynge me presentes beyonde the waters of Ethiopia.

In that tyme shalt thou nomore 〈◊〉〈◊〉 [ C] founded, because of all thy ymaginacion••, wher thorow thou haddest offended me:* 1.18 for I wil take awaye the proude boosters of thi¦ne honoure from the, so that thou shalt no more tryumphe because of my holy h••ll. In the also wil I leaue a smal poore symple peo∣ple, which shal trust in the name of the LOR¦DE. The remnaunt of Israel shal do no wic∣kednes, ner speakelyes: nether shal there eny disceatful tunge be founde in their mouthes. For they shal be fed, and take their rest, and no man shal make them afrayed. Geue th••••¦kes o doughter Siō, be ioyful o Israel: reioy¦ce & be glad from thy whole herte, o dough∣ter Ierusalem, for the LORDE hath taken awaye thy punyshment, and turned backe thine enemies. The kinge of Israel, euen the LORDE himself is with the: so that 〈…〉〈…〉 nomore to feare eny myszfortune.

In that tyme it shall be sayed to Ierusa••lem: feare not, and to Sion: let not thine h••n¦des be slacke, for the LORDE thy God is with the, it is he that hath power to saue: he hath a special pleasure in the, and a maruelous lo¦ue towarde the: yee he reioyseth ouer the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 gladnesse. Soch as haue bene in heuyn••sse, wil I gather together, and take out of thy congregacion: as for the shame and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that hath bene layed vpon the, it shal be f••••∣re from the. And lo, in y^t tyme wil I destroy•• all those that vexe the:* 1.19 I wil helpe the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and gather vp the cast a waye: yee I wil get them honoure and prayse in all lōdes, where they haue bene put to shame. At y^e same ty∣me wil I bringe you in, and at the same tyme wil I gather you. I wil get you a name and a good reporte, amonge all people of the earth, when I turne backe youre captiuyte before you¦re eyes, saieth the LORDE.

The ende of the prophet Sophony.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.2

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.3

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.4

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.5

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.6

  Amo•• 5. b
• * 1.7

  Ioel. 2. a
• * 1.8

  Eze. 7. d
• * 1.9

  Soph. 3. b
• * 1.10

  4. Re. 20. a Ione 3. a
• * 1.11

  Esa. 14. •• Iere. 47. a Eze. 25. c
• * 1.12

  Esa. 15.1•• Iere. 48. a Eze. ••5. b
• * 1.13

  Zach. 2. b
• * 1.14

  Esa. 2. c
• * 1.15

  4. Re. 19 f Esa 47. b 34. c
• * 1.16

  Eze. 22. c Mich. 3. c Abac. 1. b
• * 1.17

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.18

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.19

  〈…〉〈…〉