Seeing the great rebellion of the people, and that there was nowe no hope of amendement, hee denounceth the great iudgement of God, which was at hand, shewing that their coutrey should be vtterly destroyed, and they caried away captiues by the Babylonians. Yet for the comfort of the faithful he prophecied of Gods vengeance against their enemies, as the Philistims, Moabites, Aßyrians, and others, to aßure them that God had a continuall care ouer them. And as the wicked should be punished for their sinnes and transgressions: so hee exhorteth the godly to patience, and to trust to finde mercie by reason of the free promes of God made vnto Abraham: and therefore quietly to abide till God shewe them the effect of that grace, whereby in the ende they should be gathered vnto him, and counted as his people and children.

4 Threatnings against Iudah and Ierusalem, because of their idolatrie.

¹ The word of the Lord, which came vnto Zephaniah ye sonne of Cushi, the sonne of Gedaliah, the sonne of Amariah, the sonne of Hizkiah, in the dayes of [Note: 2.King.22.1. ] Iosiah, the sonne of [Note: 2.King.21.26. ] Amon King of Iudah.

² I will surely destroy all things from off the land, saith the Lorde.

³ I will destroy man and beast: I wil destroy the [Note: [a] Not that God was angrie with these dumme creatures, but because man was so wicked for whose cause they were created, God maketh them to take part of the punishment with him. ] foules of the heauen, and the fishes of the sea, and ruines shalbe to the wicked, and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord.

⁴ I will also stretch out mine hand vpon Iudah, and vpon all the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and I wil cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the [Note: [b] Which were an order of superstitious Priestes appointed to minister in the seruice of Baal, and were as his peculiar chaplens, reade 2. King.23.5. Hosea 10.5. ] Chemarims with ye Priestes,

⁵ And them that worship the hoste of heauen vpon the house tops, and them that worship and sweare by the Lord, and sweare by [Note: [c] He alludeth to their idole Molech, which was forbidden, Leuit. 20.2. yet they called him their King and made him as a god: therefore he here noteth them that will both say they worship God, and yet wil sweare by idoles, and serue them: which halting is here condemned as Ezekiel 20.39. 2.King.17.33. 1.King.18.21. ] Malcham,

⁶ And them that are turned backe from the Lord, and those that haue not sought the Lorde, nor inquired for him.

⁷ Be stil at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, and hath sanctified his ghests.

⁸ And it shalbe in the day of the Lords sacrifice, that I will visite the princes and the Kings children, and all such as are clothed with [Note: [d] Meaning, the courtiers, which did imitate the strange apparell of other nations to winne their fauour thereby, and to appeare glorious in the eyes of all other, reade Ezek.23.14. ] strange apparell.

⁹ In the same day also will I visite all those that [Note: [e] He meaneth the seruants of the rulers which inuade other mens houses, and reioyce and leape for ioy when they can get any praye to please their master withall. ] dance vpon the threshold so proudly, which fill their masters houses by crueltie and deceite.

¹⁰ And in that day, saith the Lord, there shall be a noise, and cry from the [Note: [f] Signifying that all the corners of the citie of Ierusalem should be full of trouble. ] fishgate, and an howling from the second gate, and a great destruction from the hilles.

¹¹ Howle ye inhabitants of [Note: [g] This is ment of the streete of the marchants which was lower then the rest of the place about it. ] the lowe place: for the companie of the marchants is destroyed: all they that beare siluer, are cut off.

¹² And at that time will I searche Ierusalem with [Note: [h] So that nothing shall escape me. ] lightes, and visite the men that are frosen [Note: [i] By their prosperitie they are hardned in their wickednes. ] in their dregges, & say in their heartes, The Lord will neither doe good nor doe euill.

¹³ Therefore their goods shall be spoyled, and their houses waste: [Note: Deut.28.30. amos 5.11. ] they shall also build houses, but not inhabite them, and they shall plant vineyards, but not drinke the wine thereof.

¹⁴ The great day of the Lorde is neere: it is neere, and hasteth greatly, euen the voyce of the day of the Lord: [Note: [k] They that trusted in their owne strength and contemned the Prophets of God. ] the strong man shall cry there bitterly.

¹⁵ [Note: Iere.30.7. ioel.2.11. amos 5.18. ] That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and heauinesse, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of obscuritie and darkenesse, a day of cloudes and blackenesse,

¹⁶ A day of the trumpet and alarme against the strong cities, and against the hie towres.

¹⁷ And I will bring distresse vpon men, that they shall walke like blind men, because they haue sinned against the Lorde, and their blood shall be powred out as dust, and their flesh as the dongue.

¹⁸ [Note: Ezek.7.19. ] Neither their siluer nor their golde shalbe able to deliuer them in ye day of the Lords wrath, but the [Note: Chap.3.8. ] whole lande shalbe deuoured by the fire of his ielousie: for hee shall make euen a speedie riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

1 Hee mooueth to returne to God, 5 Prophecying destruction against the Philistims, Moabites and others.

¹ Gather [Note: [a] He exhorteth them to repetance, and willeth them to descend into themselues and gather themselues together, least they be scattered like chaffe. ] your selues, euen gather you, O nation not worthie to be loued,

² Before the decree come foorth, and ye be as [Page]

chaffe that passeth in a day, and before the fierce wrath of the Lord come vpon you, and before the day of the Lords anger come vpon you.

³ Seeke yee the Lorde all the meeke of the earth, which [Note: [b] That is, which haue liued vprightly and godly according as hee prescribeth by his worde. ] haue wrought his iudgement: seeke righteousnesse, seeke lowlinesse, if so bee that ye may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath.

⁴ For [Note: [c] He comforteth the faithful in that, that God would change his punishments from them vnto the Philistims their enemies and other nations. ] Azzah shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon desolate: they shall driue out Ashdod at the noone day, and Ekron shalbe rooted vp.

⁵ Wo vnto the inhabitants of the sea [Note: [d] That is, Galilea: by these nations he meaneth the people that dwelt neere to the Iewes and in steade of friendship were their enemies: therefore he calleth them Canaanites whome the Lord appointed to be slaine. ] coast. the nation of the Cherethims, the worde of the Lorde is against you: O Canaan, the lande of the Philistims, I will euen destroye thee without an inhabitant.

⁶ And the sea coast shal be dwellings and cotages for shepheardes and sheepefoldes.

⁷ And that coast shall be for the [Note: [e] Hee sheweth why God would destroy their enemies, because their countrey might be a resting place for his Church. ] remnant of the house of Iudah, to feede thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shal they lodge toward night: for the Lorde their God shall visite them, and turne away their captiuitie.

⁸ I haue heard the reproch of Moab, and the rebukes of the children of Ammon, whereby they vpbraided my people, and [Note: [f] These nations presumed to take from the Iewes that coutrey which the Lord had giuen them. ] magnified themselues against their borders.

⁹ Therefore, as I liue, saith the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall bee as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorah, euen the breeding of nettels and salt pittes, and a perpetuall desolation: the residue of my folke shall spoyle them, and the remnant of my people shall possesse them.

¹⁰ This shall they haue for their pride, because they haue reproched and magnified themselues against the Lord of hostes people.

¹¹ The Lord will be terrible vnto them: [Note: [g] When he shall deliuer his people and destroy their enemies and idols, his glorie shall shine throughout all the world. ] for he wil consume all the gods of the earth, and euery man shall worship him from his place, euen all the yles of the heathen.

¹² Ye Morians also shalbe slaine by my sword with them.

¹³ And he wil stretch out his hand against the North, and destroy Asshur, and will make Nineueh desolate, and waste like a wildernesse.

¹⁴ And flockes shall lie in the middes of her, and all the beastes of the nations, and the [Note: [h] Reade Isa.34.11. ] pelicane, and the [Note: Or, hedgehog. ] owle shall abide in the vpper postes of it: the voyce of birdes shall sing in the windowes, and desolations shalbe vpon the postes: for the cedars are vncouered.

¹⁵ This is the [Note: [i] Meaning, Nineueh, which reioycing so much of her strength and prosperitie, should be thus made waste and Gods people deliuered. ] reioycing citie that dwelt carelesse, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none besides me: how is she made waste, and the lodging of the beastes! euery one that passeth by her, shall hisse and wagge his hand.

4 Against the gouernours of Ierusalem. 8 Of the calling of all the Gentiles. 13 A comfort to the residue of Israel.

¹ Woe to her that is filthie and polluted, to the robbing [Note: [a] That is, Ierusalem. ] citie.

² She heard not the voyce: she receiued not correction: she trusted not in the Lord: she drew not neere to her God.

³ Her princes within her are as roaring [Note: Ezek.22.25,27. mich.3.11. ] lyons: her iudges are as [Note: Habak.1.8. ] wolues in the euening, which [Note: [b] They are so griedie that they eate vp bones and all. ] leaue not the bones till the morow.

⁴ Her prophets are light, and wicked persons: her priests haue polluted the Sanctuarie: they haue wrested the Lawe.

⁵ The [Note: [c] The wicked thus boasted that God was euer among them, but the Prophet answereth that that can not excuse their wickednes: for God wil not beare with their sinnes: yet that he did paciently abide and sent his Prophets continually to call them to repentance, but he profited nothing. ] iust Lord is in the middes thereof: he will doe none iniquitie: euery morning doeth hee bring his iudgement to light, he faileth not: but the wicked will not learne to be ashamed.

⁶ I haue [Note: [d] By the destruction of other nations he sheweth that the Iewes should haue learned to feare God. ] cut off the nations: their towres are desolate: I haue made their streetes waste, that none shal passe by: their cities are destroyed without man and without inhabitant.

⁷ I said, Surely thou wilt feare me: thou wilt receiue instruction: so their dwelling shoulde not be destroyed howsoeuer I visited them, but [Note: [e] They were most earnest and readie to do wickedly. ] they rose earely and corrupted all their workes.

⁸ Therefore [Note: [f] Seeing ye will not repent, you shall looke for my vengeance aswell as other nations. ] wait ye vpon me, saith the Lord, vntill the day that I rise vp to the praye: for I am determined to gather the nations, and that I will assemble the kingdomes to powre vpon them mine indignation, euen all my fierce wrath: for all the earth shall be deuoured with the fire of my ielousie.

⁹ Surely [Note: [g] Least any should thinke then that Gods glory should haue perished when Iudah was destroyed, he sheweth that he will publish his grace through all the world. ] then will I turne to the people a pure language, that they may all call vpon the Name of the Lord, to serue him [Note: Ebr. with one shoulder, as Hos.6.9. ] with one cosent.

¹⁰ From beyonde the riuers of Ethiopia, the [Note: [h] That is, ye Iewes shall come as well as the Gentiles: which is to be vnderstand vnder the time of the Gospel. ] daughter of my dispersed, praying vnto me, shall bring me an offering.

¹¹ In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for [Note: [i] For they shall haue full remission of their sinnes: and the hypocrites which boasted of the Temple, which was also thy pride in time past, shalbe taken from thee. ] all thy workes, wherein thou hast transgressed against mee: for then I will take away out of the middes of thee them that reioyce of thy pride, and thou shalt no more be proude of mine holy Mountaine.

¹² Then will I leaue in the middes of thee an humble and poore people: and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord.

¹³ The remnant of Israel shal do none iniquitie, nor speake lies: neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shalbe fed, and lie downe, and none shall make them afraide.

¹⁴ Reioyce, O daughter Zion: be ye ioyfull, O Israel: be glad and reioyce with all thine heart, O daughter Ierusalem.

¹⁵ The Lorde hath taken away thy [Note: [k] That is, the punishment for thy sinne. ] iudgements: hee hath cast out thine [Note: [l] As the Assyrians, Caldeans, Egyptians, and other nations. ] enemie: the King of Israel, euen the Lord is in the middes of [Note: [m] To defend thee as by thy sinnes thou hast put him away and left thy selfe naked, as Exod.32.25. ] thee: thou shalt see no more euill.

¹⁶ In that day it shalbe said to Ierusalem, Feare thou not, O Zion: let not thine handes be faint.

¹⁷ The Lord thy God in the middes of thee is mightie: hee will saue, hee will reioyce ouer thee with ioye: he will quiet himselfe in [Note: [n] Signifying, that God deliteth to shewe his loue and great affection toward his Church. ] his loue: he will reioyce ouer thee with ioy.

¹⁸ After a certaine time will I gather the afflicted that were of thee, and them that bare the reproch for [Note: [o] That is, them that were had in hatred and reuiled for the Church and because of their religion. ] it.

¹⁹ Beholde, at that time I will bruise all that afflict thee, and I will [Note: [p] I wil deliuer the Church which now is afflicted, as Mica.4.6. ] saue her that halteth, and gather her that was cast out, and I will get them praise and fame in all the [Note: [q] As among the Assyrians & Caldeans which did mocke them and put them to shame. ] landes of their shame.

²⁰ At yt time wil I bring you againe, & then wil I gather you: for I wil giue you a name & a praise among all people of the earth, when I turne backe your captiuitie before your eyes, saith the Lorde.