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HEBREW NAMES 'PLUS' VERSION of the TANAKH
A Hebrew Beginner's Primer
TZ'FANYAH
Zefaniah
Brief notes on Hebrew pronunciation
can be found at GLOSSARY
or at the bottom of Yirmeyahu. [♦] See footnotes at the bottom of this page.
Footnotes for the B'rit Chadashah are HERE.
1:2
"I will utterly sweep away kol me`al p'nei ha-adamah," ne'um YHWH.
3
"I will sweep away adam u'v'hemah. I will sweep away the birds of ha-shamayim, the fish of ha-yam, and the heaps of rubble with the wicked. I will cut off ha-adam me`al p'nei ha-adamah," ne'um YHWH.
4
"I will stretch out my hand against Y'hudah, and against all the inhabitants of Y'rushalaim. I will cut off the remnant of ha-Ba`al min-ha-maqom hazeh: the name of the idolatrous priests im-ha-kohanim,
5
those who worship the army of ha-shamayim on the housetops, those who worship and swear l'YHWH and also swear by Malcam,
6
those who have turned back me-acharei YHWH, and those who haven't sought YHWH nor inquired after him."
1:7
Be silent mi'p'nei Adonai YHWH , for yom YHWH is at hand. For YHWH has prepared a zevach. He has consecrated his guests.
8V'hayah b'yom zevach YHWH, "I will punish ha-sarim, v'al-b'nei ha-melekh, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.
9Ba-yom ha-hu, I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill beit adoneihem with violence and deceit."
1:10
"V'hayah b'yom ha-hu," ne'um YHWH, "there will be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.
11
Wail, you inhabitants of ha-Makhtesh, for kol am K'na`an are undone! All those who were loaded with kesef are cut off.
12
It will happen at that time, that I will search Y'rushalaim ba-nerot, and I will punish ha-anashim who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, 'YHWH will not do good, neither will he do evil.'
13
Their wealth will become a plunder, and their batim a desolation. Yes, they will build batim, but won't inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won't drink their yayin."
1:14Yom YHWH ha-gadol is near. It is near, and hurries greatly; qol yom YHWH is near. The mighty man cries there bitterly.
15
A day of wrath is ha-yom ha-hu; a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
16yom shofar u't'ru`ah, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements.
1:17
I will bring distress on men, that they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against YHWH, and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
18
Neither their kesef nor their zahav will be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of YHWH, but kol ha-aretz will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who dwell (in) ha-aretz.
PEREQ ב
CHAPTER 2 2:1
Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, ha-goy that has no shame,
2
before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of YHWH comes on you, before the day of the anger of YHWH comes on you.
3
Seek YHWH, all you humble of ha-aretz, who have kept his mishpatim. Seek tzedek. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the anger of YHWH.
4Ki `Aza will be forsaken, and Ashk'lon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up.
2:5Hoy to the inhabitants of the coast of ha-yam, goy K'retim! D'var YHWH is against you, K'na`an, eretz P'lishtim. I will destroy you, that there will be no inhabitant.
6
The coast of ha-yam will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7
The coast will be for the remnant of beit Y'hudah. They will find pasture. B'vatei Ashk'lon, they will lie down ba-erev, for YHWH Eloheihem will visit them, and restore them.
2:8
"I have heard the reproach of Mo'av, and the insults of b'nei `Ammon, with which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.
9
Therefore as I live," ne'um YHWH Tz'va'ot, Elohei Yisra'el, "surely Mo'av will be as S'dom u'v'nei `Ammon as `Amorah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my goy will inherit them."
10
This they will have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves al-am YHWH Tz'va'ot.
11YHWH will be awesome to them, for he will famish kol elohei ha-aretz. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of ha-goyim.
2:12Gam attem Cushim, you will be killed by my sword.
13
He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Ashshur, and will make Nin'veh a desolation, and dry ka-midbar.
14
Herds will lie down in the middle of her, all the beasts of (the) goy. Both the pelican and the porcupine[♦] will lodge in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows. Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar beams.
15
This is the joyous city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me." How she has become a desolation, a place for animals to lie down in! Everyone who passes by her will hiss, and shake their fists.
PEREQ ג
CHAPTER 3 3:1Hoy to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city!
2
She didn't obey the voice. She didn't receive correction. She didn't trust in YHWH. She didn't draw near to her Elohim.
3:3
Her sarim within her are roaring lions. Her shoftim are evening wolves. They leave nothing la-boqer.
4
Her n'vi'im are arrogant and treacherous people. Her kohanim have profaned [that which is] kodesh. They have done violence to Torah.
5YHWH tzaddik is within her. He will do no wrong. Ba-boqer ba-boqer he brings his mishpat la-or. He doesn't fail, but the unjust know no shame.
3:6
"I have cut off goyim. Their battlements are desolate. I have made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are destroyed, so that there is lo ish, so that there is no inhabitant.
7
I said, 'Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won't be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her.' But they rose early and corrupted all their doings."
3:8
"Therefore wait for me", n'um YHWH, "until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my determination is to gather the goyim, that I may assemble mam'lakhot, to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, ki ba-esh of my jealousy shall kol ha-aretz be devoured.
3:9
"For then I will purify the lips of amim, that they may all call b'shem YHWH, to serve him with one consent.
10
From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering.
3:11
"Ba-yom ha-hu you will not be disappointed for all your doings, in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out from among you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be arrogant in my har kadosh.
12
But I will leave among you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge b'shem YHWH.
13
The remnant of Yisra'el will not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid."
3:14
Sing, bat-Tziyon! Shout, Yisra'el! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, bat-Y'rushalaim.
15YHWH has taken away your mishpatim. He has thrown out your enemy. Melekh Yisra'el YHWH, is among you. You will not be afraid of evil any more.
16Ba-yom ha-hu, it will be said l'Y'rushalaim, "Don't be afraid, Tziyon. Don't let your hands be weak."
17YHWH Eloheikha, is among you, gibbor yoshi`a who will save. He will rejoice over you with b'simchah. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
18
Those who grieve about the mo`ed I will remove from you. They are a burden and a reproach to you.
19Hinneh, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you, and I will save those who are lame, and gather those who were driven away. I will give them praise and a name, whose shame has been b'khol ha-aretz.
20
At that time I will bring you in, and at that time I will gather you; for I will give you a name and praise b'khol `amei ha-aretz, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes," amar YHWH.
[♦]
2:14 pelican (or owl, vulture, or cormorant) and the porcupine (or bittern, owl, hedgehog, or herons).