Zephaniah

Zephaniah is the thirty-sixth book of the Bible and the ninth of the minor prophets. The book is traditionally attributed to the prophet Zephaniah, identified at the start of the book as a great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah. He prophesied during the reign of King Josiah of Judah in the late seventh century BC.

The book opens with one of the strongest images of judgment in the Bible. God sweeps away everything from the face of the earth: people, animals, birds, fish. The judgment is universal, but Zephaniah's particular focus is on Judah and Jerusalem. The people have turned to other gods, the priests are corrupt, the officials are wolves at evening, the prophets are reckless.

The book then turns outward, pronouncing judgment on Philistia to the west, Moab and Ammon to the east, Cush to the south, and Assyria to the north. The four corners of Judah's known world will face the same coming day.

The closing chapter shifts to promise. After the judgment, God will purify the nations, gather the scattered, and restore a humble remnant in Israel. The book ends with one of the most tender lines in the prophets: God will quiet his people with his love, and rejoice over them with singing.