Day 329 of 365

¹A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet, set to victorious music.

²Lord, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Renew your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years make it known. In wrath, you remember mercy.

³God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth.

⁴His splendor is like the sunrise. Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.

⁵Plague went before him, and pestilence followed his feet.

⁶He stood, and shook the earth. He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains were crumbled. The age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal.

⁷I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction. The dwellings of the land of Midian trembled.

⁸Was the Lord displeased with the rivers? Was your anger against the rivers, or your wrath against the sea, that you rode on your horses, on your chariots of salvation?

⁹You uncovered your bow. You called for your sworn arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers.

¹⁰The mountains saw you, and were afraid. The storm of waters passed by. The deep roared and lifted up its hands on high.

¹¹The sun and moon stood still in the sky, at the light of your arrows as they went, at the shining of your glittering spear.

¹²You marched through the land in wrath. You threshed the nations in anger.

¹³You went forth for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the land of wickedness. You stripped them head to foot. Selah.

¹⁴You pierced the heads of his warriors with their own spears. They came as a whirlwind to scatter me, gloating as if to devour the wretched in secret.

¹⁵You trampled the sea with your horses, churning mighty waters.

¹⁶I heard, and my body trembled. My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place, because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble, for the coming up of the people who invade us.

¹⁷For though the fig tree doesn't flourish, nor fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive fails, the fields yield no food; the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls:

¹⁸yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

¹⁹The Lord, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like deer's feet, and enables me to go in high places. For the music director, on my stringed instruments.

¹The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.

²I will utterly sweep away everything off of the surface of the earth, says the Lord.

³I will sweep away man and animal. I will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the heaps of rubble with the wicked. I will cut off man from the surface of the earth, says the Lord.

⁴I will stretch out my hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place: the name of the idolatrous and pagan priests,

⁵those who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by the Lord and also swear by Malcam,

⁶those who have turned back from following the Lord, and those who haven't sought the Lord nor inquired after him.

⁷Be silent at the presence of the Lord God, for the day of the Lord is at hand. For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests.

⁸It will happen in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, the king's sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.

⁹In that day, I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master's house with violence and deceit.

¹⁰In that day, says the Lord, 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.

¹¹Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.

¹²It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, "The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil."

¹³Their wealth will become a spoil, and their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses, but won't inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won't drink their wine.

¹⁴The great day of the Lord is near. It is near, and hurries greatly, the voice of the day of the Lord. The mighty man cries there bitterly.

¹⁵That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

¹⁶a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements.

¹⁷I will bring distress on men, that they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord, and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.

¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath, but the whole land 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 the land.

¹Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, you nation that has no shame,

²before the appointed time when the day passes as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes on you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes on you.

³Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.

⁴For Gaza will be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. They will drive out Ashdod at noonday, and Ekron will be rooted up.

⁵Woe to the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, the land of the Philistines. I will destroy you, that there will be no inhabitant.

⁶The sea coast will be pastures, with cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks.

⁷The coast will be for the remnant of the house of Judah. They will find pasture. In the houses of Ashkelon, they will lie down in the evening, for the Lord, their God, will visit them, and restore them.

⁸I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the insults of the children of Ammon, with which they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

⁹Therefore as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab will be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and salt pits, and a perpetual desolation. The remnant of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

¹⁰This they will have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

¹¹The Lord will be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations.

¹²You Cushites also, you will be killed by my sword.

¹³He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness.

¹⁴Herds will lie down in the midst of her, all the animals of the nations. 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.

¹⁵This is the joyous city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart, "I am, and there is none 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.

¹Ascribe to the Lord, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name. Worship the Lord in holy array.

³The Lord's voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even the Lord on many waters.

⁴The Lord's voice is powerful. The Lord's voice is full of majesty.

⁵The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox.

⁷The Lord's voice strikes with flashes of lightning.

⁸The Lord's voice shakes the wilderness. The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹The Lord's voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, "Glory!"

¹⁰The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.

¹¹The Lord will give strength to his people. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

¹Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

²It isn't good to have zeal without knowledge; nor being hasty with one's feet and missing the way.

³The foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against the Lord.

⁴Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.

⁵A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.

⁶Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

⁷All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.

⁸He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.

⁹A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.

¹⁰Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

¹¹The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.

¹²The king's wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife's quarrels are a continual dripping.

¹⁴House and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

¹⁵Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. The idle soul shall suffer hunger.

¹⁶He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.

¹⁷He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; he will reward him.

¹⁸Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

¹⁹A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, for if you rescue him, you must do it again.

²⁰Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end.

²¹There are many plans in a man's heart, but the Lord's counsel will prevail.

²²That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.

²⁴The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

²⁶He who robs his father and drives away his mother, is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

²⁷If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity.

²⁹Penalties are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools.