Zephaniah was one of the last of the twelve prophets to speak before the Kingdom of Judah’s final disintegration and dissolution by the Babylonians at the end of the seventh century BCE. He was a prophet and guide to the righteous King Josiah. Zephaniah speaks about how the people of God must live in righteousness, which involves respecting the needs of the poor and engaging in genuine worship. Otherwise, he warns, God is preparing a day of judgment, a “Day of God.” It is up to the people to decide whether that judgment will befall them or their enemies.
