kSee ch. 2:4-15
Zephaniah 3
Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations
1 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,athe oppressing city!
2She listens to no voice;
bshe accepts no correction.
cShe does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.
3 dHer officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are eevening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.
4 fHer prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
gher priests hprofane what is holy;
they do violence to the law.
5The Lord within her iis righteous;
he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but jthe unjust knows no shame.
6 k“I have cut off nations;
their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
lso that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
without a man, without an inhabitant.
7 mI said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
nyou will accept correction.
Then your ▼
▼Hebrew her
dwelling would not be cut offaccording to all that I have appointed against you.’ ▼
▼Hebrew her
But qall the more they were eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.
8 “Therefore rwait for me,” declares the Lord,
“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is sto gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
tall the earth shall be consumed.
The Conversion of the Nations
9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoplesto ua pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.
10 vFrom beyond the rivers wof Cush
my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
shall bring my offering.
11 x“On that day yyou shall not be put to shame
because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then zI will remove from your midst
your proudly exultant ones,
and aayou shall no longer be haughty
in my holy mountain.
12But I will leave in your midst
a people abhumble and lowly.
acThey shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,
13 adthose who are left in Israel;
they aeshall do no injustice
and speak no lies,
afnor shall there be found in their mouth
a deceitful tongue.
agFor they shall graze and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”
Israel’s Joy and Restoration
14 ahSing aloud, O daughter of Zion;shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
aiThe King of Israel, ajthe Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 akOn that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
allet not your hands grow weak.
17 amThe Lord your God is in your midst,
ana mighty one who will save;
aohe will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18I will gather those of you who mourn apfor the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach. ▼
▼The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
19Behold, at that time arI will deal
with all your oppressors.
And asI will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change attheir shame into aupraise
and renown in all the earth.
20 avAt that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
awwhen I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.
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