Zephaniah 3

Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations

1  Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
a the oppressing city!
 2 She listens to no voice;
b she accepts no correction.
c She does not trust in the  Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.
 3  d Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are e evening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.
 4  f Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
g her priests h profane what is holy;
they do violence to the law.
 5 The  Lord within her i is righteous;
he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but j the unjust knows no shame.
 6  k “I have cut off nations;
their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
l so that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
without a man, without an inhabitant.
 7  m I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
n you will accept correction.
Then your ▼
▼ Hebrew her
 dwelling would not be cut off
according to all that I have appointed against you.’ ▼
▼ Hebrew her

But q all the more they were eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.
 8  “Therefore r wait for me,” declares the  Lord,
“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is s to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
t all the earth shall be consumed.

The Conversion of the Nations

9  “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
to u a pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the  Lord
and serve him with one accord.
 10  v From beyond the rivers w of Cush
my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
shall bring my offering.
 11  x “On that day y you shall not be put to shame
because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then z I will remove from your midst
your proudly exultant ones,
and aa you shall no longer be haughty
in my holy mountain.
 12 But I will leave in your midst
a people ab humble and lowly.
ac They shall seek refuge in the name of the  Lord,
 13  ad those who are left in Israel;
they ae shall do no injustice
and speak no lies,
af nor shall there be found in their mouth
a deceitful tongue.
ag For they shall graze and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”

Israel’s Joy and Restoration

14  ah Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
 15 The  Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
ai The King of Israel aj the  Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
 16  ak On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
al let not your hands grow weak.
 17  am The  Lord your God is in your midst,
an a mighty one who will save;
ao he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
 18 I will gather those of you who mourn ap for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach. ▼
▼ The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

 19 Behold, at that time ar I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And as I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change at their shame into au praise
and renown in all the earth.
 20  av At 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,
aw when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the  Lord.
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