Zephaniah 3

Modern

Literal

Judgment on Jerusalem

¹Woe to the city of oppressors,

rebellious and defiled!

¹Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!

²She heeded no voice;

she accepted no correction.

She does not trust in the LORD;

she has not drawn near to her God.

²She has not listened to His voice, she does not receive discipline; in YHWH she does not trust; to her God she does not draw near.

³Her princes are roaring lions;

her judges are evening wolves,

leaving nothing for the morning.

³Her princes within her are roaring lions, her judges are wolves of the evening leaving nothing for the morning.

⁴Her prophets are reckless,

faithless men.

Her priests profane the sanctuary;

they do violence to the law.

⁴Her prophets are reckless, men of treacheries; her priests have profaned the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.

⁵The LORD within her is righteous;

He does no wrong.

He applies His justice morning by morning;

He does not fail at dawn,

yet the unjust know no shame.

⁵YHWH is righteous within her; He will not do injustice; morning by morning He gives His justice; at the light He is not lacking; the unjust one is knowning no shame.

Purification of the Nations

⁶“I have cut off the nations;

their corner towers are destroyed.

I have made their streets deserted

with no one to pass through.

Their cities are laid waste,

with no man, no inhabitant.

⁶“I have cut off nations; their corners are desolate; I have made desolate their streets without one passing through; their cities are destroyed, without a man, with no one dwelling.

⁷I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me

and accept correction.’

Then her dwelling place would not be cut off

despite all for which I punished her.

But they rose early

to corrupt all their deeds.

⁷I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me; you will receive discipline.’ Then her dwelling would not be cut off, by all that I have visited upon her. Nevertheless, they rose early to corrupt all their deeds.

⁸Therefore wait for Me,”

declares the LORD,

“until the day

I rise to testify.^a

For My decision is to gather nations,

to assemble kingdoms,

to pour out upon them My indignation—

all My burning anger.

For all the earth will be consumed

by the fire of My jealousy.

⁸Therefore wait for Me,” a declaration of YHWH, “Until the day of My arising to testify. For My judgment is to gather the nations, to assemble unto Me the kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all the burning of my nose! Indeed, with the fire of My jealousy all the earth will be consumed.

A Faithful Remnant

⁹For then I will restore

pure lips to the peoples,

that all may call upon the name of the LORD

and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.

⁹For then I will turn over to the peoples a lip made pure, to call for all of them on the name of YHWH, to serve Him with one shoulder.

¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Cush^a

My worshipers, My scattered people,

will bring Me an offering.

¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Cush, My worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, will bring My offering.

¹¹On that day you will not be put to shame

for any of the deeds

by which you have transgressed against Me.

For then I will remove from among you

those who rejoice in their pride,

and you will never again be haughty

on My holy mountain.

¹¹On that day you will not feel shame from any of your deeds, with which you have transgressed against Me; for then I will turn away from your midst the jubilant ones of your pride, and you will continue no longer to be haughty on the mountain of My holiness.

¹²But I will leave within you a meek and humble people,

and they will trust in the name of the LORD.

¹²And I will leave in your midst a people humble and poor, and they will take refuge in the name of YHWH.

¹³The remnant of Israel

will no longer do wrong or speak lies,

nor will a deceitful tongue

be found in their mouths.

But they will feed and lie down,

with no one to make them tremble.”

¹³The remnant of Israel will not do injustice, and they will not speak lies, and in their mouth will not be found a tongue of deceit. For they will feed the flocks and will lie down, and there will not be one frightening them.”

Israel’s Restoration

¹⁴Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion;

shout aloud, O Israel!

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

O Daughter of Jerusalem!

¹⁴Sing out, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

¹⁵The LORD has taken away your punishment;

He has turned back your enemy.

Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you;

no longer will you fear any harm.

¹⁵YHWH has turned aside your judgments; He has turned back your enemy; the King of Israel, YHWH, is among you; you will fear evil no more.

¹⁶On that day they will say to Jerusalem:

“Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands fall limp.

¹⁶On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion, do not let your hands be slack!

¹⁷The LORD your God is among you;

He is mighty to save.

He will rejoice over you with gladness;

He will quiet you with His love;^a

He will rejoice over you with singing.”

¹⁷For YHWH your God is among you, the Mighty One who saves; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will be joyous over you with singing.”

¹⁸“I will gather those among you who grieve

over the appointed feasts,

so that you will no longer suffer reproach.

¹⁸“Those sorrowing from the appointed assembly I will gather up, put away from you they will be—a lifting away, and along with it reproach.

¹⁹Behold, at that time,

I will deal with all who afflict you.

I will save the lame

and gather the scattered;

and I will appoint praise and fame

for the disgraced throughout the earth.

¹⁹Behold, I will be dealing with all who afflict you at that time; and I will save the lame, and those driven out I will gather, and I will set them for praise and for renown in every land of their shame.

²⁰At that time I will bring you in;

yes, at that time I will gather you.

For I will give you fame and praise

among all the peoples of the earth

when I restore your captives^a

before your very eyes,”

says the LORD.

²⁰At that time I will bring you in, at the time I gather you. For I will give to you renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth, in my returning your captives before your eyes!” Says YHWH.