Zephaniah 3

1 Woe to the rebellious and unclean city of oppression,

Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city!

2 She has not obeyed the voice, she has not accepted instruction, In the Lord she has not trusted, to her God she has not drawn near.

She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in Jehovah; she drew not near to her God.

3 Her rulers in her midst are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves, who leave nothing over until the morning,

Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing till the morrow.

4 Her prophets are braggarts, faithless men. Her priests profane what is holy and do violence to the law.

Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

5 The Lord is righteous in her midst, he does no wrong, Morning by morning he establishes his decree, Light is not lacking, an oversight is unknown. But the unjust know no shame.

Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous; he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

6 ‘I have cut off nations, their turrets are destroyed; I have laid waste their broad streets, so that none passes over them. Desolate are their cities without people, without inhabitants.’

I have cut off nations; their battlements are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant.

7 I said: ‘Surely the city will fear me, she will accept instruction. Nothing will vanish from her eyes that I have impressed upon her; But the more zealously have they made all their deeds corrupt.’

I said, Only fear thou me; receive correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, [according to] all that I have appointed concerning her: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings.

8 Wait for me, is the Lord’s message, until the day when I stand up as a witness, for it is my fixed purpose to gather the nations, to collect the kingdoms, to pour upon them my wrath and my hot anger; for by the fire of my fury will all the earth be consumed.

Therefore wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

9 For then I will purify the lips of all peoples, so that they will all call on the Lord’s name, to serve him with one accord.

For then will I turn to the peoples of a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one consent.

10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers will bring me offerings.

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

11 On that day you will no longer be ashamed of all your deeds by which you rebelled against me. For I will rid you of your proudly arrogant ones, and you will never again be haughty on my holy mountain.

In that day shalt thou not be put to shame for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of thee thy proudly exulting ones, and thou shalt no more be haughty in my holy mountain.

12 But I will leave in your midst a people humble and poor, and the remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord.

But I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the name of Jehovah.

13 They will not do evil, nor speak falsehood, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth; but they will pasture and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.

The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

14 Cry out with joy, daughter of Zion, shout aloud, Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem.

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

15 The Lord has put away your adversaries, he has turned away your foes; the Lord is king in your midst, you will fear evil no more.

Jehovah hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not fear evil any more.

16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: Fear not! Zion, let not your hands grow weak!

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack.

17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious hero. He will rejoice over you with joy, he will renew his love, he will exult over you with singing,

Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing.

18 as on a day of festival. I will take away from you your disgrace, and put away from you your reproach.

I will gather them that sorrow for the solemn assembly, who were of thee; [to whom] the burden upon her was a reproach.

19 I will destroy at that time all who afflict you. I will deliver the lame, and gather the outcast, I will make them an object of renown and fame in all the earth.

Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and I will save that which is lame, and gather that which was driven away; and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the earth.

20 I will do good to you, at the time when I gather you. For I will make you an object of fame and renown among all the peoples of the earth; when I bring back your captivity before your eyes. This says the Lord.

At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, saith Jehovah.