Zephaniah 3
1 Sorrow to her who is uncontrolled and unclean, the cruel town!
What disaster is coming to corrupted, rebellious Jerusalem, you who oppress people!
2 She gave no attention to the voice, she had no use for teaching, she put no faith in the Lord, she did not come near to her God.
You don't listen to anybody, you don't accept correction, you don't trust in the Lord, you don't ask for God's help.
3 Her rulers are like loud-voiced lions in her; her judges are wolves of the evening, crushing up the bones before the morning.
Your leaders are as greedy as roaring lions; your judges are ravenous wolves that leave nothing behind by morning.
4 Her prophets are good-for-nothing persons, full of deceit: her priests have made the holy place unclean and have gone violently against the law.
Your prophets are arrogant, deceitful men who defile what is sacred and who openly break the law.
5 The Lord in her is upright; he will not do evil; every morning he lets his righteousness be seen, he is unchanging; but the evil-doer has no sense of shame.
But the Lord who does right is still among you, he does no wrong. Every morning he gives his judgment, every day without fail. But those who act unjustly have no shame.
6 I have had the nations cut off, their towers are broken down; I have made their streets a waste so that no one goes through them: destruction has overtaken their towns, so that there is no man living in them.
I have destroyed nations. Their fortresses are deserted; their streets are empty; their cities are destroyed—there are no survivors, not one.
7 I said, Certainly you will go in fear of me, and come under my training, so that whatever I may send on her may not be cut off before her eyes: but they got up early and made all their works evil.
I told myself, “Surely they will respect me now and accept my correction. Then their homes would not be destroyed to teach them a lesson.” But instead you're just as eager to go on doing evil.
8 For this reason, go on waiting for me, says the Lord, till the day when I come up as a witness: for my purpose is to send for the nations and to get the kingdoms together, so that I may let loose on them my passion, even all my burning wrath: for all the earth will be burned up in the fire of my bitter passion.
You just wait, declares the Lord. The day is coming when I will rise to give evidence. For I have decided to gather together all the nations and kingdoms and to pour out on them my anger, my fury and my rage. The whole earth will be burned up by the fire of my jealous anger.
9 For then I will give the people a clean language, so that they may all make prayer to the Lord and be his servants with one mind.
For then I will give the nations pure speech so they can all pray and worship the Lord together.
10 From over the rivers of Ethiopia, and from the sides of the north, they will come to me with an offering.
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my scattered people, my worshipers, will come to bring their offerings to me.
11 In that day you will have no shame on account of all the things in which you did evil against me: for then I will take away from among you those who were lifted up in pride, and you will no longer be lifted up with pride in my holy mountain.
On that day you won't be ashamed because of what you did in rebelling against me, for I will remove from among you those who are proud and boastful. Never again will you be conceited on my holy mountain.
12 But I will still have among you a quiet and poor people, and they will put their faith in the name of the Lord.
I will leave among you those who are meek and humble, those who trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The rest of Israel will do no evil and say no false words; the tongue of deceit will not be seen in their mouth: for they will take their food and their rest, and no one will be a cause of fear to them.
The people of Israel who remain will not act wickedly nor will they tell lies. They will not deceive one another. They will be able to eat in peace and sleep in safety for there will be nothing to frighten them.
14 Make melody, O daughter of Zion; give a loud cry, O Israel; be glad and let your heart be full of joy, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Sing out, Jerusalem! Shout aloud, Israel! Jerusalem, be happy and celebrate with all your heart!
15 The Lord has taken away those who were judging you, he has sent your haters far away: the King of Israel, even the Lord, is among you: you will have no more fear of evil.
For the Lord has turned aside from punishing you, and he has turned back your enemies. The Lord, the king of Israel, is with you, and you will never again have to fear disaster.
16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Have no fear: O Zion, let not your hands be feeble.
On that day the message to the people of Jerusalem will be, “Don't be afraid; don't be discouraged!”
17 The Lord your God is among you, as a strong saviour: he will be glad over you with joy, he will make his love new again, he will make a song of joy over you as in the time of a holy feast.
The Lord your God is among you as a mighty warrior who saves. He will be so happy with you. He will renew his love for you. He will celebrate over you with loud singing.
18 I will take away your troubles, lifting up your shame from off you.
I will gather those of you who mourn for the religious festivals—you will no longer have to bear the disgrace.
19 See, at that time I will put an end to all who have been troubling you: I will give salvation to her whose steps are uncertain, and get together her who has been sent in flight; and I will make them a cause of praise and an honoured name in all the earth, when I let their fate be changed.
Look at what I am going to do! At that time I am going to deal with all those who have oppressed you. I will save those who are helpless and bring back those who were scattered, and I will turn their shame into praise, and all the world will respect them.
20 At that time I will make you come in, at that time I will get you together: for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth when I let your fate be changed before your eyes, says the Lord.
At that time I will bring you home, gathering you together. I will give you a good reputation, and you will be praised by all the peoples of the earth when I restore your status before your very eyes, says the Lord.
