Zephaniah 3
1 Woe to the provocatrix and the redeemed city, the dove.
Woe to the rebellious and unclean city of oppression,
2 She has not heeded the voice, nor has she accepted discipline. She has not trusted in the Lord; she did not draw near to her God.
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.
3 Her leaders are in her midst like roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing for the morning.
Her rulers in her midst are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves, who leave nothing over until the morning,
4 Her prophets are crazed; men without faith. Her priests have polluted what is holy; they have acted unjustly against the law.
Her prophets are braggarts, faithless men. Her priests profane what is holy and do violence to the law.
5 The just Lord is in their midst; he will not do iniquity. In the morning, in the morning, he will bring his judgment into the light, and it will not be hidden. But the impious one has not known shame.
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.
6 I have dispersed the nations, and their towers have been torn down. I have made their ways deserts, until there were none who passed through. Their cities have become desolate, with no man remaining, nor any inhabitant.
“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.”
7 I said: Nevertheless, you will fear me; you will accept discipline. And her dwelling place will not perish, despite all the things about which I have visited her. Yet truly, they arose with the dawn and corrupted all their thoughts.
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.”
8 Because of this, expect me, says the Lord, in the day of my resurrection in the future, for my judgment is to gather together the Gentiles, and to collect the kingdoms, and to pour out over them my indignation, all the fury of my anger. For by the fire of my zeal, all the earth will be devoured.
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.
9 For then I will restore to the people a chosen lip, so that all may invoke the name of the Lord and may serve him with one shoulder.
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.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my supplicants, the sons of my diaspora, will carry a gift to me.
From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers will bring me offerings.
11 In that day, you will not be ashamed over all of your inventions, by which you have transgressed against me. For then I will take away from your midst your arrogant boasters, and you will no longer be exalted on my holy mountain.
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.
12 And I will bequeath into your midst a poor and needy people, and they will hope in the name of the Lord.
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.
13 The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth. For they will pasture and will recline, and there will be no one to strike them with terror.
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.
14 Give praise, daughter of Zion. Shout joyfully, Israel. Rejoice and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem.
Cry out with joy, daughter of Zion, shout aloud, Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem.
15 The Lord has taken away your judgment; he has turned aside your foes. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall no longer fear evil.
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.
16 In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, “Do not be afraid,” and to Zion, “Do not let your hands be weakened.”
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: Fear not! Zion, let not your hands grow weak!
17 The Lord your God is the strength in your midst; he will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. In his love, he will be silent. He will exult over you with praise.
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,
18 The triflers who withdrew from the law, I will gather together, because they were from you, so that you may no longer suffer disgrace over them.
as on a day of festival. I will take away from you your disgrace, and put away from you your reproach.
19 Behold, I will execute all who have afflicted you in that time, and I will save those who are lame, and I will gather together her who had been cast out. And I will place them in praise and in renown, in all the land where they had been put to shame,
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.
20 in that time, when I will lead to you, and in the time when I will gather for you. For I will deliver you into renown and into praise, among all the peoples of the earth, when I will have converted your captivity before your very eyes, says the Lord.
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.
