Zephaniah 3

1 Woe to the provoking, and redeemed city, the dove.

Woe to the rebellious and unclean city of oppression,

2 She hath not hearkened to the voice, neither hath she received discipline: she hath not trusted in the Lord, she drew not 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 princes are in the midst of her as roaring lions: her judges are evening wolves, they left 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 senseless men without faith: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, 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 the midst thereof, he will not do iniquity: in the morning, in the morning he will bring his judgment to light, and it shall not be hid: but the wicked man hath 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 destroyed the nations, and their towers are beaten down: I have made their ways desert, so that there is none that passeth by: their cities are desolate, there is not a 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: Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive correction: and her dwelling shall not perish, for all things wherein I have visited her: but they rose early 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 Wherefore expect me, saith the Lord, in the day of my resurrection that is to come, for my judgment is to assemble the Gentiles, and to gather the kingdoms: and to pour upon them my indignation, all my fierce anger: for with the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth 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 Because then I will restore to the people a chosen lip, that all may call upon 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, shall my suppliants the children of my dispersed people bring me an offering.

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

11 In that day thou shalt not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee thy proud boasters, and thou shalt no more be lifted up because of 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 leave in the midst of thee a poor and needy people: and they shall 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 shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed, and shall lie down, and there shall be none to make them afraid.

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, O daughter of Sion: shout, O Israel: be glad, and rejoice with all thy heart, O 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 hath taken away thy judgment, he hath turned away thy enemies: the king of Israel the Lord is in the midst of thee, thou shalt fear evil no more.

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 shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not: to Sion: Let not thy hands be weakened.

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

17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, he will save: he will rejoice over thee with gladness, he will be silent in his love, he will be joyful over thee in 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 that were departed from the law, I will gather together, because they were of thee: that thou mayest no more suffer reproach for 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 cut off all that have afflicted thee at that time: and I will save her that halteth, and will gather her that was cast out: and I will get them praise, and a name, in all the land where they had been put to confusion.

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 At that time, when I will bring you: and at the time that I will gather you: for I will give you a name, and praise among all the people of the earth, when I shall have brought back your captivity before your eyes, saith 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.