Zephaniah 3
1 Woe to the provoking, and redeemed city, the dove.
Alas for her that is rebellious, and polluted, the city that oppresseth!
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 hath hearkened to no voice, accepted no correction; in Yahweh, hath not trusted, to her God, hath 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, evening wolves, they have left nothing until 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 reckless, treacherous men! her priests, have profaned the holy, done violence to 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.
Yahweh, the Righteous One, is in her midst, he dealeth not perversely, —Morning by morning, his justice, bringeth he forth the light, He is not found lacking, but the perverse man knoweth 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, deserted are their towers, have made desolate their streets, that none passeth through; ruined are their cities, for want of men of note, from lack of any dweller!
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 thou wilt reverence, Me, wilt accept correction, lest her abode, should be cut of, howsoever I had punished her; but, in truth, they soon corrupted all their deeds.
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.
Wherefore, wait for me, urgeth Yahweh, until the day when I rise up as witness, for, my decision, is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them mine indignation, all the glow of mine anger, for, in the fire of my jealousy, shall be devoured the whole earth.
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.
Surely, then, will I turn unto the peoples a lip made pure, —that they all may call on the name of Yahweh, may serve him with one consent.
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 Ethiopia, [shall come] my suppliants, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bear along a gift for me.
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.
In that day, wilt thou not turn pale for all thy deeds, wherein thou hast transgressed against me? For, then, will I take away out of thy midst thy proudly exulting ones, and thou shalt not again be haughty any more in 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.
So will I leave remaining in thy midst, a people oppressed and poor, —who will seek refuge in the name of Yahweh:
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.
The remnant of Israel—will not do perversity, nor speak falsehood, neither shall there be found in their mouth a tongue of deceit, —surely, they, shall feed and lie down, with none to 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.
Sing out, O daughter of Zion, shout aloud, O Israel, —rejoice and exult with all thy heart, O daughter 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.
Yahweh, hath set aside, thy judgments, hath turned back thy foe, —The king of Israel, Yahweh, is in thy midst, thou shalt not fear calamity, any more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not: to Sion: Let not thy hands be weakened.
In that day, shall it be said—to Jerusalem, Do not fear, —O Zion, Let not thy hands hang down:
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.
Yahweh, thy God, in the midst of thee, as a mighty one, will save, —will be glad over thee with rejoicing, will be silent in his love, will exult over thee with shouts of triumph.
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.
The sad exiles from the appointed meeting, have I gathered, from thee, had they been! [but were] a burden on thee—a 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.
Behold me! dealing with all thine oppressors, at that time, —and I will save her that is lame, and, her that hath been an outcast, will I carry, and I will make them to be a Praise and a Name, in the whole earth that hath witnessed their shame.
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.
At that time, will I bring you in, even at the time when I gather you, —Yea I will grant you to become a Name and a Praise, among all the peoples of the earth, when I cause them of your captivities to return before your eyes, saith Yahweh.
