Zephaniah 3

1 Woe to her that is filthie and polluted, to the robbing citie.

Sorrow to her who is uncontrolled and unclean, the cruel town!

2 She heard not the voyce: she receiued not correction: she trusted not in the Lord: she drew not neere to her God.

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.

3 Her princes within her are as roaring lyons: her iudges are as wolues in the euening, which leaue not the bones till the morow.

Her rulers are like loud-voiced lions in her; her judges are wolves of the evening, crushing up the bones before the morning.

4 Her prophets are light, and wicked persons: her priests haue polluted the Sanctuarie: they haue wrested the Lawe.

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.

5 The iust Lord is in the middes thereof: he will doe none iniquitie: euery morning doeth hee bring his iudgement to light, he faileth not: but the wicked will not learne to be ashamed.

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.

6 I haue cut off the nations: their towres are desolate: I haue made their streetes waste, that none shall passe by: their cities are destroyed without man and without inhabitant.

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.

7 I said, Surely thou wilt feare me: thou wilt receiue instruction: so their dwelling shoulde not be destroyed howsoeuer I visited them, but they rose earely and corrupted all their workes.

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.

8 Therefore wait ye vpon me, saith the Lord, vntill the day that I rise vp to the praye: for I am determined to gather the nations, and that I will assemble the kingdomes to powre vpon them mine indignation, euen all my fierce wrath: for all the earth shall be deuoured with the fire of my ielousie.

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.

9 Surely then will I turne to the people a pure language, that they may all call vpon the Name of the Lord, to serue him with one cosent.

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.

10 From beyonde the riuers of Ethiopia, the daughter of my dispersed, praying vnto me, shall bring me an offering.

From over the rivers of Ethiopia, and from the sides of the north, they will come to me with an offering.

11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy workes, wherein thou hast transgressed against mee: for then I will take away out of the middes of thee them that reioyce of thy pride, and thou shalt no more be proude of mine holy Mountaine.

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.

12 Then will I leaue in the middes of thee an humble and poore people: and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord.

But I will still have among you a quiet and poor people, and they will put their faith in the name of the Lord.

13 The remnant of Israel shall do none iniquitie, nor speake lies: neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shalbe fed, and lie downe, and none shall make them afraide.

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.

14 Reioyce, O daughter Zion: be ye ioyfull, O Israel: be glad and reioyce with all thine heart, O daughter Ierusalem.

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.

15 The Lord hath taken away thy iudgements: hee hath cast out thine enemie: the King of Israel, euen the Lord is in the middes of thee: thou shalt see no more euill.

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.

16 In that day it shalbe said to Ierusalem, Feare thou not, O Zion: let not thine handes be faint.

In that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Have no fear: O Zion, let not your hands be feeble.

17 The Lord thy God in the middes of thee is mightie: hee will saue, hee will reioyce ouer thee with ioye: he will quiet himselfe in his loue: he will reioyce ouer thee with ioy.

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.

18 After a certaine time will I gather the afflicted that were of thee, and them that bare the reproch for it.

I will take away your troubles, lifting up your shame from off you.

19 Beholde, at that time I will bruise all that afflict thee, and I will saue her that halteth, and gather her that was cast out, and I will get them praise and fame in all the landes of their shame.

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.

20 At that time wil I bring you againe, and then wil I gather you: for I wil giue you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turne backe your captiuitie before your eyes, saith the Lord.

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.