Zephaniah 3

1 Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city!

Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city!

2 She hearkened not to any voice; she accepted no correction; in the Lord she did not trust; to her God she drew not near.

She obeyed not the voice. She received not correction. She trusted not in Jehovah. She did not draw near to her God.

3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions: her judges are evening wolves, they leave not a bone for the morning.

Her rulers in the midst of her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing till the morrow.

4 Her prophets are thoughtless men of treachery: her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Her prophets are airy and treacherous men. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.

5 The just Lord is in her midst, he will not do wrong; morning after morning doth he bring his justice to the light [of day], it never faileth; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous. He will not do iniquity. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He does not fail, but the unjust man knows no shame.

6 I have cut off nations; destroyed are their battlements; I have laid in ruins their streets, so that none passeth through; their cities are wasted, without a man, without an inhabitant.

I have cut off nations. Their battlements are desolate. I have made their streets waste, so that none passes by. Their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant.

7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt accept correction; so that her dwelling should not be cut off, all that I had decreed to bring over her; but they rose up early, they acted corruptly in all their doings.

I said, Only fear thou me. Receive correction, so her dwelling shall not be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her. But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.

8 Therefore wait but for me, saith the Lord, for the day that I rise up to the prey; for my judgment [cometh] to gather the nations, for me to assemble the kingdoms, to pour over them my indignation, all the fierceness of my anger; for through the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth be devoured.

Therefore wait ye for me, says Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey. For my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them my indignation, even all my fierce anger. For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

9 Yea then will I change unto the people a pure language, that they may all call on the name of the Lord, to serve him with one accord.

For then I will turn to the peoples of a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one consent.

10 From beyond the rivers of Cush shall they bring my suppliants, even the assembly of my dispersed, as an offering unto me.

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring my offering.

11 On that day shalt thou not be ashamed because of all thy doings, whereby thou hast transgressed against me; for then will I remove out of the midst of thee those that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt never more be haughty again on my holy mount.

In that day thou shall not be put to shame for all thy doings, in which thou have transgressed against me. For then I will take away out of the midst of thee those who rejoice in thy pride, and thou shall no more be haughty in my holy mountain.

12 And I will leave remaining in the midst of thee a humble and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

But I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the name of Jehovah.

13 The remnant of Israel shall not do injustice, nor speak lies; and there shall not be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue; for they shall feed and lie down, with none to make them afraid.

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 lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; rejoice and be glad with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Sing, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O Israel. Be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

15 The Lord hath removed thy punishment, he hath cleared away thy enemy: the king of Israel, the Lord, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more.

Jehovah has taken away thy judgments. He has cast out thine enemy. The King of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee. Thou shall not fear evil any more.

16 On that day shall it be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [to] Zion, Let not thy hands become weak.

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not, O Zion. Let not thy hands be slack.

17 The Lord thy God is in the midst of thee, the mighty one who will save; he will be glad over thee with rejoicing; he will be silent in his love, he will exult over thee with song.

Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over thee with joy. He will rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing.

18 Those that mourn far away from the festive assembly do I gather, those that were separated from thee, [that have borne] for thee the burden of reproach.

I will gather those who sorrow for the solemn assembly, who were of thee, to whom the burden upon her was a reproach.

19 Behold, I will deal [severely] with all that afflict thee at that time: and I will save her that halteth, and her that was driven off will I gather; and I will render them a praise and a famous name on all the earth where they have been put to shame.

Behold, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict thee. And I will save that which is lame, and gather that which was driven away, and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame has been in all the earth.

20 At that time will I bring you back, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you for a name and for a praise among all people of the earth, when I bring back again your captives before your eyes, saith the Lord.

At that time I will bring you in, and at that time I will gather you. For I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, says Jehovah.