Zephaniah 3

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

Woe to the rebellious and unclean city of oppression,

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 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 in her midst are roaring lions: her judges are evening wolves, they leave not a bone 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 thoughtless men of treachery: her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to 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 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.

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 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 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 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: “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 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.

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

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

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.

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 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 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 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.

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 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; rejoice and be glad 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 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.

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

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

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.