Zephaniah 3
1 Alas for her that is rebellious, and polluted, the city that oppresseth!
Woe to the provocatrix and the redeemed city, the dove.
2 She hath hearkened to no voice, accepted no correction; in Yahweh, hath not trusted, to her God, hath not drawn near:
She has not heeded the voice, nor has she accepted discipline. She has not trusted in the Lord; she did not draw near to her God.
3 Her rulers in her midst, are roaring lions, —her judges, evening wolves, they have left nothing until morning!
Her leaders are in her midst like roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing for the morning.
4 Her prophets, are reckless, treacherous men! her priests, have profaned the holy, done violence to law.
Her prophets are crazed; men without faith. Her priests have polluted what is holy; they have acted unjustly against the law.
5 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.
The just Lord is in their midst; he will not do iniquity. In the morning, in the morning, he will bring his judgment into the light, and it will not be hidden. But the impious one has not known shame.
6 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!
I have dispersed the nations, and their towers have been torn down. I have made their ways deserts, until there were none who passed through. Their cities have become desolate, with no man remaining, nor any inhabitant.
7 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.
I said: Nevertheless, you will fear me; you will accept discipline. And her dwelling place will not perish, despite all the things about which I have visited her. Yet truly, they arose with the dawn and corrupted all their thoughts.
8 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.
Because of this, expect me, says the Lord, in the day of my resurrection in the future, for my judgment is to gather together the Gentiles, and to collect the kingdoms, and to pour out over them my indignation, all the fury of my anger. For by the fire of my zeal, all the earth will be devoured.
9 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.
For then I will restore to the people a chosen lip, so that all may invoke the name of the Lord and may serve him with one shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, [shall come] my suppliants, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bear along a gift for me.
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, my supplicants, the sons of my diaspora, will carry a gift to me.
11 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:
In that day, you will not be ashamed over all of your inventions, by which you have transgressed against me. For then I will take away from your midst your arrogant boasters, and you will no longer be exalted on my holy mountain.
12 So will I leave remaining in thy midst, a people oppressed and poor, —who will seek refuge in the name of Yahweh:
And I will bequeath into your midst a poor and needy people, and they will hope in the name of the Lord.
13 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.
The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth. For they will pasture and will recline, and there will be no one to strike them with terror.
14 Sing out, O daughter of Zion, shout aloud, O Israel, —rejoice and exult with all thy heart, O daughter Jerusalem:
Give praise, daughter of Zion. Shout joyfully, Israel. Rejoice and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem.
15 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.
The Lord has taken away your judgment; he has turned aside your foes. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall no longer fear evil.
16 In that day, shall it be said—to Jerusalem, Do not fear, —O Zion, Let not thy hands hang down:
In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, “Do not be afraid,” and to Zion, “Do not let your hands be weakened.”
17 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.
The Lord your God is the strength in your midst; he will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. In his love, he will be silent. He will exult over you with praise.
18 The sad exiles from the appointed meeting, have I gathered, from thee, had they been! [but were] a burden on thee—a reproach!
The triflers who withdrew from the law, I will gather together, because they were from you, so that you may no longer suffer disgrace over them.
19 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.
Behold, I will execute all who have afflicted you in that time, and I will save those who are lame, and I will gather together her who had been cast out. And I will place them in praise and in renown, in all the land where they had been put to shame,
20 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.
in that time, when I will lead to you, and in the time when I will gather for you. For I will deliver you into renown and into praise, among all the peoples of the earth, when I will have converted your captivity before your very eyes, says the Lord.
