Zephaniah 3
1 Woe to the rebellious city! The violent city is defiled.
Woe [to] the rebelling and defiling, The oppressing city!
2 She has not listened to the voice of God, nor accepted correction from Yahweh. She does not trust in Yahweh and will not approach her God.
She has not listened to the voice, She has not accepted instruction, In YHWH she has not trusted, She has not drawn near to her God.
3 Her princes are roaring lions in her midst. Her judges are evening wolves who leave nothing to be gnawed upon in the morning.
Her heads in her midst [are] roaring lions, Her judges [are] wolves [as in] evening, They have not gnawn the bone in the morning.
4 Her prophets are insolent and treasonous men. Her priests have profaned what is holy and have done violence to the law.
Her prophets unstable—men of treachery, Her priests have defiled the sanctuary, They have violated the Law.
5 Yahweh is righteous in her midst. He can do no wrong. Morning by morning he will dispense his justice! It will not be hidden in the light, yet unrighteous people know no shame.
YHWH [is] righteous in her midst, He does not do perverseness, Morning by morning His judgment He gives to the light, It has not been lacking, And the perverse do not know shame.
6 “I have destroyed nations; their fortresses are ruined. I have made their streets ruins, so that no one passes over them. Their cities are destroyed so that there is no man inhabiting them.
“I have cut off nations, Desolated have been their chief ones, I have laid waste their out-places without any passing by, Destroyed have been their cities, Without man, without inhabitant.
7 I said, 'Surely you will fear me. Accept correction and do not be cut off from your homes by all that I have planned to do to you.' But they were eager to begin each morning by corrupting all their deeds.
I have said: Only, you fear Me, You accept instruction, And her habitation is not cut off, All that I have appointed for her, But they have risen early, They have corrupted all their doings.
8 Therefore wait for me—this is Yahweh's declaration—until the day that I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms, to pour out on them my anger—all of my burning wrath; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth will be consumed.
Therefore, wait for Me,” A declaration of YHWH, “For the day of My rising for prey, For My judgment [is] to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignation, All the heat of My anger, For by the fire of My jealousy all the earth is consumed.
9 But then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call upon the name of Yahweh to serve him shoulder to shoulder.
For then I turn a pure lip to peoples, To call all of them by the Name of YHWH, To serve Him [with] one shoulder.
10 From beyond the river of Cush my worshipers—my scattered people—will bring offerings due me.
From beyond the rivers of Cush, My supplicants, The daughter of My scattered ones, Bring My present.
11 In that day you will not be put to shame for all your deeds that you committed against me, since at that time I will remove from among you those who celebrated your pride, and because you will no longer act arrogantly on my holy mountain.
In that day you are not ashamed because of any of your actions, With which you have transgressed against Me, For then I turn aside from your midst The exulting ones of your excellence, And you are to be haughty no longer, In My holy mountain.
12 But I will leave among you a lowly and poor people, and they will find refuge in the name of Yahweh.
And I have left in your midst a people humble and poor, And they have trusted in the Name of YHWH.
13 The remnant of Israel will no longer commit injustice or speak lies, and no deceitful tongue will be found in their mouth; so they will graze and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”
The remnant of Israel does no perversity, nor speaks lies, Nor is a deceitful tongue found in their mouth, For they have delight, and have lain down, And there is none troubling.”
14 Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel. Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem.
Cry aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, Rejoice and exult with the whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15 Yahweh has taken away your punishment; he has driven out your enemies! Yahweh is the king of Israel among you. You will never again fear evil!
YHWH has turned aside your judgments, He has faced your enemy, The King of Israel, YHWH, [is] in your midst, You see evil no more.
16 In that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion. Do not let your hands falter.
In that day it is said to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion, Do not let your hands be feeble.
17 Yahweh your God is among you, a mighty one to save you. He will celebrate over you with joy; he will be silent over you in his love; he will be glad over you with a shout for joy.
Your God YHWH [is] in your midst, A mighty one [to] save, He rejoices over you with joy, He works in His love, He delights over you with singing.”
18 I will gather those who grieve, those who cannot attend the appointed feasts, so you will no longer bear any shame for it.
“I have gathered My afflicted from the appointed place, They have been bearing reproach from you for her sake.
19 Behold, I am about to deal with all your oppressors. At that time, I will rescue the lame and gather up the outcast. I will make them as praise, and I will change their shame into renown in all the earth.
Behold, I am dealing with all afflicting you at that time, And I have saved the halting one, And I gather the ones driven out, And have set them for a praise and for a name, In all the land of their shame.
20 At that time I will lead you; at that time I will gather you together. I will make all the nations of the earth respect and praise you, when you see that I restored you,” says Yahweh.
At that time I bring you in, Even at the time of My assembling you, For I give you for a name, and for a praise, Among all peoples of the land, In My turning back [to] your captivity before your eyes,” said YHWH!
