Zephaniah 3
1 Wo! thou citee, terrere to wraththe, and bouyt ayen a culuer.
Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!
2 It herde not the vois of the Lord, and resseyuede not techyng, ether chastisyng; it tristenyde not in the Lord, it neiyide not to her God.
She heeded no voice; she accepted no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she has not drawn near to her God.
3 Princes therof in myddil therof weren as liouns rorynge; iugis therof weren wolues, in the euentid thei leften not in to morewe.
Her princes are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, leaving nothing for the morning.
4 Profetis therof weren woode, vnfeithful men; prestis therof defouliden hooli thing, thei diden vniustli ayens the lawe.
Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.
5 The Lord iust in the myddil therof, schal not do wickidnesse; erli, erli he schal yyue his dom in liyt, and it schal not be hid; forsothe the wickid puple knew not confusioun.
The LORD within her is righteous; He does no wrong. He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the unjust know no shame.
6 Y loste folkis, and the corneris of hem ben distried; Y made the weies of hem desert, while there is not that schal passe. The citees of hem ben desolat, for a man is not left, nether ony dwellere.
“I have cut off the nations; their corner towers are destroyed. I have made their streets deserted with no one to pass through. Their cities are laid waste, with no man, no inhabitant.
7 Y seide, Netheles thou schalt drede me, thou schalt resseyue techyng; and the dwellyng place therof schal not perische, for alle thingis in whiche Y visitide it; netheles ful eerli thei risynge han corrupt alle her thouytis.
I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me and accept correction.’ Then her dwelling place would not be cut off despite all for which I punished her. But they rose early to corrupt all their deeds.
8 Wherfor abide thou me, seith the Lord, in the dai of my rysyng ayen in to comynge. For my doom is, that Y gadere folkis, and Y schal gadere rewmes; and Y schal schede out on hem myn indignacioun, and al wraththe of my strong veniaunce; for in fier of my feruour al erthe schal be deuourid.
Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation— all My burning anger. For all the earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy.
9 For thanne Y schal yelde to puplis a chosun lippe, that alle clepe inwardli in the name of the Lord, and serue to hym with o schuldre.
For then I will restore pure lips to the peoples, that all may call upon the name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
10 Ouer the floodis of Ethiopie, fro thens my bisecheris, the sones of my scaterid men, schulen brynge yifte to me.
From beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, My scattered people, will bring Me an offering.
11 In that day thou schalt not be confoundid on alle thi fyndyngis, in whiche thou trespassidist ayens me; for thanne Y schal take awei fro the myddil of thee grete spekeris of thi pride, and thou schalt no more put to, for to be enhaunsid in myn hooli hil.
On that day you will not be put to shame for any of the deeds by which you have transgressed against Me. For then I will remove from among you those who rejoice in their pride, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.
12 And Y schal leeue in the myddil of thee a pore puple and nedi; and thei schulen hope in the name of the Lord.
But I will leave within you a meek and humble people, and they will trust in the name of the LORD.
13 The relifs of Israel schulen not do wickidnesse, nether schulen speke leesyng, and a gileful tunge schal not be foundun in the mouth of hem; for thei schulen be fed, and schulen reste, and ther schal not be that schal make aferd.
The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or speak lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. But they will feed and lie down, with no one to make them tremble.”
14 These thingis seith the Lord, Douyter of Sion, herie thou hertli, synge thou, Israel; be thou glad, and make thou ioie withoutforth in al thin herte, thou douyter of Jerusalem.
Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord hath take a wei thi dom, hath turned a wey thin enemyes; the kyng of Israel the Lord is in myddil of thee, thou schalt no more drede yuel.
The LORD has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you; no longer will you fear any harm.
16 In that dai it schal be seid, Jerusalem, nyle thou drede; Sion, thin hondis be not clumsid.
On that day they will say to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.
17 Thi Lord God is strong in the myddil of thee, he schal saue; he schal make ioie on thee in gladnesse, he schal be stille in thi louyng, he schal make ioie withoutforth on thee in heriyng.
The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 Y schal gadere the foolis, ether veyn men, that wenten awei fro the lawe, for thei weren of thee, that thou haue no more schenschipe on hem.
“I will gather those among you who grieve over the appointed feasts, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
19 Lo! Y schal sle alle men that turmentiden thee in that tyme, and Y schal saue him that haltith, and Y schal gadere hir that was cast out; and Y schal putte hem in to heriyng, and in to name in ech lond of confusioun of hem, in that tyme in which Y schal brynge you,
Behold, at that time, I will deal with all who afflict you. I will save the lame and gather the scattered; and I will appoint praise and fame for the disgraced throughout the earth.
20 and in the tyme in which Y schal gadre you. For Y schal yyue you in to name, and in to heriyng to alle puplis of erthe, whanne Y schal conuerte youre caitifte bifore youre iyen, seith the Lord.
At that time I will bring you in; yes, at that time I will gather you. For I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your captives before your very eyes,”
