Zephaniah 3

1 Woe [to] the rebellious and polluted, The oppressing city!

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

2 She hath not hearkened to the voice, She hath not accepted instruction, In Jehovah she hath not trusted, Unto her God she hath not drawn near.

She did not obey the voice. She did not receive correction. She did not trust in the LORD. She did not draw near to her God.

3 Her heads in her midst [are] roaring lions, Her judges [are] evening wolves, They have not gnawn the bone in the morning.

Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day.

4 Her prophets unstable — men of treachery, Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have violated the law.

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

5 Jehovah [is] righteous in her midst, He doth not do perverseness, Morning by morning His judgment he giveth to the light, It hath not been lacking, And the perverse doth not know shame.

The LORD, in the midst of her, is righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He doesn't fail, but the unjust know no shame.

6 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.

I have cut off nations. Their battlements are desolate. I have made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant.

7 I have said: Only, ye do fear Me, Ye do 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.

I said, "Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won't be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her." But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.

8 Therefore, wait for Me — an affirmation of Jehovah, For the day of My rising for prey, For My judgment [is] to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them Mine indignation, All the heat of Mine anger, For by the fire of My jealousy consumed is all the earth.

"Therefore wait for me," says the LORD, "until the day that I rise up as a witness. For my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger. For all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

9 For then do I turn unto peoples a pure lip, To call all of them by the name of Jehovah, To serve Him [with] one shoulder.

For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the name of the LORD, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.

10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, my supplicants, The daughter of My scattered ones, Do bring My present.

From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering.

11 In that day thou art not ashamed because of any of thine actions, Wherewith thou hast transgressed against Me, For then do I turn aside from thy midst The exulting ones of thine excellency, And thou dost add no more to be haughty, In My holy mountain.

In that day you will not be disappointed for all your doings, in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be haughty in my holy mountain.

12 And I have left in thy midst a people humble and poor, And they have trusted in the name of Jehovah.

But I will leave in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in the name of the LORD.

13 The remnant of Israel do no perversity, nor speak lies, Nor found in their mouth is a deceitful tongue, For they have delight, and have lain down, And there is none troubling.

The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid."

14 Cry aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, Rejoice and exult with the whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

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

15 Jehovah hath turned aside thy judgments, He hath faced thine enemy, The king of Israel, Jehovah, [is] in thy midst, Thou seest evil no more.

The LORD has taken away your judgments. He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in the midst of you. You will not be afraid of evil any more.

16 In that day it is said to Jerusalem, 'Fear not, O Zion, let not thy hands be feeble.

In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, "Do not be afraid, Zion. Do not let your hands be weak."

17 Jehovah thy God [is] in thy midst, A mighty one doth save, He rejoiceth over thee with joy, He doth work in His love, He joyeth over thee with singing.'

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.

18 Mine afflicted from the appointed place I have gathered, from thee they have been, Bearing for her sake reproach.

I will remove those who grieve about the appointed feasts from you. They are a burden and a reproach to you.

19 Lo, I am dealing with all afflicting thee at that time, And I have saved the halting one, And the driven out ones I do gather, And have set them for a praise and for a name, In all the land of their shame.

Look, at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you, and I will save those who are lame, and gather those who were driven away. I will give them praise and honor, whose shame has been in all the earth.

20 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 Jehovah!

At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.