1Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! (Jer 6:6)2She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God. (Jer 5:3; Zep 3:12)3Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning. (Eze 22:27; Mic 3:9; Hab 1:8)4Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law. (Jer 23:11; Eze 22:26; Ho 9:7)5The Lord within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame. (Jer 12:1; Zep 2:1)6“I have cut off nations; their battlements are in ruins; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate, without a man, without an inhabitant. (Zep 2:4; Zec 7:14; Zec 9:8)7I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your[1] dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’[2] But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. (Jer 36:3; Mic 7:3; Zep 3:2)8“Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. (Isa 8:17; Joe 3:2; Hab 2:3; Zep 1:18)
The Conversion of the Nations
9“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord. (Isa 19:18)10From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. (Ps 68:31; Isa 11:11; Isa 60:4; Zep 2:12)11“On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. (Isa 2:11; Isa 54:4; Jer 7:4; Mal 4:1; Mt 3:9)12But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, (Isa 14:32; Zep 3:2; Mt 5:3)13those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” (Isa 60:21; Mic 5:4; Zep 2:7; Re 14:5)
Israel’s Joy and Restoration
14Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! (Isa 12:6; Isa 54:1; Zec 2:10; Zec 9:9)15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. (Ps 46:5; Zec 2:10; Mt 27:42; Joh 1:49; Re 21:3)16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. (Isa 35:3; Zep 3:11; Heb 12:12)17The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Isa 62:5; Isa 63:1; Jer 32:41; Zep 3:15)18I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.[3] (La 1:4; La 2:6)19Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. (Isa 60:14; Isa 61:7; Jer 13:11; Jer 33:9; Mic 4:6)20At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord. (Isa 11:12; Jer 32:37; Eze 11:17; Zep 2:7)
Zephaniah 3
New International Version
Jerusalem
1Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!2She obeys no-one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God.3Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning.4Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.5The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.
Jerusalem remains unrepentant
6‘I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no-one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty.7Of Jerusalem I thought, “Surely you will fear me and accept correction!” Then her place of refuge[1] would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon[2] her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.8Therefore wait for me,’ declares the Lord, ‘for the day I will stand up to testify.[3] I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them – all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.
Restoration of Israel’s remnant
9‘Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.10From beyond the rivers of Cush[4] my worshippers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings.11On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill.12But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord.13They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no-one will make them afraid.’14Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!15The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.16On that day they will say to Jerusalem, ‘Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.17The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.’18‘I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you.19At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honour in every land where they have suffered shame.20At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honour and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes[5] before your very eyes,’ says the Lord.
Zephaniah 3
King James Version
1Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!2She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.3Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.4Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.5The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.6I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.7I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.8Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.9For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.10From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.11In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.12I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.13The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.14Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.15The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.16In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.17The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.18I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.19Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.20At that time will I bring you again , even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.
Zephaniah 3
New International Reader’s Version
A message about Jerusalem
1How terrible it will be for Jerusalem! Its people crush others. They refuse to obey the LORD. They are ‘unclean’.2They don’t obey anyone. They don’t accept the LORD’s warnings. They don’t trust in him. They don’t ask their God for his help.3Jerusalem’s officials are like roaring lions. Their rulers are like wolves that hunt in the evening. They don’t leave anything to eat in the morning.4Their prophets care about nothing. They can’t be trusted. Their priests make the temple ‘unclean’. They break the law they teach others to obey.5In spite of that, the LORD is good to Jerusalem. He never does anything that is wrong. Every morning he does what is fair. Each new day he does the right thing. But those who do what is wrong aren’t even ashamed of it.
Jerusalem remains unrepentant
6The LORD says to his people, ‘I have destroyed other nations. I have wiped out their forts. I have left their streets deserted. No one walks along them. Their cities are destroyed. They are deserted and empty.7Here is what I thought about Jerusalem. “Surely you will have respect for me. Surely you will accept my warning.” Then the city you think is safe would not be destroyed. And I would not have to punish you so much. But they still wanted to go on sinning in every way they could.8So wait for me to come as judge,’ announces the LORD. ‘Wait for the day I will stand up to witness against all sinners. I have decided to gather the nations. I will bring the kingdoms together. And I will pour out all my burning anger on them. The fire of my jealous anger will burn the whole world up.
Israel will trust in the Lord
9‘But then I will purify what all the nations say. And they will use their words to worship me. They will serve me together.10My scattered people will come to me from beyond the rivers of Cush. They will worship me. They will bring me offerings.11Jerusalem, you have done many wrong things to me. But at that time you will not be put to shame anymore. That’s because I will remove from this city those who think so highly of themselves. You will never be proud again on my holy mountain of Zion.12But inside your city I will leave those who are not proud at all. Those who are still left alive will trust in the LORD.13They will not do anything wrong. They will not tell any lies. They will not say anything to fool other people. They will eat and lie down in peace. And no one will make them afraid.’14People of Zion, sing! Israel, shout loudly! People of Jerusalem, be glad! Let your hearts be full of joy.15The LORD has stopped punishing you. He has made your enemies turn away from you. The LORD is the King of Israel. He is with you. You will never again be afraid that others will harm you.16The time is coming when people will say to Jerusalem, ‘Zion, don’t be afraid. Don’t give up.17The LORD your God is with you. He is the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you. In his love he will no longer punish you. Instead, he will sing for joy because of you.’18The LORD says to his people, ‘You used to celebrate my appointed feasts in Jerusalem. You are sad because you can’t do that anymore. Other people make fun of you because of that. That sadness was a heavy load for you to carry. But I will remove that load from you.19At that time I will punish all those who crushed you. I will save those among you who are disabled. I will gather those who have been taken away. I will give them praise and honour in every land where they have been put to shame.20At that time I will gather you together. And I will bring you home. I will give you honour and praise among all the nations on earth. I will bless you with great success again,’ says the LORD.