Zephaniah 3

1 Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!

2 She heeded no voice; she accepted no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she has not drawn near to her God.

3 Her princes are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, leaving nothing for the morning.

4 Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.

5 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 “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 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 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 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 From beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, My scattered people, will bring Me an offering.

11 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 But I will leave within you a meek and humble people, and they will trust in the name of the LORD.

13 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 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 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 On that day they will say to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.

17 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 “I will gather those among you who grieve over the appointed feasts, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.

19 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 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,” says the LORD.

1 ¶ Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!

2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.

3 Her princes within her [are] roaring lions; her judges [are] evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

4 Her prophets [are] light [and] treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

5 The 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.

6 I 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.

7 I 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.

8 ¶ Therefore 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.

9 For 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.

10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, [even] the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

11 In 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.

12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

13 The 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.

14 ¶ Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

15 The 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.

16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

17 The 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.

18 I will gather [them that are] sorrowful for the solemn assembly, [who] are of thee, [to whom] the reproach of it [was] a burden.

19 Behold, 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.

20 At 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.

1 woe to the vile, foul, tyrannical city!

2 She will not obey, nor be disciplined; she will not trust in the LORD, nor cleave unto her God.

3 Their princes are lions roaring among them, and their judges are wolves in the evening, leaving nothing until the morning.

4 Their prophets are reckless and scornful. Their priests profane the sanctuary and interpret the law sacrilegiously.

5 But the LORD that is among them teacheth right, and doeth no evil. He teacheth all the mornings his statutes openly, and desisteth not: but the wicked men will not learn to be ashamed.

6 Therefore will I cut off these people, and will make their castles desolate, and will make their streets empty, that no man shall walk therein: and their cities shall be destroyed, and there shall be no man there.

7 And I said unto thee, Fear me, and be thou chastened; and their habitation shall not be cut off, neither shall it come to pass, that I may visit them. But they are diligent to do all manner of wickedness.

8 Therefore again, saith the LORD, ye also must wait upon me, until I arise in his day, when I also will judge, and gather the nations together, and bring the kingdoms in multitude, to pour out my wrath upon them, even all the wrath of my fury. For all the earth shall be consumed by the fire of my zeal.

9 Then will I preach otherwise unto the nations with kind lips, that they all may call upon the name of the LORD, and serve him with one accord.

10 They shall bring me my worshippers, even the scattered ones from beyond the waters of the land of the Moors, for a present.

11 In that day thou shalt no more be ashamed of all thy doings, because thou hast transgressed against me: for I will put away the proud saints from thee, and thou shalt no more exalt thyself because of my holy mountain.

12 I will leave in thee a poor and few people: they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

13 The remnant of Israel shall do no evil, nor speak falsely; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: but they shall feed and rest, without all fear.

14 Rejoice, O daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Rejoice and be glad with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

15 For the LORD hath taken away thy punishment, and hath turned away thine enemies. The LORD king of Israel is with thee, that thou shalt fear no evil.

16 And it shall be said in that day unto Jerusalem, Fear not: and unto Zion, Let not thine hands be loosed.

17 For the LORD thy God is with thee, a strong Saviour: he will rejoice over thee, and be kind unto thee, and forgive thee, and will be glad over thee with sound.

18 I will remove them that were oppressed with statutes, and they shall come out of thee, whose statutes were their burden, whereof they were reproached.

19 Behold, I will deal with all them that offend thee in that day; and I will help the limping, and gather the outcast; and I will make them to be praised and honoured in all countries where they are despised.

20 In that day will I bring you in, and gather you together in that day. For I will make you to be praised and honoured among all the nations of the earth, when I shall turn away your prison from before your eyes, saith the LORD.