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The Prophet Zephaniah

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 3 -

1
Woe [to] the rebelling and defiling, || The oppressing city!
2
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 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 unstable—men of treachery, || Her priests have defiled the sanctuary, || They have violated the Law.
5
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.

Purification of the Nations

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.
7
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,” || 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.

A Faithful Remnant

9
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 rivers of Cush, My supplicants, || The daughter of My scattered ones, || Bring My present.
11
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
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 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.”

Israel’s Restoration

14
Cry aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, || Rejoice and exult with the whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15
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 it is said to Jerusalem, || “Do not fear, O Zion, || Do not let your hands be feeble.
17
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 have gathered My afflicted from the appointed place, || They have been bearing reproach from you for her sake.
19
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 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!
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1
Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city!
2
She didn’t obey the voice. She didn’t receive correction. She didn’t trust in the LORD. She didn’t draw near to her God.
3
Her princes within her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day.
4
Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.
5
The LORD, within 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.

Purification of the Nations

6
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 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”, says 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 on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

A Faithful Remnant

9
For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the LORD’s name, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.
10
From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshipers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering.
11
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 from among you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be arrogant in my holy mountain.
12
But I will leave among you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in the LORD’s name.
13
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.”

Israel’s Restoration

14
Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem.
15
The LORD has taken away your judgments. He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is among you. You will not be afraid of evil any more.
16
In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, “Don’t be afraid, Zion. Don’t let your hands be weak.”
17
The LORD, your God, is among you, 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
I will remove those who grieve about the appointed feasts from you. They are a burden and a reproach to you.
19
Behold,(a) 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 will bring you in, and at that time I will 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.

Footnotes

(a)3:19 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
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