Zephaniah 3 — Legacy Standard Bible

The Unjust Knows No Shame

3Woe to her who is ^arebellious and ^bdefiled,The oppressive ^ccity!²She ^adid not listen to any voice;She ^bdid not receive discipline.She did not ^ctrust in Yahweh;She did not ^ddraw near to her God.³Her ^aprinces in her midst are roaring lions;Her judges are ^bwolves at evening;They leave nothing to gnaw for the morning.⁴Her prophets are ^areckless, treacherous men;Her ^bpriests have profaned the sanctuary.They have done violence to the law.⁵Yahweh is ^arighteous ^bin her midst;He will ^cdo no injustice.^dEvery morning He brings His justice to light;¹He does not fail.But the unjust ^eknows no shame.⁶“I have cut off nations;Their corner towers are desolate.I have made their streets ^aa waste,With no one passing by;Their ^bcities are laid waste,Without a man, ^cwithout an inhabitant.⁷“I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me,^aReceive discipline.’So her abode will ^bnot be cut offAccording to all that I have appointed concerning her.But they were eager to ^ccorrupt all their deeds.

Yahweh Will Pour Out His Anger

⁸“Therefore ^await for Me,” declares Yahweh,“For the day when I rise up as a witness.Indeed, My judgment is to ^bassemble nations,To gather kingdoms,To pour out on them My indignation,All My burning anger;For ^call the earth will be devouredBy the fire of My zeal.⁹“For then I will change them to peoples with ^apurified lips,That all of them may ^bcall on the name of Yahweh,To serve Him ¹shoulder to shoulder.¹⁰“From beyond the rivers of ¹^,^aEthiopiaMy ²worshipers, ³My scattered ones,Will ^bbring My offerings.¹¹“In that day you will ^afeel no shameBecause of all your deedsBy which you have transgressed against Me;For then I will remove from your midstYour ^bproud, exulting ones,And you will never again be haughtyOn My ^choly mountain.¹²“But I will cause to remain in your midstA ¹^,^alowly and poor people,And they will ^btake refuge in the name of Yahweh.¹³“The ^aremnant of Israel will ^bdo no injusticeAnd ^cnot speak falsehood,Nor will a deceitful tongueBe found in their mouths;For they will ^dfeed and lie downWith no one to make them tremble.”

Yahweh’s Joy in Restoring Israel

¹⁴Sing for joy, O daughter of Zion!^aMake a loud shout, O Israel!Be glad and exult with all your heart,O daughter of Jerusalem!¹⁵Yahweh has taken away ^aHis judgments against you;He has cleared away your enemies.The King of Israel, Yahweh, is ^bin your midst;You will ^cfear evil no more.¹⁶^aIn that day it will be said to Jerusalem:“^bDo not fear, O Zion;^cDo not let your hands fall limp.¹⁷“Yahweh your God is ^ain your midst,A ^bmighty one who will save.He will ^cbe joyful over you with gladness;He will ¹be quiet in His love;He will rejoice over you with joyful singing.¹⁸“I will assemble those who ^agrieve about the appointed feasts—They were from you, O Zion;The reproach of exile is a burden on ¹them.¹⁹“Behold, I am going to deal at that timeWith all those who ^aafflict you,And I will save the ^blameAnd gather the banished,And I will turn them—in their ^cshame—into ^dpraise and a nameIn all the earth.²⁰“At that time I will ^abring you in,Even at the time when I gather you together;Indeed, I will give you to be a ^bname and praiseAmong all the peoples of the earth,When I ^crestore your fortunes before your eyes,”Says Yahweh.