Zephaniah 3 Parallel Bible Translations

Zephaniah 3 ▼
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1 The filthy, stained city is as good as dead; the city filled with oppressors is finished! Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city! Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!
2 She is disobedient; she refuses correction. She does not trust the LORD; she does not seek the advice of her God. She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God. She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God.
3 Her princes are as fierce as roaring lions; her rulers are as hungry as wolves in the desert, who completely devour their prey by morning. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning.
4 Her prophets are proud; they are deceitful men. Her priests defile what is holy; they break God's laws. Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law. Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law.
5 The just LORD resides within her; he commits no unjust acts. Every morning he reveals his justice. At dawn he appears without fail. Yet the unjust know no shame. The 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. The 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.
6 |I destroyed nations; their walled cities are in ruins. I turned their streets into ruins; no one passes through them. Their cities are desolate; no one lives there. “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. “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.
7 I thought, 'Certainly you will respect me! Now you will accept correction!' If she had done so, her home would not be destroyed by all the punishments I have threatened. But they eagerly sinned in everything they did. I said, ‘Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.’ But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did.
8 Therefore you must wait patiently for me,| says the LORD, |for the day when I attack and take plunder. I have decided to gather nations together and assemble kingdoms, so I can pour out my fury on them--all my raging anger. For the whole earth will be consumed by my fiery anger. “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. Therefore wait for me,” declares the LORD, “for the day I will stand up to testify. 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.
9 Know for sure that I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. All of them will invoke the LORD's name when they pray, and will worship him in unison. “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. “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.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, those who pray to me will bring me tribute. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings.
11 In that day you will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill. “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. On 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.
12 I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people, and they will find safety in the LORD's presence. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the LORD.
13 The Israelites who remain will not act deceitfully. They will not lie, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth. Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep and lie down; no one will terrify them.| those 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.” They 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.”
14 Shout for joy, Daughter Zion! Shout out, Israel! Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has removed the judgment against you; he has turned back your enemy. Israel's king, the LORD, is in your midst! You no longer need to fear disaster. The 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. The 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.
16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, |Don't be afraid, Zion! Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic! On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The LORD your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you; he renews you by his love; he shouts for joy over you.| The 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. The 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 |As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals--I took them away from you; they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you.
19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you. I will rescue the lame sheep and gather together the scattered sheep. I will take away their humiliation and make the whole earth admire and respect them. Behold, 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. At 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 honor in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will lead you--at the time I gather you together. Be sure of this! I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you when you see me restore you,| says the LORD. At 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. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD.
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