Zephaniah 3:1-13 ▼

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.

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.

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.”