Zephaniah 3:1-13

New Living Translation

Jerusalem’s Rebellion and Redemption

3 What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem,
    the city of violence and crime!
²No one can tell it anything;
    it refuses all correction.
It does not trust in the Lord
    or draw near to its God.
³Its leaders are like roaring lions
    hunting for their victims.
Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time,
    who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.
⁴Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain.
    Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.
⁵But the Lord is still there in the city,
    and he does no wrong.
Day by day he hands down justice,
    and he does not fail.
    But the wicked know no shame.

⁶“I have wiped out many nations,
    devastating their fortress walls and towers.
Their streets are now deserted;
    their cities lie in silent ruin.
There are no survivors—
    none at all.
⁷I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now!
    Surely they will listen to my warnings.
Then I won’t need to strike again,
    destroying their homes.’
But no, they get up early
    to continue their evil deeds.
⁸Therefore, be patient,” says the Lord.
    “Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations.
For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth
    and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them.
All the earth will be devoured
    by the fire of my jealousy.

⁹“Then I will purify the speech of all people,
    so that everyone can worship the Lord together.
¹⁰My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia^[a]
    will come to present their offerings.
¹¹On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed,
    for you will no longer be rebels against me.
I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you.
    There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain.
¹²Those who are left will be the lowly and humble,
    for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.
¹³The remnant of Israel will do no wrong;
    they will never tell lies or deceive one another.
They will eat and sleep in safety,
    and no one will make them afraid.”