Zephaniah 3:1-13

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

³ The officials within it
    are roaring lions;
its judges are evening wolves
    that leave nothing until the morning.^(C)
4 Its prophets are reckless,
    faithless persons;
its priests have profaned what is sacred;
    they have done violence to the law.^(D)
5 The Lord within it is righteous;
    he does no wrong.
Every morning he renders his judgment,
    each dawn without fail,
    but the unjust knows no shame.^(E)

⁶ 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 people, without inhabitants.^(F)
7 I said, “Surely the city^[a] will fear me;
    it will accept correction;
it will not lose sight^[b]
    of all that I have brought upon it.”
But they were the more eager
    to make all their deeds corrupt.^(G)

⁹ At that time I will change the speech of the peoples
    to a pure speech,
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
    and serve him with one accord.^(I)
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
    my suppliants, my scattered ones,
    shall bring my offering.^(J)

¹¹ On that day you shall not be put to shame
    because of all 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.^(K)
12 For I will leave in the midst of you
    a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord—^(L)
13     the remnant of Israel;
they shall do no wrong
    and utter no lies,
nor shall a deceitful tongue
    be found in their mouths.
Then they will pasture and lie down,
    and no one shall make them afraid.^(M)