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Zephaniah 2-3
Christian Standard Bible
Zephaniah 2-3
Christian Standard Bible
A Call to Repentance
2 Gather yourselves together;
gather together, undesirable[a] nation,
2 before the decree(A) takes effect
and the day passes like chaff,
before the burning of the Lord’s anger(B) overtakes you,
before the day of the Lord’s anger overtakes you.(C)
3 Seek the Lord,(D) all you humble(E) of the earth,
who carry out what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be concealed(F)
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
Judgment against the Nations
4 For Gaza will be abandoned,
and Ashkelon will become a ruin.
Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
and Ekron will be uprooted.(G)
5 Woe, inhabitants of the seacoast,
nation of the Cherethites
The word of the Lord is against you,(I)
Canaan, land of the Philistines:
I will destroy you until there is no one left.(J)
6 The seacoast will become pasturelands
with caves for shepherds and pens for sheep.
7 The coastland will belong
to the remnant of the house of Judah;
they will find pasture there.
They will lie down in the evening
among the houses of Ashkelon,
for the Lord their God will return to them
and restore their fortunes.(K)
8 I have heard the taunting(L) of Moab
and the insults of the Ammonites,(M)
who have taunted my people
and threatened their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live—
this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel—
Moab will be like Sodom(N)
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah:(O)
a place overgrown with weeds,
a salt pit, and a perpetual wasteland.
The remnant of my people will plunder them;
the remainder of my nation will dispossess them.
10 This is what they get for their pride,
because they have taunted and acted arrogantly(P)
against the people of the Lord of Armies.
11 The Lord will be terrifying to them
when he starves all the gods of the earth.
Then all the distant coasts and islands of the nations
will bow in worship to him,
each in its own place.
12 You Cushites will also be slain by my sword.(Q)
13 He will also stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria;
he will make Nineveh a desolate ruin,(R)
dry as the desert.
14 Herds will lie down in the middle of it,
every kind of wild animal.[c]
Both eagle owls[d] and herons[e]
will roost in the capitals of its pillars.
Their calls will sound[f] from the window,
but devastation[g] will be on the threshold,
for he will expose the cedar work.[h]
15 This is the jubilant(S) city
that lives in security,
that says to herself:
I exist, and there is no one else.
What a desolation she has become,
a place for wild animals to lie down!
Everyone who passes by her
scoffs[i] and shakes his fist.
Woe to Oppressive Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city that is rebellious[j](T) and defiled,(U)
the oppressive city!
2 She has not obeyed;(V)
she has not accepted discipline.(W)
She has not trusted(X) in the Lord;
she has not drawn near to her God.
3 The[k] princes within her are roaring lions;(Y)
her judges are wolves of the night,(Z)
which leave nothing for[l] the morning.
4 Her prophets are reckless(AA)—
treacherous men.
Her priests profane the sanctuary;
they do violence to instruction.(AB)
5 The righteous Lord is in her;(AC)
he does no wrong.(AD)
He applies his justice morning by morning;
he does not fail at dawn,
yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.(AE)
6 I have cut off nations;
their corner towers(AF) are destroyed.
I have laid waste their streets,
with no one to pass through.
Their cities lie devastated,
without a person, without an inhabitant.(AG)
7 I said: You will certainly fear me
and accept correction.
Then her dwelling place[m]
would not be cut off
based on all that I had allocated to her.
However, they became more corrupt
in all their actions.
8 Therefore, wait for me(AH)—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
until the day I rise up for plunder.[n]
For my decision is to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
in order to pour out my indignation(AI) on them,
all my burning anger;
for the whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of my jealousy.(AJ)
Final Restoration Promised
9 For I will then restore
pure(AK) speech to the peoples
so that all of them may call
on the name of the Lord
and serve him with a single purpose.[o]
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush(AL)
my supplicants, my dispersed people,
will bring an offering to me.
11 On that day you[p] will not be put to shame(AM)
because of everything you have done
in rebelling(AN) against me.
For then I will remove
from among you your jubilant,(AO) arrogant people,
and you will never again be haughty
on my holy mountain.(AP)
12 I will leave
a meek and humble people(AQ) among you,
and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant(AR) of Israel will no longer
do wrong or tell lies;
a deceitful tongue will not be found
in their mouths.
They will pasture and lie down,
with nothing to make them afraid.(AS)
14 Sing for joy, Daughter Zion;
shout loudly, Israel!
Be glad and celebrate with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has removed your punishment;
he has turned back your enemy.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you;
you need no longer fear harm.
16 On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.(AT)
17 The Lord your God is among you,
a warrior(AU) who saves.
He will rejoice over you(AV) with gladness.
He will be quiet[q] in his love.
He will delight in you with singing.”(AW)
18 I will gather those who have been driven(AX)
from the appointed festivals;
they will be a tribute from you[r]
and a reproach on her.[s]
19 Yes, at that time
I will deal with all who oppress you.
I will save the lame(AY) and gather the outcasts;(AZ)
I will make those who were disgraced
throughout the earth
receive praise and fame.
20 At that time I will bring you[t] back,
yes, at the time I will gather you.
I will give you fame and praise
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes(BA) before your eyes.
The Lord has spoken.
Footnotes
- 2:1 Or shameless
- 2:5 = Sea Peoples
- 2:14 Lit every wild animal of a nation
- 2:14 Or the pelicans
- 2:14 Or the hedgehogs
- 2:14 Lit sing
- 2:14 LXX, Vg read ravens
- 2:14 Hb obscure
- 2:15 Or hisses
- 3:1 Or filthy
- 3:3 Lit Her
- 3:3 Or that had nothing to gnaw in
- 3:7 LXX, Syr read her eyes
- 3:8 LXX, Syr read for a witness; Vg reads up forever
- 3:9 Lit with one shoulder
- 3:11 = Israel
- 3:17 LXX, Syr read He will renew you
- 3:18 = Jerusalem
- 3:18 Hb obscure
- 3:20 = people of Israel
Zephaniah 2-3
New International Version
Zephaniah 2-3
New International Version
Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations
Judah Summoned to Repent
2 Gather together,(A) gather yourselves together,
you shameful(B) nation,
2 before the decree takes effect
and that day passes like windblown chaff,(C)
before the Lord’s fierce anger(D)
comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s wrath(E)
comes upon you.
3 Seek(F) the Lord, all you humble of the land,
you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness,(G) seek humility;(H)
perhaps you will be sheltered(I)
on the day of the Lord’s anger.
Philistia
4 Gaza(J) will be abandoned
and Ashkelon(K) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
and Ekron uprooted.
5 Woe to you who live by the sea,
you Kerethite(L) people;
the word of the Lord is against you,(M)
Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
and none will be left.”(N)
6 The land by the sea will become pastures
having wells for shepherds
and pens for flocks.(O)
7 That land will belong
to the remnant(P) of the people of Judah;
there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
he will restore their fortunes.[a](Q)
Moab and Ammon
8 “I have heard the insults(R) of Moab(S)
and the taunts of the Ammonites,(T)
who insulted(U) my people
and made threats against their land.(V)
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,”
declares the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel,
“surely Moab(W) will become like Sodom,(X)
the Ammonites(Y) like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder(Z) them;
the survivors(AA) of my nation will inherit their land.(AB)”
10 This is what they will get in return for their pride,(AC)
for insulting(AD) and mocking
the people of the Lord Almighty.(AE)
11 The Lord will be awesome(AF) to them
when he destroys all the gods(AG) of the earth.(AH)
Distant nations will bow down to him,(AI)
all of them in their own lands.
Cush
Assyria
13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
and destroy Assyria,(AL)
leaving Nineveh(AM) utterly desolate
and dry as the desert.(AN)
14 Flocks and herds(AO) will lie down there,
creatures of every kind.
The desert owl(AP) and the screech owl(AQ)
will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
rubble will fill the doorways,
the beams of cedar will be exposed.
15 This is the city of revelry(AR)
that lived in safety.(AS)
She said to herself,
“I am the one! And there is none besides me.”(AT)
What a ruin she has become,
a lair for wild beasts!(AU)
All who pass by her scoff(AV)
and shake their fists.(AW)
Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city of oppressors,(AX)
rebellious(AY) and defiled!(AZ)
2 She obeys(BA) no one,
she accepts no correction.(BB)
She does not trust(BC) in the Lord,
she does not draw near(BD) to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;(BE)
her rulers are evening wolves,(BF)
who leave nothing for the morning.(BG)
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.(BH)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.(BI)
5 The Lord within her is righteous;(BJ)
he does no wrong.(BK)
Morning by morning(BL) he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,(BM)
yet the unrighteous know no shame.(BN)
Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant
6 “I have destroyed nations;
their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;(BO)
they are deserted and empty.
7 Of Jerusalem I thought,
‘Surely you will fear me
and accept correction!’(BP)
Then her place of refuge[c] would not be destroyed,
nor all my punishments come upon[d] her.
But they were still eager
to act corruptly(BQ) in all they did.
8 Therefore wait(BR) for me,”
declares the Lord,
“for the day I will stand up to testify.[e]
I have decided to assemble(BS) the nations,(BT)
to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath(BU) on them—
all my fierce anger.(BV)
The whole world will be consumed(BW)
by the fire of my jealous anger.
Restoration of Israel’s Remnant
9 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
that all of them may call(BX) on the name of the Lord(BY)
and serve(BZ) him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush[f](CA)
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.(CB)
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame(CC)
for all the wrongs you have done to me,(CD)
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.(CE)
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.(CF)
12 But I will leave within you
the meek(CG) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust(CH) in the name of the Lord.
13 They(CI) will do no wrong;(CJ)
they will tell no lies.(CK)
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.(CL)
They will eat and lie down(CM)
and no one will make them afraid.(CN)”
14 Sing, Daughter Zion;(CO)
shout aloud,(CP) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice(CQ) with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;(CR)
never again will you fear(CS) any harm.(CT)
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.(CU)
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.(CV)
He will take great delight(CW) in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,(CX)
but will rejoice over you with singing.”(CY)
18 “I will remove from you
all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
which is a burden and reproach for you.
19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed(CZ) you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.(DA)
I will give them praise(DB) and honor
in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring(DC) you home.
I will give you honor(DD) and praise(DE)
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes[g](DF)
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives
- Zephaniah 2:12 That is, people from the upper Nile region
- Zephaniah 3:7 Or her sanctuary
- Zephaniah 3:7 Or all those I appointed over
- Zephaniah 3:8 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder
- Zephaniah 3:10 That is, the upper Nile region
- Zephaniah 3:20 Or I bring back your captives
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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