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Zephaniah 3
GOD’S WORD Translation
Zephaniah 3
GOD’S WORD Translation
Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed
3 How horrible it will be for that rebellious
and corrupt place, the city of violence.
2 It obeys no one.
It does not accept correction.
It does not trust the Lord.
It does not draw close to its God.
3 Its officials are ⌞like⌟ roaring lions.
Its judges are ⌞like⌟ wolves in the evening.
They leave nothing to gnaw on for the morning.
4 Its prophets are reckless and unfaithful.
Its priests contaminate what is holy.
They violate the teachings.
5 The righteous Lord is in that city.
He does no wrong.
He brings his judgment to light every morning.
He does not fail.
But those who are perverted are shameless.
6 “I will cut off the nations.
Their towers will be destroyed.
I will demolish their streets.
No one will walk through them.
Their cities will be completely destroyed.
Not a single person will be left.
No one will be living there.
7 I said ⌞to my people⌟,
‘You will fear me.
You will accept correction!’
Then their homeland would not be wiped out
even though I have punished them.
Still, they continued to be corrupt in everything they did.”
8 The Lord declares, “Just wait!
One day I will stand up as a witness.
I have decided to gather nations,
to bring kingdoms together,
and to pour my rage, my burning anger, on them.
The whole land will be consumed by my fiery fury.
Israel Will Turn Away from Sin
9 “Then I will give all people pure lips
to worship the Lord
and to serve him with one purpose.
10 From beyond the rivers of Sudan
my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring my offering.
11 On that day you will no longer be ashamed
of all your rebellious acts against me.
Then I will remove your arrogance
and never again will you act proud on my holy mountain.
12 So with you I will leave a faithful few, a humble and poor people.
They will seek refuge in the name of the Lord.
13 The faithful few in Israel will not do wrong, tell lies,
or use their tongues to deceive others.
They will graze their sheep and lie down,
and there will be no one to terrify them.”
Israel’s Joyful Song
14 Sing happily, people of Zion!
Shout loudly, Israel!
Celebrate and rejoice with all your heart, people of Jerusalem.
15 The Lord has reversed the judgments against you.
He has forced out your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is with you.
You will never fear disaster again.
16 On that day Jerusalem will be told,
“Do not be afraid, Zion!
Do not lose courage!”
17 The Lord your God is with you.
He is a hero who saves you.
He happily rejoices over you,
renews you with his love,
and celebrates over you with shouts of joy.
Israel Will Return Home
18 “I will gather those among you who are troubled because of the festivals.
They bear a burden of disgrace.
19 At that time
I will deal with all who have overpowered you.
I will rescue those who are lame.
I will gather those who have been scattered.
I will make them praised and famous in all the world,
though they had been ashamed.
20 At that time I will bring you ⌞home⌟.
Yes, at that time I will gather you together.
I will make you famous and praised among all the people of the earth
when I restore your fortunes right before your eyes,” says the Lord.
西番雅書 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
西番雅書 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
耶路撒冷的敗壞
3 這叛逆、污穢、充滿壓迫的城有禍了！
2 她不聽命令，不受管教；
不倚靠耶和華，
不親近她的上帝。
3 她的首領是咆哮的獅子，
她的審判官是夜間的豺狼，
不留一點獵物到天明。
4 她的先知是狂妄詭詐之徒，
她的祭司褻瀆聖殿，違背律法。
5 但城中的耶和華是公義的，
祂絕不做不義之事。
祂每天早晨伸張正義，從不間斷。
然而，不義之人卻不知羞恥。
6 「我已消滅列國，
摧毀他們的城樓，
使他們的街道荒廢，沒有路人；
他們的城邑淪為廢墟，杳無人跡，沒有居民。
7 我以為這城一定會敬畏我，接受管教，
這樣我就不必照所定的毀滅她。
然而，他們卻更加熱衷於犯罪作惡。
8 「因此，等著我吧，
等著我指控的那一天吧。
我已決定召集列國列邦，
向他們傾倒我的烈怒，
我的怒火必吞噬天下。
這是耶和華說的。
耶和華的拯救
9 「那時，我必潔淨萬民的口，
以便他們可以求告我的名，
同心合意地事奉我。
10 那些敬拜我的，
就是我那些分散的子民必從古實河對岸帶著供物來獻給我。
11 到那天，你必不再因背叛我而感到羞愧，
因為那時我必除掉你那裡狂妄自大的人，
你在我的聖山上必不再高傲。
12 我必把謙卑貧苦的人留在你那裡，
他們必投靠在我耶和華的名下。
13 以色列的餘民必不再作惡，
撒謊或出詭詐之言。
他們吃喝躺臥，無人驚擾。」
歡樂之歌
14 錫安城[a]啊，歌唱吧！
以色列啊，歡呼吧！
耶路撒冷城啊，盡情地歡喜快樂吧！
15 耶和華已經撤銷對你的刑罰，
趕走你的仇敵，
以色列的王耶和華與你同在，
你必不再懼怕災禍。
16 到那天，耶路撒冷必聽到這樣的話：
「錫安啊，不要害怕！不要雙手發軟！
17 你的上帝耶和華與你同在，
祂是大能的拯救者，
祂必因你而歡喜快樂，歡然歌唱，
用祂的愛安慰你。」
18 「我必招聚你那裡因不能守節期而憂愁的人，
使你不再蒙受羞辱。
19 看啊，那時我必懲罰所有欺壓你的人，
拯救瘸腿的，召回分散的，
使他們的羞辱化為尊榮，聲名遠播。
20 那時，我必招聚你們，帶你們回到故土。
你們回到故土後，
我必使你們在天下萬民中聲名遠播，得到尊榮。」
這是耶和華說的。
Footnotes
- 3·14 「城」希伯來文是「女子」，可能是對錫安的暱稱。
Zephaniah 3
New International Version
Zephaniah 3
New International Version
Jerusalem
3 Woe to the city of oppressors,(A)
rebellious(B) and defiled!(C)
2 She obeys(D) no one,
she accepts no correction.(E)
She does not trust(F) in the Lord,
she does not draw near(G) to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;(H)
her rulers are evening wolves,(I)
who leave nothing for the morning.(J)
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.(K)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.(L)
5 The Lord within her is righteous;(M)
he does no wrong.(N)
Morning by morning(O) he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,(P)
yet the unrighteous know no shame.(Q)
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;(R)
they are deserted and empty.
7 Of Jerusalem I thought,
‘Surely you will fear me
and accept correction!’(S)
Then her place of refuge[a] would not be destroyed,
nor all my punishments come upon[b] her.
But they were still eager
to act corruptly(T) in all they did.
8 Therefore wait(U) for me,”
declares the Lord,
“for the day I will stand up to testify.[c]
I have decided to assemble(V) the nations,(W)
to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath(X) on them—
all my fierce anger.(Y)
The whole world will be consumed(Z)
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(AA) on the name of the Lord(AB)
and serve(AC) him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush[d](AD)
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.(AE)
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame(AF)
for all the wrongs you have done to me,(AG)
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.(AH)
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.(AI)
12 But I will leave within you
the meek(AJ) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust(AK) in the name of the Lord.
13 They(AL) will do no wrong;(AM)
they will tell no lies.(AN)
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.(AO)
They will eat and lie down(AP)
and no one will make them afraid.(AQ)”
14 Sing, Daughter Zion;(AR)
shout aloud,(AS) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice(AT) 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;(AU)
never again will you fear(AV) any harm.(AW)
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.(AX)
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.(AY)
He will take great delight(AZ) in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,(BA)
but will rejoice over you with singing.”(BB)
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(BC) you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.(BD)
I will give them praise(BE) and honor
in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring(BF) you home.
I will give you honor(BG) and praise(BH)
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes[e](BI)
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.
Footnotes
- 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
Zephaniah 3
New King James Version
Zephaniah 3
New King James Version
The Wickedness of Jerusalem
3 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,
To the oppressing city!
2 She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the Lord,
She has not drawn near to her God.
3 (A)Her princes in her midst are roaring lions;
Her judges are (B)evening wolves
That leave not a bone till morning.
4 Her (C)prophets are insolent, treacherous people;
Her priests have [a]polluted the sanctuary,
They have done (D)violence to the law.
5 The Lord is righteous in her midst,
He will do no unrighteousness.
[b]Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He never fails,
But (E)the unjust knows no shame.
6 “I have cut off nations,
Their fortresses are devastated;
I have made their streets desolate,
With none passing by.
Their cities are destroyed;
There is no one, no inhabitant.
7 (F)I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me,
You will receive instruction’—
So that her dwelling would not be cut off,
Despite everything for which I punished her.
But [c]they rose early and (G)corrupted all their deeds.
A Faithful Remnant(H)
8 “Therefore (I)wait for Me,” says the Lord,
“Until the day I rise up [d]for plunder;
My determination is to (J)gather the nations
To My assembly of kingdoms,
To pour on them My indignation,
All My fierce anger;
All the earth (K)shall be devoured
With the fire of My jealousy.
9 “For then I will restore to the peoples (L)a pure [e]language,
That they all may call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him with one accord.
10 (M)From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers,
The daughter of My dispersed ones,
Shall bring My offering.
11 In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds
In which you transgress against Me;
For then I will take away from your midst
Those who (N)rejoice in your pride,
And you shall no longer be haughty
In My holy mountain.
12 I will leave in your midst
(O)A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13 (P)The remnant of Israel (Q)shall do no unrighteousness
(R)And speak no lies,
Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;
For (S)they shall feed their flocks and lie down,
And no one shall make them afraid.”
Joy in God’s Faithfulness
14 (T)Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
(U)The King of Israel, the Lord, (V)is in your midst;
You shall [f]see disaster no more.
16 In that day (W)it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, (X)let not your hands be weak.
17 The Lord your God (Y)in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
(Z)He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 “I will gather those who (AA)sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.
19 Behold, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save the (AB)lame,
And gather those who were driven out;
I will appoint them for praise and fame
In every land where they were put to shame.
20 At that time (AC)I will bring you back,
Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you [g]fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 3:4 Or profaned
- Zephaniah 3:5 Lit. Morning by morning
- Zephaniah 3:7 They were eager
- Zephaniah 3:8 LXX, Syr. for witness; Tg. for the day of My revelation for judgment; Vg. for the day of My resurrection that is to come
- Zephaniah 3:9 Lit. lip
- Zephaniah 3:15 So with Heb. mss., LXX, Bg.; MT, Vg. fear
- Zephaniah 3:20 Lit. a name
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.