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Zephaniah 3
Revised Geneva Translation
Zephaniah 3
Revised Geneva Translation
3 Woe to her who is filthy and polluted, to the robbing city!
2 She did not hear the voice. She did not receive correction. She did not trust in the LORD. She did not draw near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are as roaring lions. Her judges are as evening wolves which do not leave a bone until morning.
4 Her prophets are light, wicked people. Her priests have polluted the Sanctuary. They have done violence to the Law.
5 The just LORD is in their midst. He will do no iniquity. Every morning, He brings His Judgment to light. He does not fail. But the wicked will not learn to be ashamed.
6 “I have cut off the nations. Their towers are desolate. I have laid their streets waste, so that no one can pass. Their cities are destroyed, without man and without inhabitant.
7 “I said, ‘Surely you will fear me. You will receive instruction,’ so that their dwelling would not be destroyed however I visited them. But they rose early and corrupted all their works.
8 “Therefore, wait upon Me,” says the LORD, “until the day that I rise up to the prey. For I am determined to gather the nations. I will assemble the kingdoms, to pour My indignation upon them, all My fierce wrath. For all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.
9 “Surely, then, I will return a pure language to the people, so that they may all call upon the Name of the LORD, to serve Him with one consent.
10 “From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, the daughter of My dispersed, praying to Me, shall bring Me an Offering.
11 “At that time, you shall not be ashamed of all your works in which you have transgressed against Me. For then I will take away out of your midst those who rejoice in your pride. And you shall no longer be proud on My Holy Mountain.
12 “Then I will leave a humble and poor people in your midst. They shall trust in the Name of the LORD.
13 “The remnant of Israel shall do no iniquity or speak lies. Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. For they shall be fed and lie down. And no one shall make them afraid.”
14 Rejoice, O daughter Zion! Be joyful, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your judgments. He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst. You shall no longer see evil.
16 At that time it shall be said to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion! Do not let your hands be faint.
17 “The LORD your God in your midst is mighty! He will save! He will rejoice over you with joy! He will quiet Himself in His love. He will rejoice over you with joy.”
18 “After a certain time, I will gather the afflicted among you, those who bore the reproach for it.
19 “Behold, at that time, I will bruise all who afflict you. And I will save her who halts and gather her who was cast out. And I will gain them praise and fame in all the lands of their shame.
20 “At that time, I will bring you back. And then I will gather you. For I will give you a name and praise among all people of the Earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes,” says the LORD.
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
Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)
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