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Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city! She obeyed not the voice; she received not [a]correction; she trusted not in Jehovah; she drew not near to her God. Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they [b]leave nothing till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous; he will not do iniquity; [c]every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. I have cut off nations; their [d]battlements are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant. I said, Only fear thou me; receive [e]correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, [f]according to all that I have appointed concerning her: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:2 Or, instruction
  2. Zephaniah 3:3 Or, gnaw not the bones on the morrow
  3. Zephaniah 3:5 Hebrew morning by morning.
  4. Zephaniah 3:6 Or, corner towers
  5. Zephaniah 3:7 Or, instruction
  6. Zephaniah 3:7 Or, howsoever I have punished her

Judgment of Jerusalem and the Nations

Woe to you, O rebellious and defiled one!
    The oppressing city!
She listens to no voice;
    she does not accept correction.
In Yahweh she does not trust;
    to her God she does not draw near.
Her officials in her midst are roaring lions;
    her judges are evening wolves;
        they leave nothing until the morning.
Her prophets are arrogant men of treachery;
    her priests have defiled that which is holy;
        they do violence to the law.
Yahweh is righteous in her midst;
    he does not do wickedness.
Morning by morning[a] he renders his judgment;
    at dawn he does not fail,
but an evil one knows no shame.
“I have cut off nations;
    their strongholds are deserted.
I have laid waste their streets,
    so that none pass through.
Their cities have been destroyed
    and are without a man, without an inhabitant.
I have said, ‘Surely she will fear me;
    she will accept discipline.
Then her dwelling place will not be cut down,
    nor all that I have brought upon her.’
Surely they rise early;
    they make all their deeds corrupt.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:5 Literally “In the morning, in the morning”