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Judgment Against Jerusalem

Woe to the filthy,[a] foul city, the city of oppressors. She does not listen. She does not accept correction. She does not even trust the Lord or draw near to her God. The officials within her are like roaring lions. Her judges are like hungry wolves in the evening that completely devour their prey by morning. Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men. Her priests have profaned what is holy. They have committed violence against the law.

The Lord in her midst is just. He does no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He does not fail. But those who are unjust are shameless.

The Final Proclamation of the Lord

I have cut off nations. Their corner towers are in ruins. I have made their streets desolate, with no one passing by. Their cities are laid waste, with no one living there. I said, “Certainly you will fear me. You will accept correction so that your dwelling place will not be destroyed by everything I have threatened.” But they eagerly sinned in everything they did.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:1 Or rebellious

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”