Woe to Oppressive Jerusalem

Woe to the city that is rebellious[a](A) and defiled,(B)
the oppressive city!
She has not obeyed;(C)
she has not accepted discipline.(D)
She has not trusted(E) in Yahweh;
she has not drawn near to her God.
The[b] princes within her are roaring lions;(F)
her judges are wolves of the night,(G)
which leave nothing for[c] the morning.
Her prophets are reckless(H)
treacherous men.
Her priests profane the sanctuary;
they do violence to instruction.(I)
The righteous Lord is in her;(J)
He does no wrong.(K)
He applies His justice morning by morning;
He does not fail at dawn,
yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.(L)

I have cut off nations;
their corner towers(M) are destroyed.
I have laid waste their streets,
with no one to pass through.
Their cities lie devastated,
without a person, without an inhabitant.(N)
I thought: You will certainly fear Me
and accept correction.
Then her dwelling place[d]
would not be cut off
based on all that I had allocated to her.
However, they became more corrupt
in all their actions.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:1 Or filthy
  2. Zephaniah 3:3 Lit Her
  3. Zephaniah 3:3 Or that had nothing to gnaw in
  4. Zephaniah 3:7 LXX, Syr read her eyes

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”