Woe to Jerusalem and the Nations

Woe to her who is (A)rebellious and (B)defiled,
The (C)oppressive city!
She (D)obeyed no voice,
She (E)accepted no discipline.
She did not (F)trust in the Lord,
She did not (G)approach her God.
Her (H)leaders within her are roaring lions,
Her judges are (I)wolves at evening;
They have no bones to gnaw in the morning.
Her prophets are (J)insolent, treacherous men;
Her (K)priests have profaned the sanctuary.
They have done violence to the Law.
The Lord is (L)righteous (M)within her;
He will (N)do no injustice.
(O)Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He [a]does not fail.
But the [b]criminal (P)knows no shame.
“I have eliminated nations;
Their corner towers are deserted.
I have (Q)laid waste their streets,
With no one passing by;
Their (R)cities have been laid waste,
Without a person, (S)without an inhabitant.
I said, ‘You will certainly revere Me,
You will (T)accept discipline.’
So her dwelling will (U)not be eliminated
In accordance with everything that I have stipulated for her.
Instead, they were eager to (V)corrupt all their deeds.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:5 Lit is not missing
  2. Zephaniah 3:5 Or sinner

Jerusalem

Woe to the city of oppressors,(A)
    rebellious(B) and defiled!(C)
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.
Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;(H)
her rulers are evening wolves,(I)
    who leave nothing for the morning.(J)
Her prophets are unprincipled;
    they are treacherous people.(K)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
    and do violence to the law.(L)
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

“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.
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.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:7 Or her sanctuary
  2. Zephaniah 3:7 Or all those I appointed over