“Therefore (A)wait for Me,” declares the Lord,
“For the day when I rise up as a witness.
Indeed, My decision is to (B)gather nations,
To assemble kingdoms,
To pour out on them My indignation,
All My burning anger;
For (C)all the earth will be devoured
By the fire of My zeal.
For then I will [a]restore to the peoples (D)pure lips,
So that all of them may (E)call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him [b]shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of (F)Ethiopia
My worshipers, [c]My dispersed ones,
Will (G)bring My offerings.
11 On that day you will (H)feel no shame
Because of all your deeds
By which you have rebelled against Me;
For then I will remove from your midst
Your (I)proud, arrogant ones,
And you will never again be haughty
On My (J)holy mountain.

A Remnant of Israel

12 But I will leave among you
A (K)humble and lowly people,
And they will (L)take refuge in the name of the Lord.
13 The (M)remnant of Israel will (N)do no wrong
And (O)tell no lies,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will (P)feed and lie down
With no one to frighten them.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:9 Lit change
  2. Zephaniah 3:9 Lit with one shoulder
  3. Zephaniah 3:10 Lit the daughter of My dispersed ones

Punishment and Conversion of the Nations

Therefore wait for me, says the Lord,
    for the day when I arise as a witness.
For my decision is to gather nations,
    to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
    all the heat of my anger,
for in the fire of my passion
    all the earth shall be consumed.(A)

At that time I will change the speech of the peoples
    to a pure speech,
that all of them may call on the name of the Lord
    and serve him with one accord.(B)
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush
    my suppliants, my scattered ones,
    shall bring my offering.(C)

11 On that day you shall not be put to shame
    because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then I will remove from your midst
    your proudly exultant ones,
and you shall no longer be haughty
    in my holy mountain.(D)
12 For I will leave in the midst of you
    a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord(E)
13     the remnant of Israel;
they shall do no wrong
    and utter no lies,
nor shall a deceitful tongue
    be found in their mouths.
Then they will pasture and lie down,
    and no one shall make them afraid.(F)

Read full chapter