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

The Wickedness of Jerusalem

Woe to her that is rebellious and defiled,
    the oppressing city!
She listens to no voice,
    she accepts no correction.
She does not trust in the Lord,
    she does not draw near to her God.

Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;
her judges are evening wolves
    that leave nothing till the morning.
Her prophets are wanton,
    faithless men;
her priests profane what is sacred,
    they do violence to the law.
The Lord within her is righteous,
    he does no wrong;
every morning he shows forth his justice,
    each dawn he does not fail;
    but the unjust knows no shame.

“I have cut off nations;
    their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
    so that none walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
    without a man, without an inhabitant.
I said, ‘Surely she will fear me,
    she will accept correction;
she will not lose sight[a]
    of all that I have enjoined upon her.’
But all the more they were eager
    to make all their deeds corrupt.”

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:7 Gk Syr: Heb and her dwelling will not be cut off