“Therefore (A)wait for me,” declares the Lord,
    “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is (B)to gather nations,
    to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
    all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
    (C)all the earth shall be consumed.

The Conversion of the Nations

“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
    to (D)a pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
    and serve him with one accord.
10 (E)From beyond the rivers (F)of Cush
    my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
    shall bring my offering.

11 (G)“On that day (H)you shall not be put to shame
    because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then (I)I will remove from your midst
    your proudly exultant ones,
and (J)you shall no longer be haughty
    in my holy mountain.
12 But I will leave in your midst
    a people (K)humble and lowly.
(L)They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,
13     (M)those who are left in Israel;
they (N)shall do no injustice
    and speak no lies,
(O)nor shall there be found in their mouth
    a deceitful tongue.
(P)For they shall graze and lie down,
    and none shall make them afraid.”

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Therefore wait(A) for me,”
    declares the Lord,
    “for the day I will stand up to testify.[a]
I have decided to assemble(B) the nations,(C)
    to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath(D) on them—
    all my fierce anger.(E)
The whole world will be consumed(F)
    by the fire of my jealous anger.

Restoration of Israel’s Remnant

“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
    that all of them may call(G) on the name of the Lord(H)
    and serve(I) him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush[b](J)
    my worshipers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.(K)
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame(L)
    for all the wrongs you have done to me,(M)
because I will remove from you
    your arrogant boasters.(N)
Never again will you be haughty
    on my holy hill.(O)
12 But I will leave within you
    the meek(P) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust(Q) in the name of the Lord.
13 They(R) will do no wrong;(S)
    they will tell no lies.(T)
A deceitful tongue
    will not be found in their mouths.(U)
They will eat and lie down(V)
    and no one will make them afraid.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:8 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder
  2. Zephaniah 3:10 That is, the upper Nile region