Zephaniah 3

Judgment of Jerusalem and the Nations

¹Woe to you, O rebellious and defiled one!

²She listens to no voice;

In Yahweh she does not trust;

³Her officials in her midst are roaring lions;

⁴Her prophets are arrogant men of treachery;

⁵Yahweh is righteous in her midst;

Morning by morning he renders his judgment;

but an evil one knows no shame.

⁶“I have cut off nations;

I have laid waste their streets,

Their cities have been destroyed

⁷I have said, ‘Surely she will fear me;

Then her dwelling place will not be cut down,

Surely they rise early;

⁸“Therefore, wait for me”—a declaration of Yahweh—

For my decision is to gather nations,

For by the fire of my anger all the land shall be consumed.

⁹Because then I will make the speech of the nations pure;[#Literally “I will turn to the nations a purged lip”]

¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Cush

¹¹On that day you shall not be humiliated

For then I shall remove from your midst

and you shall no longer be haughty

¹²And I will leave in your midst

and they shall take refuge

¹³The remnant of Israel

they shall not speak deception,

For they shall graze and lie down,

¹⁴Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!

Rejoice and be jubilant with all your heart,

¹⁵Yahweh has annulled your judgments;

The king of Israel, Yahweh, is in your midst;

¹⁶On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem,

¹⁷Yahweh your God is in your midst;

He shall rejoice over you with joy;

¹⁸I will gather those of you grieving on account of the feast;

¹⁹Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors;

I will change them from shame

²⁰At that time I will bring you in;

For I will make you renowned and praised

when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,”