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The Unjust Knows No Shame

Woe to her who is (A)rebellious and (B)defiled,
The oppressive (C)city!
She (D)did not listen to any voice;
She (E)did not receive discipline.
She did not (F)trust in Yahweh;
She did not (G)draw near to her God.
Her (H)princes in her midst are roaring lions;
Her judges are (I)wolves at evening;
They leave nothing to gnaw for the morning.
Her prophets are (J)reckless, treacherous men;
Her (K)priests have profaned the sanctuary.
They have done violence to the law.
Yahweh is (L)righteous (M)in her midst;
He will (N)do no injustice.
(O)Every morning He brings His justice to light;
[a]He does not fail.
But the unjust (P)knows no shame.
“I have cut off nations;
Their corner towers are desolate.
I have made their streets (Q)a waste,
With no one passing by;
Their (R)cities are laid waste,
Without a man, (S)without an inhabitant.
I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me,
(T)Receive discipline.’
So her abode will (U)not be cut off
According to all that I have appointed concerning her.
But they were eager to (V)corrupt all their deeds.

Yahweh Will Pour Out His Anger

“Therefore (W)wait for Me,” declares Yahweh,
“For the day when I rise up as a witness.
Indeed, My judgment is to (X)assemble nations,
To gather kingdoms,
To pour out on them My indignation,
All My burning anger;
For (Y)all the earth will be devoured
By the fire of My zeal.
For then I will change them to peoples with (Z)purified lips,
That all of them may (AA)call on the name of Yahweh,
To serve Him [b]shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of [c](AB)Ethiopia
My [d]worshipers, [e]My scattered ones,
Will (AC)bring My offerings.
11 In that day you will (AD)feel no shame
Because of all your deeds
By which you have transgressed against Me;
For then I will remove from your midst
Your (AE)proud, exulting ones,
And you will never again be haughty
On My (AF)holy mountain.
12 But I will cause to remain in your midst
A [f](AG)lowly and poor people,
And they will (AH)take refuge in the name of Yahweh.
13 The (AI)remnant of Israel will (AJ)do no injustice
And (AK)not speak falsehood,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will (AL)feed and lie down
With no one to make them tremble.”

Yahweh’s Joy in Restoring Israel

14 Sing for joy, O daughter of Zion!
(AM)Make a loud shout, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 Yahweh has taken away (AN)His judgments against you;
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, Yahweh, is (AO)in your midst;
You will (AP)fear evil no more.
16 (AQ)In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
(AR)Do not fear, O Zion;
(AS)Do not let your hands fall limp.
17 Yahweh your God is (AT)in your midst,
A (AU)mighty one who will save.
He will (AV)be joyful over you with gladness;
He will [g]be quiet in His love;
He will rejoice over you with joyful singing.
18 I will assemble those who (AW)grieve about the appointed feasts—
They were from you, O Zion;
The reproach of exile is a burden on [h]them.
19 Behold, I am going to deal at that time
With all those who (AX)afflict you,
And I will save the (AY)lame
And gather the banished,
And I will turn them—in their (AZ)shame—into (BA)praise and a name
In all the earth.
20 At that time I will (BB)bring you in,
Even at the time when I gather you together;
Indeed, I will give you to be a (BC)name and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I (BD)restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
Says Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:5 Lit It is never missing
  2. Zephaniah 3:9 Lit with one shoulder
  3. Zephaniah 3:10 Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6
  4. Zephaniah 3:10 Or suppliants
  5. Zephaniah 3:10 Lit the daughter of My scattered ones
  6. Zephaniah 3:12 Or humble, afflicted
  7. Zephaniah 3:17 Some ancient versions renew you in
  8. Zephaniah 3:18 Lit her