Zephaniah 3

¹ Trouble is coming to the rebellious, the defiled, the tyrannical city!

² She would never listen to the call, would never learn the lesson; she has never trusted in Yahweh, never drawn near to her God.

³ The leaders she harbours are roaring lions, her judges, wolves at evening that have had nothing to gnaw that morning;

⁴ her prophets are braggarts, they are impostors; her priests profane the holy things, they do violence to the Law.

⁵ Yahweh is in her, he is just and honourable; he never does wrong; morning by morning he makes his law known, each dawn unfailingly; he knows no injustice.

⁶ I have wiped out nations, their corner-towers lie in ruins; I have emptied their streets, no one walks there; their towns have been sacked: no one left there, no more inhabitants.

⁷ ‘At least,’ I used to say ‘you will fear me now, you will learn the lesson; she cannot lose sight of the many times I have punished her.’ But no, it only made them more anxious to see that all they did was corrupt.

⁸ Therefore, expect me – it is Yahweh who speaks – on the day I stand up to make my accusation; for I am determined to gather the nations, to assemble the kingdoms, and to pour out my fury on you, the whole heat of my anger.

⁹ Yes, I will then give the peoples lips that are clean, so that all may invoke the name of Yahweh and serve him under the same yoke.

¹⁰ From beyond the banks of the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants will bring me offerings.

¹¹ When that day comes you need feel no shame for all the misdeeds you have committed against me, for I will remove your proud boasters from your midst; and you will cease to strut on my holy mountain.

¹² In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people,

¹³ and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of Yahweh. They will do no wrong, will tell no lies; and the perjured tongue will no longer be found in their mouths. But they will be able to graze and rest with no one to disturb them.

¹⁴ Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!

¹⁵ Yahweh has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away. Yahweh, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear.

¹⁶ When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem: Zion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp.

¹⁷ Yahweh your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult with joy over you, he will renew you by his love; he will dance with shouts of joy for you

¹⁸ as on a day of festival.

¹⁹ I am taking action here and now against your oppressors. When that time comes I will rescue the lame, and gather the strays, and I will win them praise and renown when I restore their fortunes.

²⁰ When that times comes, I will be your guide, when that time comes, I will gather you in; I will give you praise and renown among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes under your own eyes, says Yahweh.