Zephaniah 3:1–8
Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations
3 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
fthe oppressing city!
gshe accepts no correction.
hShe does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.
3 iHer officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are jevening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.
4 kHer prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
kher priests lprofane what is holy;
they do violence to the law.
5 The Lord within her mis righteous;
he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but nthe unjust knows no shame.
6 o“I have cut off nations;
their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
pso that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
without a man, without an inhabitant.
7 qI said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
ryou will accept correction.
Then your1 dwelling would not be cut off
according to all that I have appointed against you.’2
But sall the more they were eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.
8 “Therefore twait for me,” declares the Lord,
“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is uto gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
vall the earth shall be consumed.