Zephaniah 3:1–8

Judgment of Jerusalem and the Nations

3Woe to you, O rebellious and defiled one!

The oppressing city!

²She listens to no voice;

she does not accept correction.

In Yahweh she does not trust;

to her God she does not draw near.

³Her officials in her midst are roaring lions;

her judges are evening wolves;

they leave nothing until the morning.

⁴Her prophets are arrogant men of treachery;

her priests have defiled that which is holy;

they do violence to the law.

⁵Yahweh is righteous in her midst;

he does not do wickedness.

Morning by morning^a he renders his judgment;

at dawn he does not fail,

but an evil one knows no shame.

⁶“I have cut off nations;

their strongholds are deserted.

I have laid waste their streets,

so that none pass through.

Their cities have been destroyed

and are without a man, without an inhabitant.

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

she will accept discipline.

Then her dwelling place will not be cut down,

nor all that I have brought upon her.’

Surely they rise early;

they make all their deeds corrupt.

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

“for the day of my rising as a witness.

For my decision is to gather nations,

to assemble^b kingdoms,

to pour out my wrath upon them, all my burning anger.

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