Zephaniah 3:1–8

Jerusalem

3Woe to the city of oppressors,^s

rebellious^t and defiled!^u

²She obeys^v no one,

she accepts no correction.^w

She does not trust^x in the Lord,

she does not draw near^y to her God.

³Her officials within her

are roaring lions;^z

her rulers are evening wolves,^a

who leave nothing for the morning.^b

⁴Her prophets are unprincipled;

they are treacherous people.^c

Her priests profane the sanctuary

and do violence to the law.^d

⁵The Lord within her is righteous;^e

he does no wrong.^f

Morning by morning^g he dispenses his justice,

and every new day he does not fail,^h

yet the unrighteous know no shame.ⁱ

Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant

⁶“I have destroyed nations;

their strongholds are demolished.

I have left their streets deserted,

with no one passing through.

Their cities are laid waste;^j

they are deserted and empty.

⁷Of Jerusalem I thought,

‘Surely you will fear me

and accept correction!’^k

Then her place of refuge^a would not be destroyed,

nor all my punishments come upon^b her.

But they were still eager

to act corruptly^l in all they did.

⁸Therefore wait^m for me,”

declares the Lord,

“for the day I will stand up to testify.^c

I have decided to assembleⁿ the nations,^o

to gather the kingdoms

and to pour out my wrath^p on them—

all my fierce anger.^q

The whole world will be consumed^r

by the fire of my jealous anger.