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Zephaniah 3:1–5

The Wickedness of Jerusalem

3 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,

To the oppressing city!

2 She has not obeyed His voice,

She has not received correction;

She has not trusted in the Lord,

She has not drawn near to her God.

3 aHer princes in her midst are roaring lions;

Her judges are bevening wolves

That leave not a bone till morning.

4 Her cprophets are insolent, treacherous people;

Her priests have 1polluted the sanctuary,

They have done dviolence to the law.

5 The Lord is righteous in her midst,

He will do no unrighteousness.

2Every morning He brings His justice to light;

He never fails,

But ethe unjust knows no shame.

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Zephaniah 3:1–5 — The New International Version (NIV)

Woe to the city of oppressors,

rebellious and defiled!

She obeys no one,

she accepts no correction.

She does not trust in the Lord,

she does not draw near to her God.

Her officials within her

are roaring lions;

her rulers are evening wolves,

who leave nothing for the morning.

Her prophets are unprincipled;

they are treacherous people.

Her priests profane the sanctuary

and do violence to the law.

The Lord within her is righteous;

he does no wrong.

Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,

and every new day he does not fail,

yet the unrighteous know no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — English Standard Version (ESV)

Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,

the oppressing city!

She listens to no voice;

she accepts no correction.

She does not trust in the Lord;

she does not draw near to her God.

Her officials within her

are roaring lions;

her judges are evening wolves

that leave nothing till the morning.

Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;

her priests profane what is holy;

they do violence to the law.

The Lord within her is righteous;

he does no injustice;

every morning he shows forth his justice;

each dawn he does not fail;

but the unjust knows no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!

She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction;

She trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.

Her princes within her are roaring lions;

Her judges are evening wolves;

They gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

Her prophets are light and treacherous persons:

Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity:

Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not;

But the unjust knoweth no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — New Living Translation (NLT)

What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem,

the city of violence and crime!

No one can tell it anything;

it refuses all correction.

It does not trust in the Lord

or draw near to its God.

Its leaders are like roaring lions

hunting for their victims.

Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time,

who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.

Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain.

Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.

But the Lord is still there in the city,

and he does no wrong.

Day by day he hands down justice,

and he does not fail.

But the wicked know no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — New Century Version (NCV)

How terrible for the wicked, stubborn city of Jerusalem,

which hurts its own people.

It obeys no voice;

it can’t be taught to do right.

It doesn’t trust the Lord;

it doesn’t worship its God.

Its officers are like roaring lions.

Its rulers are like hungry wolves that attack in the evening,

and in the morning nothing is left of those they attacked.

Its prophets are proud;

they are people who cannot be trusted.

Its priests don’t respect holy things;

they break God’s teachings.

But the Lord is good, and he is there in that city.

He does no wrong.

Every morning he governs the people fairly;

every day he can be trusted.

But evil people are not ashamed of what they do.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — American Standard Version (ASV)

Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city! She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in Jehovah; she drew not near to her God. Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous; he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

Woe to her that is rebellious and corrupted, to the oppressing city! She hearkened not to the voice; she received not correction; she confided not in Jehovah; she drew not near her God. Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, that leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are vain-glorious, treacherous persons; her priests profane the sanctuary, they do violence to the law. The righteous Jehovah is in the midst of her: he doeth no wrong. Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light; it faileth not: but the unrighteous knoweth no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

How horrible it will be for that rebellious 

and corrupt place, the city of violence. 

It obeys no one. 

It does not accept correction. 

It does not trust the Lord

It does not draw close to its God. 

Its officials are ⸤like⸥ roaring lions. 

Its judges are ⸤like⸥ wolves in the evening. 

They leave nothing to gnaw on for the morning. 

Its prophets are reckless and unfaithful. 

Its priests contaminate what is holy. 

They violate the teachings. 

The righteous Lord is in that city. 

He does no wrong. 

He brings his judgment to light every morning. 

He does not fail. 

But those who are perverted are shameless. 

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Woe to the city that is rebellious and defiled,

the oppressive city!

She has not obeyed;

she has not accepted discipline.

She has not trusted in Yahweh;

she has not drawn near to her God.

The princes within her are roaring lions;

her judges are wolves of the night,

which leave nothing for the morning.

Her prophets are reckless —

treacherous men.

Her priests profane the sanctuary;

they do violence to instruction.

The righteous Lord is in her;

He does no wrong.

He applies His justice morning by morning;

He does not fail at dawn,

yet the one who does wrong knows no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Ah, soiled, defiled,

oppressing city!

It has listened to no voice;

it has accepted no correction.

It has not trusted in the Lord;

it has not drawn near to its God.

The officials within it

are roaring lions;

its judges are evening wolves

that leave nothing until the morning.

Its prophets are reckless,

faithless persons;

its priests have profaned what is sacred,

they have done violence to the law.

The Lord within it is righteous;

he does no wrong.

Every morning he renders his judgment,

each dawn without fail;

but the unjust knows no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Woe to you, O rebellious and defiled one!

The oppressing city!

She listens to no voice;

she does not accept correction.

In Yahweh she does not trust;

to her God she does not draw near.

Her officials in her midst are roaring lions;

her judges are evening wolves;

they leave nothing until the morning.

Her prophets are arrogant men of treachery;

her priests have defiled that which is holy;

they do violence to the law.

Yahweh is righteous in her midst;

he does not do wickedness.

Morning by morning he renders his judgment;

at dawn he does not fail,

but an evil one knows no shame.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

How terrible it will be for Jerusalem!

Its people crush others.

They refuse to obey the Lord.

They are “unclean.”

They don’t obey anyone.

They don’t accept the Lord’s warnings.

They don’t trust in him.

They don’t ask their God for his help.

Their officials are like roaring lions.

Their rulers are like wolves that hunt in the evening.

They don’t leave anything to eat in the morning.

Their prophets are proud.

They can’t be trusted.

Their priests pollute the temple.

They break the law they teach others to obey.

In spite of that, the Lord is good to Jerusalem.

He never does anything that is wrong.

Every morning he does what is fair.

Each new day he does the right thing.

But those who do what is wrong

aren’t even ashamed of it.

Zephaniah 3:1–5 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,

The tyrannical city!

She heeded no voice,

She accepted no instruction.

She did not trust in the Lord,

She did not draw near to her God.

Her princes within her are roaring lions,

Her judges are wolves at evening;

They leave nothing for the morning.

Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men;

Her priests have profaned the sanctuary.

They have done violence to the law.

The Lord is righteous within her;

He will do no injustice.

Every morning He brings His justice to light;

He does not fail.

But the unjust knows no shame.


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