Zephaniah 3

The Wickedness of Jerusalem

³Woe, soiled, defiled,

oppressing city!^*

²It 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.^*

³The officials within it

are roaring lions;

its judges are evening wolves

that leave nothing until the morning.^*

⁴Its prophets are reckless,

faithless persons;

its priests have profaned what is sacred;

they have done violence to the law.^*

⁵The 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.^*

⁶I have cut off nations;

their battlements are in ruins;

I have laid waste their streets

so that no one walks in them;

their cities have been made desolate,

without people, without inhabitants.^*

⁷I said, “Surely the city^k will fear me;

it will accept correction;

it will not lose sight^l

of all that I have brought upon it.”

But they were the more eager

to make all their deeds corrupt.^*

Punishment and Conversion of the Nations

⁸Therefore wait for me, says the Lord,

for the day when I arise as a witness.

For my decision is to gather nations,

to assemble kingdoms,

to pour out upon them my indignation,

all the heat of my anger,

for in the fire of my passion

all the earth shall be consumed.^*

⁹At that time I will change the speech of the peoples

to a pure speech,

that all of them may call on the name of the Lord

and serve him with one accord.^*

¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Cush

my suppliants, my scattered ones,

shall bring my offering.^*

¹¹On that day you shall not be put to shame

because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;

for then I will remove from your midst

your proudly exultant ones,

and you shall no longer be haughty

in my holy mountain.^*

¹²For I will leave in the midst of you

a people humble and lowly.

They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord—^*

¹³the remnant of Israel;

they shall do no wrong

and utter no lies,

nor shall a deceitful tongue

be found in their mouths.

Then they will pasture and lie down,

and no one shall make them afraid.^*

A Song of Joy

¹⁴Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;

shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

O daughter Jerusalem!^*

¹⁵The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;

he has turned away your enemies.

The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;

you shall fear disaster no more.^*

¹⁶On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

“Do not fear, O Zion;

do not let your hands grow weak.^*

¹⁷The Lord, your God, is in your midst,

a warrior who gives victory;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will renew you^m in his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing^*

¹⁸as on a day of festival.”ⁿ

I will remove disaster from you,^o

so that you will not bear reproach for it.

¹⁹I will deal with all your oppressors

at that time.

And I will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change their shame into praise

and renown in all the earth.^*

²⁰At that time I will bring you home,

at the time when I gather you;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the Lord.^*