Zephaniah 3
3
The Future of Jerusalem
1Jerusalem, your people fought against God. They hurt other people, and you have been stained with sin. 2They didn’t listen to me or accept my teachings. Jerusalem didn’t trust the Lord. Jerusalem didn’t go to her God. 3Jerusalem’s leaders are like roaring lions. Her judges are like hungry wolves that come in the evening to attack the sheep—and in the morning nothing is left. 4Her prophets are always making secret plans to get more and more. Her priests have treated holy things as if they were not holy. They have done bad things to God’s teachings. 5But the Lord is still in that city, and he continues to be good. He does not do anything wrong. He continues to help his people. Morning after morning he makes good decisions for them. Not a day passes without his justice. He never gives a decision that is crooked or is something to be ashamed of.
6The Lord says, “I have destroyed whole nations and their defense towers. I destroyed their streets and now no one goes there anymore. Their cities are empty—no one lives there anymore. 7I tell you this so that you will learn a lesson. I want you to fear and respect me. If you do this, your home will not be destroyed, and I will not have to punish you the way I planned.” But those evil people only wanted to do more of the same evil things they had already done!
8The Lord said, “So just wait! Wait for me to stand and judge you. I have the right to bring people from many nations and use them to punish you. I will use them to show my anger against you. I will use them to show how upset I am—and the whole country will be destroyed. 9Then I will change people from other nations so that they can speak the language clearly and call out the name of the Lord. They will all worship me together, shoulder to shoulder, as one people. 10People will come all the way from the other side of the river in Ethiopia. My scattered people will come to me. My worshipers will come and bring their gifts to me.
11“Then, Jerusalem, you will no longer be ashamed of the wrong things your people do against me. That is because I will remove all the bad people from Jerusalem. I will take away all the proud people. There will not be any of them on my holy mountain.#3:11 holy mountain Mount Zion, one of the mountains Jerusalem was built on. 12I will let only meek and humble people stay in my city, and they will trust the Lord’s name. 13The survivors of Israel will not do bad things or tell lies. They will not try to trick people with lies. They will be like sheep that eat and lie down in peace—and no one will bother them.”
A Happy Song
14Jerusalem, sing and be happy!
Israel, shout for joy!
Jerusalem, be happy and have fun!
15The Lord stopped your punishment.
He destroyed your enemies’ strong towers.
King of Israel, the Lord is with you.
You don’t need to worry about anything bad happening.
16At that time Jerusalem will be told,
“Be strong, don’t be afraid!
17The Lord your God is with you.
He is like a powerful soldier.
He will save you.
He will show how much he loves you
and how happy he is with you.
He will laugh and be happy about you,
18like people at a party.
I will take away your shame.
I will make them stop hurting you.#3:18 The Hebrew text here is hard to understand.
19At that time I will punish those who hurt you.
I will save my hurt people
and bring back those who were forced to leave.
I will give them praise and honor everywhere,
even in places where they suffered shame.
20At that time I will lead you back home.
I will bring your people back together.
I will cause people everywhere to honor and praise you.
You will see me bring back all the blessings you once had.”
This is what the Lord said.
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Zephaniah 3: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Tsephanyah (Zephaniah) 3
3
1Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled, the oppressing city!
2She did not obey the voice, she did not accept instruction, she did not trust in יהוה, she did not draw near to her Elohim.
3Her rulers in her midst are roaring lions, her judges are evening wolves, they shall leave no bone until morning.
4Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men. Her priests have profaned the set-apart place, they have done violence to the Torah.#See Ezek. 22:26; Luke 16:16
5יהוה is righteous in her midst, He does no unrighteousness. Morning by morning He brings His right-ruling to light, it has not been lacking, yet the unrighteous one knows no shame.
6“I have cut off nations, their corner towers are in ruins. I have made their streets deserted, with no one passing by. Their cities are destroyed, without man, without inhabitant.
7“I have said, ‘Only fear Me, accept instruction.’ And her dwelling would not be cut off, all that I have appointed for her. But they rose up early, they corrupted all their deeds.
8“Therefore wait for Me,” declares יהוה, “until the day I rise up for plunder. For My judgment is to gather nations, to assemble reigns, to pour out on them My rage, all My burning wrath. For by the fire of My jealousy all the earth shall be consumed.
9“For then I shall turn unto the peoples a clean lip,#Or language. so that they all call on the Name of יהוה, to serve Him with one shoulder.
10“From beyond the rivers of Kush my worshippers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering.
11“In that day you shall not be put to shame for any of your deeds in which you have transgressed against Me, for then I shall remove from your midst your proud exulting ones, and you shall no more be haughty in My set-apart mountain.
12“But I shall leave in your midst an oppressed and poor people, and they shall trust in the Name of יהוה.
13“The remnant of Yisra’ĕl shall do no unrighteousness and speak no falsehood,#See Rev. 14:5 nor is a tongue of deceit found in their mouth. For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, with none to frighten them.”
14Shout for joy, O daughter of Tsiyon! Shout, O Yisra’ĕl! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Yerushalayim!
15יהוה has turned aside your judgments. He has faced your enemy. The Sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, יהוה, is in your midst.#See Zeph. 3:17 No longer need you fear evil.
16In that day it shall be said to Yerushalayim, “Do not fear, Tsiyon, do not let your hands be weak.
17“יהוה your Elohim in your midst, is mighty to save. He rejoices over you with joy, He is silent in His love, He rejoices over you with singing.”
18“I shall gather those who grieve about the appointed time, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden.
19“See, I am dealing with all those afflicting you at that time. And I shall save the lame, and gather those who were cast out. And I shall give them for a praise and for a name in all the earth where they were put to shame.
20“At that time I shall bring you in, even at the time I gather you, for I shall give you for a name, and for a praise, among all the peoples of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes,” said יהוה.
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