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Zephaniah 2-3
New American Standard Bible

Judgments on Judah’s Enemies

2 Gather yourselves together, yes, (A)join together,
You nation (B)without [a]shame,
2 Before the decree [b]takes effect—
The day passes (C)like chaff—
Before the (D)burning anger of the Lord comes upon you,
Before the (E)day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you.
3 (F)Seek the Lord,
All you (G)humble of the [c]earth
Who have practiced His [d]ordinances;
(H)Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will (I)remain hidden
On the day of the Lord’s anger.

4 For (J)Gaza will be abandoned,
And Ashkelon will become a desolation;
The inhabitants of (K)Ashdod will be driven out at noon,
And (L)Ekron will be uprooted.
5 Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast,
The nation of the [e](M)Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is (N)against you,
(O)Canaan, land of the Philistines;
And I will (P)eliminate you
So that there will be (Q)no inhabitant.
6 So the seacoast will become (R)grazing places,
With pastures for shepherds and folds for flocks.
7 And the coast will be
For the (S)remnant of the house of Judah,
They will (T)drive sheep to pasture on it.
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the Lord their God will (U)care for them
And (V)restore their fortunes.

8 “I have heard the (W)taunting of Moab
And the (X)abusive speech of the sons of Ammon,
With which they have taunted My people
And (Y)boasted against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of armies,
The God of Israel,
“(Z)Moab will assuredly be like (AA)Sodom,
And the sons of (AB)Ammon like (AC)Gomorrah—
Ground overgrown with weeds and full of salt mines,
And a permanent desolation.
The remnant of My people will (AD)plunder them,
And the remainder of My nation will inherit them.”

10 This they will have in return for their (AE)arrogance, because they have (AF)taunted and boasted against the people of the Lord of armies. 11 The Lord will be (AG)terrifying to them, for He will [f]starve (AH)all the gods of the earth; and all the (AI)coastlands of the nations will (AJ)bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.

12 “You also, (AK)Ethiopians, will be slain by My sword.”
13 And He will (AL)stretch out His hand against the north
And eliminate (AM)Assyria,
And He will make (AN)Nineveh a desolation,
Parched like the wilderness.
14 Flocks will lie down in her midst,
[g]All animals that range in herds;
Both the [h](AO)pelican and the hedgehog
Will spend their nights in [i]the tops of her pillars;
[j]Birds will sing in the window,
Devastation will be on the threshold;
For He has uncovered the cedar work.
15 This is the (AP)presumptuous city
That (AQ)dwells securely,
Who says in her heart,
“(AR)I am, and there is no one besides me.”
How she has become a (AS)desolation,
A resting place for animals!
(AT)Everyone who passes by her will [k]hiss
And wave his hand in contempt.

Woe to Jerusalem and the Nations

3 Woe to her who is (AU)rebellious and (AV)defiled,
The (AW)oppressive city!
2 She (AX)obeyed no voice,
She (AY)accepted no discipline.
She did not (AZ)trust in the Lord,
She did not (BA)approach her God.
3 Her (BB)leaders within her are roaring lions,
Her judges are (BC)wolves at evening;
They have no bones to gnaw in the morning.
4 Her prophets are (BD)insolent, treacherous men;
Her (BE)priests have profaned the sanctuary.
They have done violence to the Law.
5 The Lord is (BF)righteous (BG)within her;
He will (BH)do no injustice.
(BI)Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He [l]does not fail.
But the [m]criminal (BJ)knows no shame.
6 “I have eliminated nations;
Their corner towers are deserted.
I have (BK)laid waste their streets,
With no one passing by;
Their (BL)cities have been laid waste,
Without a person, (BM)without an inhabitant.
7 I said, ‘You will certainly revere Me,
You will (BN)accept discipline.’
So her dwelling will (BO)not be eliminated
In accordance with everything that I have stipulated for her.
Instead, they were eager to (BP)corrupt all their deeds.

8 “Therefore (BQ)wait for Me,” declares the Lord,
“For the day when I rise up as a witness.
Indeed, My decision is to (BR)gather nations,
To assemble kingdoms,
To pour out on them My indignation,
All My burning anger;
For (BS)all the earth will be devoured
By the fire of My zeal.
9 For then I will [n]restore to the peoples (BT)pure lips,
So that all of them may (BU)call on the name of the Lord,
To serve Him [o]shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of (BV)Ethiopia
My worshipers, [p]My dispersed ones,
Will (BW)bring My offerings.
11 On that day you will (BX)feel no shame
Because of all your deeds
By which you have rebelled against Me;
For then I will remove from your midst
Your (BY)proud, arrogant ones,
And you will never again be haughty
On My (BZ)holy mountain.

A Remnant of Israel

12 But I will leave among you
A (CA)humble and lowly people,
And they will (CB)take refuge in the name of the Lord.
13 The (CC)remnant of Israel will (CD)do no wrong
And (CE)tell no lies,
Nor will a deceitful tongue
Be found in their mouths;
For they will (CF)feed and lie down
With no one to frighten them.”

14 Shout for joy, daughter of Zion!
(CG)Shout in triumph, Israel!
Rejoice and triumph with all your heart,
Daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away (CH)His judgments against you,
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is (CI)in your midst;
You will no longer (CJ)fear disaster.
16 (CK)On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“(CL)Do not be afraid, Zion;
(CM)Do not let your hands fall limp.
17 The Lord your God is (CN)in your midst,
A [q](CO)victorious warrior.
He will (CP)rejoice over you with joy,
He will [r]be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
18 I will gather those who are (CQ)worried about the appointed feasts—
They [s]came from you, Zion;
The disgrace of exile is a burden on [t]them.
19 Behold, I am going to deal at that time
With all your (CR)oppressors;
I will save (CS)those who limp
And gather the scattered,
And I will turn their (CT)shame into (CU)praise and fame
In all the earth.
20 At that time I will (CV)bring you in,
Even at the time when I gather you together;
Indeed, I will make you (CW)famous and praiseworthy
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I (CX)restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
Says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:1 Or longing
  2. Zephaniah 2:2 Lit gives birth
  3. Zephaniah 2:3 Or land
  4. Zephaniah 2:3 Or justice
  5. Zephaniah 2:5 I.e., a segment of the Philistines with roots in Crete
  6. Zephaniah 2:11 Lit allow to dwindle
  7. Zephaniah 2:14 Or All kinds of beasts in crowds; lit Every kind of beast of a nation
  8. Zephaniah 2:14 Or owl; or jackdaw
  9. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit her capitals
  10. Zephaniah 2:14 Lit A voice
  11. Zephaniah 2:15 Or whistle
  12. Zephaniah 3:5 Lit is not missing
  13. Zephaniah 3:5 Or sinner
  14. Zephaniah 3:9 Lit change
  15. Zephaniah 3:9 Lit with one shoulder
  16. Zephaniah 3:10 Lit the daughter of My dispersed ones
  17. Zephaniah 3:17 Lit A warrior who saves
  18. Zephaniah 3:17 Or with some ancient versions, renew you in
  19. Zephaniah 3:18 Lit were
  20. Zephaniah 3:18 Lit her
Listen to Zephaniah 2-3
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Zephaniah 2-3
New International Version

Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations

Judah Summoned to Repent

2 Gather together,(A) gather yourselves together,
    you shameful(B) nation,
2 before the decree takes effect
    and that day passes like windblown chaff,(C)
before the Lord’s fierce anger(D)
    comes upon you,
before the day of the Lord’s wrath(E)
    comes upon you.
3 Seek(F) the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness,(G) seek humility;(H)
    perhaps you will be sheltered(I)
    on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Philistia

4 Gaza(J) will be abandoned
    and Ashkelon(K) left in ruins.
At midday Ashdod will be emptied
    and Ekron uprooted.
5 Woe to you who live by the sea,
    you Kerethite(L) people;
the word of the Lord is against you,(M)
    Canaan, land of the Philistines.
He says, “I will destroy you,
    and none will be left.”(N)
6 The land by the sea will become pastures
    having wells for shepherds
    and pens for flocks.(O)
7 That land will belong
    to the remnant(P) of the people of Judah;
    there they will find pasture.
In the evening they will lie down
    in the houses of Ashkelon.
The Lord their God will care for them;
    he will restore their fortunes.[a](Q)

Moab and Ammon

8 “I have heard the insults(R) of Moab(S)
    and the taunts of the Ammonites,(T)
who insulted(U) my people
    and made threats against their land.(V)
9 Therefore, as surely as I live,”
    declares the Lord Almighty,
    the God of Israel,
“surely Moab(W) will become like Sodom,(X)
    the Ammonites(Y) like Gomorrah—
a place of weeds and salt pits,
    a wasteland forever.
The remnant of my people will plunder(Z) them;
    the survivors(AA) of my nation will inherit their land.(AB)”

10 This is what they will get in return for their pride,(AC)
    for insulting(AD) and mocking
    the people of the Lord Almighty.(AE)
11 The Lord will be awesome(AF) to them
    when he destroys all the gods(AG) of the earth.(AH)
Distant nations will bow down to him,(AI)
    all of them in their own lands.

Cush

12 “You Cushites,[b](AJ) too,
    will be slain by my sword.(AK)”

Assyria

13 He will stretch out his hand against the north
    and destroy Assyria,(AL)
leaving Nineveh(AM) utterly desolate
    and dry as the desert.(AN)
14 Flocks and herds(AO) will lie down there,
    creatures of every kind.
The desert owl(AP) and the screech owl(AQ)
    will roost on her columns.
Their hooting will echo through the windows,
    rubble will fill the doorways,
    the beams of cedar will be exposed.
15 This is the city of revelry(AR)
    that lived in safety.(AS)
She said to herself,
    “I am the one! And there is none besides me.”(AT)
What a ruin she has become,
    a lair for wild beasts!(AU)
All who pass by her scoff(AV)
    and shake their fists.(AW)

Jerusalem

3 Woe to the city of oppressors,(AX)
    rebellious(AY) and defiled!(AZ)
2 She obeys(BA) no one,
    she accepts no correction.(BB)
She does not trust(BC) in the Lord,
    she does not draw near(BD) to her God.
3 Her officials within her
    are roaring lions;(BE)
her rulers are evening wolves,(BF)
    who leave nothing for the morning.(BG)
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
    they are treacherous people.(BH)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
    and do violence to the law.(BI)
5 The Lord within her is righteous;(BJ)
    he does no wrong.(BK)
Morning by morning(BL) he dispenses his justice,
    and every new day he does not fail,(BM)
    yet the unrighteous know no shame.(BN)

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;(BO)
    they are deserted and empty.
7 Of Jerusalem I thought,
    ‘Surely you will fear me
    and accept correction!’(BP)
Then her place of refuge[c] would not be destroyed,
    nor all my punishments come upon[d] her.
But they were still eager
    to act corruptly(BQ) in all they did.
8 Therefore wait(BR) for me,”
    declares the Lord,
    “for the day I will stand up to testify.[e]
I have decided to assemble(BS) the nations,(BT)
    to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath(BU) on them—
    all my fierce anger.(BV)
The whole world will be consumed(BW)
    by the fire of my jealous anger.

Restoration of Israel’s Remnant

9 “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,
    that all of them may call(BX) on the name of the Lord(BY)
    and serve(BZ) him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush[f](CA)
    my worshipers, my scattered people,
    will bring me offerings.(CB)
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame(CC)
    for all the wrongs you have done to me,(CD)
because I will remove from you
    your arrogant boasters.(CE)
Never again will you be haughty
    on my holy hill.(CF)
12 But I will leave within you
    the meek(CG) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
    will trust(CH) in the name of the Lord.
13 They(CI) will do no wrong;(CJ)
    they will tell no lies.(CK)
A deceitful tongue
    will not be found in their mouths.(CL)
They will eat and lie down(CM)
    and no one will make them afraid.(CN)”

14 Sing, Daughter Zion;(CO)
    shout aloud,(CP) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice(CQ) with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;(CR)
    never again will you fear(CS) any harm.(CT)
16 On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.(CU)
17 The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.(CV)
He will take great delight(CW) in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,(CX)
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”(CY)

18 “I will remove from you
    all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
    which is a burden and reproach for you.
19 At that time I will deal
    with all who oppressed(CZ) you.
I will rescue the lame;
    I will gather the exiles.(DA)
I will give them praise(DB) and honor
    in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
    at that time I will bring(DC) you home.
I will give you honor(DD) and praise(DE)
    among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes[g](DF)
    before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 2:7 Or will bring back their captives
  2. Zephaniah 2:12 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  3. Zephaniah 3:7 Or her sanctuary
  4. Zephaniah 3:7 Or all those I appointed over
  5. Zephaniah 3:8 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder
  6. Zephaniah 3:10 That is, the upper Nile region
  7. Zephaniah 3:20 Or I bring back your captives
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