Zephaniah 3
He Will Rejoice Over You with Singing
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O Conspicuous and Redeemed City
3:1O conspicuous and redeemed city, the dove-city!
3:2She did not heed a voice or accept discipline; she did not trust the Lord or approach her God.
3:3Her rulers within her are like roaring lions; her judges are like Arabian wolves, leaving nothing for morning.
3:4Her prophets are bearers of a spirit, contemptuous men; her priests profane holy things and act impiously toward law.
3:5But the Lord is righteous within her and will certainly do no injustice. Morning by morning He will bring His judgment to light; He was not hidden and knew no injustice in exaction, nor injustice in strife.
3:6In destruction I tore down the proud; their corners vanished. I will make their roads utterly desolate, with no passing through; their cities failed because no one existed or dwelt there.
3:7I said, “Only fear Me and accept discipline, and you will certainly not be destroyed from her eyes,” with all I exacted upon her. Prepare, rise early! All their gleaning has been ruined.
Wait for Me, Says the Lord
3:8Therefore wait for Me, says the Lord, for the day of My rising for testimony. My judgment is for assemblies of nations, to receive kings and pour all My furious wrath upon them; for all the earth will be consumed in My jealous fire.
3:9For then I will change a tongue for peoples, for its generation, so that all call upon the Lord’s name and serve Him under one yoke.
3:10From the far reaches of Ethiopia’s rivers they will bring sacrifices to Me.
3:11On that day you will certainly not be ashamed of all the practices by which you acted impiously toward Me; then I will remove from you the contemptuous acts of your arrogance, and you will no longer boast upon My holy mountain.
3:12I will leave within you a meek and humble people, and they will revere the Lord’s name,
3:13the remnant of Israel; they will do no injustice or speak vain things, and no deceitful tongue will be found in their mouth. For they will graze and lie down, and no one will frighten them.
Rejoice Greatly, Daughter Zion
3:14Rejoice greatly, daughter Zion! Proclaim, daughter Jerusalem! Be glad and delight with all your heart, daughter Jerusalem!
3:15The Lord removed your wrongdoings and redeemed you from your enemies’ hand. The Lord, King of Israel, is within you; you will see evils no more.
3:16At that time the Lord will say to Jerusalem, “Take courage, Zion; do not let your hands hang loose.
3:17The Lord your God is within you; mighty, He will save you. He will bring gladness upon you and renew you in His love; He will rejoice over you in delight as on a festival day.”
3:18I will gather the crushed. Alas! Who took up reproach against her?
3:19Look, I am acting within you for your sake at that time, says the Lord. I will save the oppressed and the rejected; I will receive them and make them a boast and renowned throughout the earth.
3:20They will be ashamed at that time, when I do good to you and when I receive you. I will make you renowned and a boast among all the earth’s peoples, when I turn your captivity before you, says the Lord.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.