| 3:1 | The filthy,* stained city is as good as dead; the city filled with oppressors is finished!* |
| 3:2 | She is disobedient;* she refuses correction.* She does not trust the Lord; she does not seek the advice of* her God. |
| 3:3 | Her princes* are as fierce as roaring lions;* her rulers* are as hungry as wolves in the desert,* who completely devour their prey by morning.* |
| 3:4 | Her prophets are proud;* they are deceitful men. Her priests defile what is holy;* they break God’s laws.* |
| 3:5 | The just Lord resides* within her; he commits no unjust acts.* Every morning he reveals* his justice. At dawn he appears without fail.* Yet the unjust know no shame. |
| 3:6 | “I destroyed* nations; their walled cities* are in ruins. I turned their streets into ruins; no one passes through them. Their cities are desolate;* no one lives there.* |
| 3:7 | I thought,* ‘Certainly you will respect* me! Now you will accept correction!’ If she had done so, her home* would not be destroyed* by all the punishments I have threatened.* But they eagerly sinned in everything they did.* |
| 3:8 | Therefore you must wait patiently* for me,” says the Lord, “for the day when I attack and take plunder.* I have decided* to gather nations together and assemble kingdoms, so I can pour out my fury on them – all my raging anger. For* the whole earth will be consumed by my fiery anger. |
| 3:9 | Know for sure that I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise.* All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray,* and will worship him in unison.* |
| 3:10 | From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,* those who pray to me* will bring me tribute. |
| 3:11 | In that day you* will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me,* for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast,* and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill. |
| 3:12 | I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people,* and they will find safety in the Lord’s presence.* |
| 3:13 | The Israelites who remain* will not act deceitfully. They will not lie, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth. Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep* and lie down; no one will terrify them.” |
| 3:14 | Shout for joy, Daughter Zion!* Shout out, Israel! Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! |
| 3:15 | The Lord has removed the judgment against you;* he has turned back your enemy. Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst! You no longer need to fear disaster. |
| 3:16 | On that day they will say* to Jerusalem, “Don’t be afraid, Zion! Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic!* |
| 3:17 | The Lord your God is in your midst; he is a warrior who can deliver. He takes great delight in you;* he renews you by his love;* he shouts for joy over you.”* |
| 3:18 | “As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals – I took them away from you; they became tribute and were a source of shame to you.* |
| 3:19 | Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you. I will rescue the lame sheep* and gather together the scattered sheep. I will take away their humiliation and make the whole earth admire and respect them.* |
| 3:20 | At that time I will lead you – at the time I gather you together.* Be sure of this!* I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you* when you see me restore you,”* says the Lord. |
Zephaniah 3 - NET Bible [draft]
