ZEPHANIAH 3 [†] Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,

 f the oppressing city!

2 She listens to no voice;

 g she accepts no correction.

 h She does not trust in the LORD;

she does not draw near to her God.

3[†]  i Her officials within her

are roaring lions;

her judges are  j evening wolves

that leave nothing till the morning.

4[†]  k Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;

 k her priests  l profane what is holy;

they do violence to the law.

5[†] The LORD within her  m is righteous;

he does no injustice;

every morning he shows forth his justice;

each dawn he does not fail;

but  n the unjust knows no shame.

6  o “I have cut off nations;

their battlements are in ruins;

I have laid waste their streets

 p so that no one walks in them;

their cities have been made desolate,

without a man, without an inhabitant.

7[†]  q I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;

 r you will accept correction.

Then your [1] dwelling would not be cut off

according to all that I have appointed against you.’ [2]

But  s all the more they were eager

to make all their deeds corrupt.

8[†] “Therefore  t wait for me,” declares the LORD,

“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.

For my decision is  u to gather nations,

to assemble kingdoms,

to pour out upon them my indignation,

all my burning anger;

for in the fire of my jealousy

 v all the earth shall be consumed.

9[†] “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples

to  w a pure speech,

that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD

and serve him with one accord.

10[†]  x From beyond the rivers  y of Cush

my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,

shall bring my offering.

11[†]  z “On that day  a you shall not be put to shame

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

for then  b I will remove from your midst

your proudly exultant ones,

and  c you shall no longer be haughty

in my holy mountain.

12[†] But I will leave in your midst

a people  d humble and lowly.

 e They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,

13[†]  f those who are left in Israel;

they  g shall do no injustice

and speak no lies,

 h nor shall there be found in their mouth

a deceitful tongue.

 i For they shall graze and lie down,

and none shall make them afraid.”

14[†]  j Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;

shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

O daughter of Jerusalem!

15[^][†] The LORD has taken away the judgments against you;

he has cleared away your enemies.

 k The King of Israel,  l the LORD, is in your midst;

you shall never again fear evil.

16[†]  z On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

“Fear not, O Zion;

 m let not your hands grow weak.

17[†]  l The LORD your God is in your midst,

 n a mighty one who will save;

 o he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

18[†] I will gather those of you who mourn  p for the festival,

so that you will no longer suffer reproach. [3]

19[†] Behold, at that time  q I will deal

with all your oppressors.

And  r I will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change  s their shame into  t praise

and renown in all the earth.

20[†]  u At that time I will bring you in,

at the time when I gather you together;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

 v when I restore your fortunes

before your eyes,” says the LORD.