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Zephaniah 3
New International Version

#### Jerusalem

3 Woe to the city of oppressors,(A)
rebellious(B) and defiled!(C)
2 She obeys(D) no one,
she accepts no correction.(E)
She does not trust(F) in the Lord,
she does not draw near(G) to her God.
3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;(H)
her rulers are evening wolves,(I)
who leave nothing for the morning.(J)
4 Her prophets are unprincipled;
they are treacherous people.(K)
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.(L)
5 The Lord within her is righteous;(M)
he does no wrong.(N)
Morning by morning(O) he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,(P)
yet the unrighteous know no shame.(Q)

#### 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;(R)
they are deserted and empty.
7 Of Jerusalem I thought,
‘Surely you will fear me
and accept correction!’(S)
Then her place of refuge[a] would not be destroyed,
nor all my punishments come upon[b] her.
But they were still eager
to act corruptly(T) in all they did.
8 Therefore wait(U) for me,”
declares the Lord,
“for the day I will stand up to testify.[c]
I have decided to assemble(V) the nations,(W)
to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath(X) on them—
all my fierce anger.(Y)
The whole world will be consumed(Z)
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(AA) on the name of the Lord(AB)
and serve(AC) him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush[d](AD)
my worshipers, my scattered people,
will bring me offerings.(AE)
11 On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame(AF)
for all the wrongs you have done to me,(AG)
because I will remove from you
your arrogant boasters.(AH)
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.(AI)
12 But I will leave within you
the meek(AJ) and humble.
The remnant of Israel
will trust(AK) in the name of the Lord.
13 They(AL) will do no wrong;(AM)
they will tell no lies.(AN)
A deceitful tongue
will not be found in their mouths.(AO)
They will eat and lie down(AP)
and no one will make them afraid.(AQ)”

14 Sing, Daughter Zion;(AR)
shout aloud,(AS) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice(AT) 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;(AU)
never again will you fear(AV) any harm.(AW)
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.(AX)
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.(AY)
He will take great delight(AZ) in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,(BA)
but will rejoice over you with singing.”(BB)

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(BC) you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.(BD)
I will give them praise(BE) and honor
in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring(BF) you home.
I will give you honor(BG) and praise(BH)
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes[e](BI)
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.

#### Footnotes

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

#### Cross references

1. Zephaniah 3:1 : S Jer 6:6
2. Zephaniah 3:1 : S Dt 21:18
3. Zephaniah 3:1 : S Eze 23:30
4. Zephaniah 3:2 : S Jer 22:21
5. Zephaniah 3:2 : S Lev 26:23; S Jer 7:28
6. Zephaniah 3:2 : S Dt 1:32
7. Zephaniah 3:2 : S Ps 73:28
8. Zephaniah 3:3 : S Ps 22:13
9. Zephaniah 3:3 : S Ge 49:27
10. Zephaniah 3:3 : S Mic 3:3
11. Zephaniah 3:4 : S Ps 25:3; S Isa 48:8; Jer 3:20; 9:4; Mal 2:10
12. Zephaniah 3:4 : S Jer 23:11; S Eze 22:26
13. Zephaniah 3:5 : S Ezr 9:15
14. Zephaniah 3:5 : Dt 32:4
15. Zephaniah 3:5 : S Ps 5:3
16. Zephaniah 3:5 : S La 3:23
17. Zephaniah 3:5 : S Jer 3:3; S Eze 18:25
18. Zephaniah 3:6 : S Lev 26:31
19. Zephaniah 3:7 : S Jer 7:28
20. Zephaniah 3:7 : S Hos 9:9
21. Zephaniah 3:8 : S Ps 27:14
22. Zephaniah 3:8 : S Joel 3:11
23. Zephaniah 3:8 : S Isa 2:3
24. Zephaniah 3:8 : Ps 79:6; Rev 16:1
25. Zephaniah 3:8 : S Jer 10:25; S La 4:11
26. Zephaniah 3:8 : S Zep 1:18
27. Zephaniah 3:9 : S Zep 2:11
28. Zephaniah 3:9 : S Ge 4:26
29. Zephaniah 3:9 : S Isa 19:18
30. Zephaniah 3:10 : S Ge 10:6; S Ps 68:31
31. Zephaniah 3:10 : S 2Ch 32:23; S Isa 60:7
32. Zephaniah 3:11 : S Isa 29:22; S Joel 2:26-27
33. Zephaniah 3:11 : S Ge 50:15
34. Zephaniah 3:11 : S Ps 59:12
35. Zephaniah 3:11 : S Ex 15:17; S Lev 26:19
36. Zephaniah 3:12 : Isa 14:32
37. Zephaniah 3:12 : S Jer 29:12; Na 1:7
38. Zephaniah 3:13 : S Isa 10:21
39. Zephaniah 3:13 : Ps 119:3; S Isa 4:3
40. Zephaniah 3:13 : S Jer 33:16; Rev 14:5
41. Zephaniah 3:13 : S Job 16:17
42. Zephaniah 3:13 : Eze 34:15; Zep 2:7
43. Zephaniah 3:13 : S Lev 26:6; S Eze 34:25-28
44. Zephaniah 3:14 : S Ps 9:14; Zec 2:10
45. Zephaniah 3:14 : S Ps 95:1; Isa 12:6; Zec 2:10
46. Zephaniah 3:14 : S Ps 9:2; S Isa 51:11
47. Zephaniah 3:15 : Eze 37:26-28
48. Zephaniah 3:15 : S Isa 54:14
49. Zephaniah 3:15 : Zec 9:9
50. Zephaniah 3:16 : S 2Ki 19:26; S Job 4:3; Isa 35:3-4; Heb 12:12
51. Zephaniah 3:17 : S Isa 63:1; S Joel 2:21
52. Zephaniah 3:17 : S Dt 28:63; S Isa 62:4
53. Zephaniah 3:17 : S Hos 14:4
54. Zephaniah 3:17 : S Isa 40:1
55. Zephaniah 3:19 : S Isa 14:2
56. Zephaniah 3:19 : S Eze 34:16; S Mic 4:6
57. Zephaniah 3:19 : Isa 60:18
58. Zephaniah 3:20 : S Jer 29:14; S Eze 37:12
59. Zephaniah 3:20 : Isa 56:5; 66:22
60. Zephaniah 3:20 : S Dt 26:19; S Isa 60:18
61. Zephaniah 3:20 : S Joel 3:1

New International Version (NIV)

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