Zephaniah 3 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

The Wickedness of Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s Sin and Redemption

Zep 3:1Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted,
To the oppressing city!

Zep 3:2She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the LORD,
She has not drawn near to her God.

Zep 3:3

Zep 3:3Her princes in her midst are roaring lions;
Her judges are evening wolves
That leave not a bone till morning.

Zep 3:4

Zep 3:4Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people;
Her priests have polluted the sanctuary,
They have done violence to the law.

Zep 3:5

Zep 3:5The LORD is righteous in her midst,
He will do no unrighteousness.
Every morning He brings His justice to light;
He never fails,
But the unjust knows no shame.

Zep 3:6

Zep 3:6“I have cut off nations,
Their fortresses are devastated;
I have made their streets desolate,
With none passing by.
Their cities are destroyed;
There is no one, no inhabitant.

Zep 3:7

Zep 3:7I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me,
You will receive instruction’—
So that her dwelling would not be cut off,
Despite everything for which I punished her.
But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.

A Faithful Remnant

(cf. Gen. 11:1–9; Acts 2:1–11 )

Zep 3:8

Zep 3:8“Therefore wait for Me,” says the LORD,
“Until the day I rise up for plunder;[fn]
My determination is to gather the nations
To My assembly of kingdoms,
To pour on them My indignation,
All My fierce anger;
All the earth shall be devoured
With the fire of My jealousy.

Zep 3:9

Zep 3:9“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language,
That they all may call on the name of the LORD,
To serve Him with one accord.

Zep 3:10

Zep 3:10From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers,
The daughter of My dispersed ones,
Shall bring My offering.

Zep 3:11

Zep 3:11In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds
In which you transgress against Me;
For then I will take away from your midst
Those who rejoice in your pride,
And you shall no longer be haughty
In My holy mountain.

Zep 3:12

Zep 3:12I will leave in your midst
A meek and humble people,
And they shall trust in the name of the LORD.

Zep 3:13

Zep 3:13The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness
And speak no lies,
Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth;
For they shall feed their flocks and lie down,
And no one shall make them afraid.”

Joy in God’s Faithfulness

Zep 3:14

Zep 3:14Sing, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!

Zep 3:15

Zep 3:15The LORD has taken away your judgments,
He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You shall see[fn] disaster no more.

Zep 3:16

Zep 3:16In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.

Zep 3:17

Zep 3:17The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zep 3:18

Zep 3:18“I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.

Zep 3:19

Zep 3:19Behold, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save the lame,
And gather those who were driven out;
I will appoint them for praise and fame
In every land where they were put to shame.

Zep 3:20

Zep 3:20At that time I will bring you back,
Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the LORD.

See the NKJV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NKJV Footnotes

(3:8)

Septuagint and Syriac read for witness; Targum reads for the day of My revelation for judgment; Vulgate reads for the day of My resurrection that is to come.

(3:15)

Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, and Bomberg read see; Masoretic Text and Vulgate read fear.

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For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.

Zephaniah Chapter 3 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New Living Translation New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

Zephaniah 3 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

NKJV Footnotes

Zephaniah Chapter 3 — Additional Translations:

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