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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