Zephaniah 3
3
Judgment on Jerusalem and the Nations
1Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
#
Jer. 6:6
the oppressing city!
2She listens to no voice;
#
Jer. 5:3 she accepts no correction.
# [ver. 12 ] She does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.
3 #
Ezek. 22:27; [
Mic. 3:9, 10 ] Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are #Hab. 1:8evening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.
4 #
Jer. 23:11; Hos. 9:7 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
#
Jer. 23:11; Hos. 9:7 her priests #Ezek. 22:26profane what is holy;
they do violence to the law.
5The Lord within her #[Jer. 12:1] is righteous;
he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but #[ch. 2:1]the unjust knows no shame.
6 # See ch.
2:4-15 “I have cut off nations;
their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
# [
Zech. 7:14; 9:8 ] so that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
without a man, without an inhabitant.
7 # [
Jer. 36:3
] I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
# [ver.
2
] you will accept correction.
Then your#3:7 Hebrew her dwelling would not be cut off
according to all that I have appointed against you.’#3:7 Hebrew her
But #[Mic. 7:3]all the more they were eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.
8“Therefore #Hab. 2:3; See Isa. 8:17 wait for me,” declares the Lord,
“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is #Joel 3:2 to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
# [ch.
1:18
] all the earth shall be consumed.
The Conversion of the Nations
9“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
to #Isa. 19:18a pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.
10 #
Ps. 68:31; Isa. 11:11; 60:4 From beyond the rivers #[ch. 2:12]of Cush
my worshipers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
shall bring my offering.
11 #
Isa. 2:11 “On that day #[Isa. 54:4] you shall not be put to shame
because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then #[Mal. 4:1] I will remove from your midst
your proudly exultant ones,
and #Jer. 7:4; [Matt. 3:9]you shall no longer be haughty
in my holy mountain.
12But I will leave in your midst
a people #Isa. 14:32; [Matt. 5:3] humble and lowly.
# [ver.
2
] They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,
13 # [ch.
2:7
] those who are left in Israel;
they #Isa. 60:21 shall do no injustice
and speak no lies,
# [
Rev. 14:5
] nor shall there be found in their mouth
a deceitful tongue.
# See
Mic. 5:4
For they shall graze and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”
Israel’s Joy and Restoration
14 #
Isa. 12:6; 54:1; Zech. 2:10; 9:9 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
#
Matt. 27:42; John 1:49 The King of Israel, #Ps. 46:5; Zech. 2:10; [Rev. 21:3]the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 # [See ver. 11 above] On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
# [
Isa. 35:3; Heb. 12:12 ] let not your hands grow weak.
17 # [See ver. 15 above] The Lord your God is in your midst,
# [
Isa. 63:1
] a mighty one who will save;
#
Isa. 62:5; Jer. 32:41 he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18I will gather those of you who mourn #Lam. 1:4; 2:6for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach.#3:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
19Behold, at that time #[Isa. 60:14] I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And #Mic. 4:6, 7 I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change #Isa. 61:7 their shame into #[Jer. 13:11; 33:9]praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 #
Isa. 11:12; Jer. 32:37; Ezek. 11:17 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,
# ch.
2:7
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.
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Zephaniah 3: ESV
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