Zephaniah 3

¹Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled , the oppressing city !

²She listens to no voice ; she accepts no correction . She does not trust in the Lord; she does not draw near to her God .

³Her officials within her are roaring lions ; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning .

⁴Her prophets are fickle , treacherous men ; her priests profane what is holy ; they do violence to the law .

⁵The Lord within her is righteous ; he does no injustice ; every morning he shows forth his justice ; each dawn he does not fail ; but the unjust knows no shame .

⁶I have cut off nations ; their battlements are in ruins ; I have laid waste their streets so that no one walks in them; their cities have been made desolate , without a man , without an inhabitant .

⁷I said , Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction . Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you. But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt .

⁸Therefore wait for me, declares the Lord, for the day when I rise up to seize the prey . For my decision is to gather nations , to assemble kingdoms , to pour out upon them my indignation , all my burning anger ; for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed .

⁹For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech , that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord .

¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers , the daughter of my dispersed ones, shall bring my offering .

¹¹On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain .

¹²But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly . They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,

¹³those who are left in Israel ; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies , nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue . For they shall graze and lie down , and none shall make them afraid .

¹⁴Sing 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 . The King of Israel , the Lord, is in your midst ; you shall never again fear evil .

¹⁶On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem : Fear not , O Zion ; let not your hands grow weak .

¹⁷The Lord your God is in your midst , a mighty one who will save ; 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 for the festival , so that you will no longer suffer reproach .

¹⁹Behold , at that time I will deal with all your oppressors . And I will save the lame and gather the outcast , and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth .

²⁰At 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 , when I restore your fortunes before your eyes , says the Lord.