1 Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city! 2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in Jehovah; she drew not near to her God. 3 Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they leave nothing till the morrow. 4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. 5 Jehovah in the midst of her is righteous; he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame. 6 I have cut off nations; their battlements are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that none passeth by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant. 7 I said, Only fear thou me; receive correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, [according to] all that I have appointed concerning her: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings. 8 Therefore wait ye for me, saith Jehovah, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. 9 For then will I turn to the peoples of a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve him with one consent. 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering. 11 In that day shalt thou not be put to shame for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me; for then I will take away out of the midst of thee thy proudly exulting ones, and thou shalt no more be haughty in my holy mountain. 12 But I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the name of Jehovah. 13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. 14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15 Jehovah hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the King of Israel, even Jehovah, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not fear evil any more. 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack. 17 Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing. 18 I will gather them that sorrow for the solemn assembly, who were of thee; [to whom] the burden upon her was a reproach. 19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and I will save that which is lame, and gather that which was driven away; and I will make them a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the earth. 20 At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, saith Jehovah.
Zephaniah · American Standard Version (1901)
Zephaniah 3 American Standard Version (1901)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Jeremiah 6:6; Isaiah 59:13; Isaiah 30:12; Malachi 3:5; Zechariah 7:10
- 2 Jeremiah 5:3; Jeremiah 22:21; Psalm 73:28; Jeremiah 7:23–28; Psalm 78:22
- 3 Habakkuk 1:8; Ezekiel 22:25–27; Jeremiah 5:6; Psalm 10:8–10; Micah 3:1–4
- 4 Ezekiel 22:26; Lamentations 2:14; Hosea 9:7; Malachi 2:8; Micah 3:5–6
- 5 Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 145:17; Lamentations 3:23; Zephaniah 3:15; Isaiah 12:6
- 6 Zephaniah 2:5; 1 Corinthians 10:6; Jeremiah 25:9–11; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Isaiah 37:24–26
- 7 Hosea 9:9; Jeremiah 36:3; Zephaniah 3:2; Micah 2:1–2; Jeremiah 7:7
- 8 Joel 3:2; Zephaniah 1:18; Psalm 27:14; Micah 7:7; 2 Peter 3:10
- 9 Genesis 11:1; Isaiah 19:18; Psalm 22:27; Acts 2:4–13; Psalm 86:9–10
- 10 Isaiah 11:11; Psalm 68:31; Isaiah 18:1; Romans 15:16; 1 Peter 1:1
- 11 Isaiah 54:4; Isaiah 11:9; Joel 2:26–27; Isaiah 61:7; Daniel 9:16
- 12 Nahum 1:7; Isaiah 14:32; Zechariah 13:8–9; Isaiah 61:1–3; Isaiah 50:10
- 13 Revelation 14:5; Zephaniah 2:7; Micah 4:7; Isaiah 60:21; Micah 4:4
- 14 Isaiah 12:6; Micah 4:8; Zechariah 2:10–11; Psalm 95:1–2; Isaiah 65:18–19
- 15 Isaiah 51:22; Isaiah 60:18; Zephaniah 3:5; Amos 9:15; Ezekiel 39:29
- 16 Hebrews 12:12; Isaiah 35:3–4; Isaiah 41:10; Ephesians 3:13; Galatians 6:9
- 17 Psalm 149:4; Psalm 147:11; Hebrews 7:25; Isaiah 62:4–5; Jeremiah 32:41
- 18 Psalm 42:2–4; Zephaniah 3:20; Ezekiel 36:24; Lamentations 2:6–7; Lamentations 1:4
- 19 Isaiah 49:25–26; Isaiah 60:14; Jeremiah 30:16; Zephaniah 3:15; Micah 7:10
- 20 Malachi 3:12; Jeremiah 29:14; Isaiah 56:5; Isaiah 60:15; Joel 3:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, in the day of my resurrection, in the future; because it is my determination to assemble the nations, and gather together the kingdoms." And again he says, "The Lord will be terrible upon them, and will exterminate all the gods of the earth; and they shall worship Him every man from his place, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And farther on in the same context of Scripture He says, Therefore wait thou for Me, saith the Lord, until the day of My Resurrection at the Testimony.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
And I will leave in thee a meek and humble people, and they who shall be left of Israel shall fear the name of the Lord." These are the remnant of whom the apostle quotes that which is elsewhere prophesied: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved." …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
In the words of the Prophet that follow in the same context, He says plainly, For then will I turn to the peoples a language: since, after the Resurrection, when the Holy Ghost was sent forth the gift of tongues was granted, that they might serve the Lord under one yoke.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)