1 What disaster is coming to corrupted, rebellious Jerusalem, you who oppress people! 2 You don't listen to anybody, you don't accept correction, you don't trust in the Lord, you don't ask for God's help. 3 Your leaders are as greedy as roaring lions; your judges are ravenous wolves that leave nothing behind by morning. 4 Your prophets are arrogant, deceitful men who defile what is sacred and who openly break the law. 5 But the Lord who does right is still among you, he does no wrong. Every morning he gives his judgment, every day without fail. But those who act unjustly have no shame. 6 I have destroyed nations. Their fortresses are deserted; their streets are empty; their cities are destroyed—there are no survivors, not one. 7 I told myself, “Surely they will respect me now and accept my correction. Then their homes would not be destroyed to teach them a lesson.” But instead you're just as eager to go on doing evil. 8 You just wait, declares the Lord. The day is coming when I will rise to give evidence. For I have decided to gather together all the nations and kingdoms and to pour out on them my anger, my fury and my rage. The whole earth will be burned up by the fire of my jealous anger. 9 For then I will give the nations pure speech so they can all pray and worship the Lord together. 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my scattered people, my worshipers, will come to bring their offerings to me. 11 On that day you won't be ashamed because of what you did in rebelling against me, for I will remove from among you those who are proud and boastful. Never again will you be conceited on my holy mountain. 12 I will leave among you those who are meek and humble, those who trust in the name of the Lord. 13 The people of Israel who remain will not act wickedly nor will they tell lies. They will not deceive one another. They will be able to eat in peace and sleep in safety for there will be nothing to frighten them. 14 Sing out, Jerusalem! Shout aloud, Israel! Jerusalem, be happy and celebrate with all your heart! 15 For the Lord has turned aside from punishing you, and he has turned back your enemies. The Lord, the king of Israel, is with you, and you will never again have to fear disaster. 16 On that day the message to the people of Jerusalem will be, “Don't be afraid; don't be discouraged!” 17 The Lord your God is among you as a mighty warrior who saves. He will be so happy with you. He will renew his love for you. He will celebrate over you with loud singing. 18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the religious festivals—you will no longer have to bear the disgrace. 19 Look at what I am going to do! At that time I am going to deal with all those who have oppressed you. I will save those who are helpless and bring back those who were scattered, and I will turn their shame into praise, and all the world will respect them. 20 At that time I will bring you home, gathering you together. I will give you a good reputation, and you will be praised by all the peoples of the earth when I restore your status before your very eyes, says the Lord.
Zephaniah · Free Bible Version
Zephaniah 3 Free Bible Version
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)