Zephaniah 3

ה֥וֹי מֹרְאָ֖ה וְנִגְאָלָ֑ה הָעִ֖יר הַיּוֹנָֽה׃ Ah, sullied, polluted,
Overbearing^aOverbearing Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Emendation yields “Whore”; cf. Isa. 1.21. city!

לֹ֤א שָֽׁמְעָה֙ בְּק֔וֹל לֹ֥א לָקְחָ֖ה מוּסָ֑ר בַּֽיהֹוָה֙ לֹ֣א בָטָ֔חָה אֶל־אֱלֹהֶ֖יהָ לֹ֥א קָרֵֽבָה׃ She heeds no call,
Has learned no lesson;
She has not trusted in GOD,
Has not drawn near to her God.

שָׂרֶ֣יהָ בְקִרְבָּ֔הּ אֲרָי֖וֹת שֹׁאֲגִ֑ים שֹׁפְטֶ֙יהָ֙ זְאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב לֹ֥א גָרְמ֖וּ לַבֹּֽקֶר׃ The officials within her
Are roaring lions;
Her judges are wolves of the steppe,
They leave no bone until morning.^bof the steppe, / They leave no bone until morning Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

נְבִיאֶ֙יהָ֙ פֹּֽחֲזִ֔ים אַנְשֵׁ֖י בֹּֽגְד֑וֹת כֹּהֲנֶ֙יהָ֙ חִלְּלוּ־קֹ֔דֶשׁ חָמְס֖וּ תּוֹרָֽה׃ Her prophets are reckless,
Totally faithless;
Her priests profane what is holy,
They give perverse rulings.

יְהֹוָ֤ה צַדִּיק֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה עַוְלָ֑ה בַּבֹּ֨קֶר בַּבֹּ֜קֶר מִשְׁפָּט֨וֹ יִתֵּ֤ן לָאוֹר֙ לֹ֣א נֶעְדָּ֔ר וְלֹא־יוֹדֵ֥עַ עַוָּ֖ל בֹּֽשֶׁת׃ But GOD in her midst is righteous,
And does no wrong;
[God] issues judgment every morning,
As unfailing as the light.
The wrongdoer knows no shame!

הִכְרַ֣תִּי גוֹיִ֗ם נָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ פִּנּוֹתָ֔ם הֶחֱרַ֥בְתִּי חוּצוֹתָ֖ם מִבְּלִ֣י עוֹבֵ֑ר נִצְדּ֧וּ עָרֵיהֶ֛ם מִבְּלִי־אִ֖ישׁ מֵאֵ֥ין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ I wiped out nations:
Their corner towers are desolate;
I turned their thoroughfares into ruins,
With none passing by;
Their towns lie waste with nobody around,
Without inhabitants.

אָמַ֜רְתִּי אַךְ־תִּֽירְאִ֤י אוֹתִי֙ תִּקְחִ֣י מוּסָ֔ר וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֣ת מְעוֹנָ֔הּ כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־פָּקַ֖דְתִּי עָלֶ֑יהָ אָכֵן֙ הִשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ הִשְׁחִ֔יתוּ כֹּ֖ל עֲלִילוֹתָֽם׃ And I thought that she^cshe Heb. “you.” would fear Me,
Would learn a lesson,
And that the punishment I brought on them^dthem Heb. “her.”
Would not be lost on her.^elost on her Lit. “cut off [from] her vision.”
Instead, all the more eagerly
They have practiced corruption in all their deeds.

לָכֵ֤ן חַכּוּ־לִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה לְי֖וֹם קוּמִ֣י לְעַ֑ד כִּ֣י מִשְׁפָּטִי֩ לֶאֱסֹ֨ף גּוֹיִ֜ם לְקׇבְצִ֣י מַמְלָכ֗וֹת לִשְׁפֹּ֨ךְ עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם זַעְמִי֙ כֹּ֚ל חֲר֣וֹן אַפִּ֔י כִּ֚י בְּאֵ֣שׁ קִנְאָתִ֔י תֵּאָכֵ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ But wait for Me—says GOD—
For the day when I arise as an accuser;^faccuser Understanding ʻad as equivalent to ʻed, with Septuagint and Syriac.
When I decide to gather nations,
To bring kingdoms together,
To pour out My indignation on them,
All My blazing anger.
Indeed, by the fire of My passion
All the earth shall be consumed.

כִּֽי־אָ֛ז אֶהְפֹּ֥ךְ אֶל־עַמִּ֖ים שָׂפָ֣ה בְרוּרָ֑ה לִקְרֹ֤א כֻלָּם֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה לְעׇבְד֖וֹ שְׁכֶ֥ם אֶחָֽד׃ For then I will make the peoples pure of speech,^gI will make the peoples pure of speech Thus reversing the primeval confounding of speech in Babel; cf. Abravanel and Gen. 11.9.
So that they all invoke GOD by name
And render service with one accord.^haccord Lit. “back,” i.e., like working animals.

מֵעֵ֖בֶר לְנַהֲרֵי־כ֑וּשׁ עֲתָרַי֙ בַּת־פּוּצַ֔י יוֹבִל֖וּן מִנְחָתִֽי׃ From beyond the rivers of Cush, My suppliantsⁱMy suppliants Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
Shall bring offerings to Me in Fair Puzai.^jPuzai Emendation yields “Zion.” For the thought, cf. Isa. 18.1, 7.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא לֹ֤א תֵב֙וֹשִׁי֙ מִכֹּ֣ל עֲלִילֹתַ֔יִךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּשַׁ֖עַתְּ בִּ֑י כִּי־אָ֣ז ׀ אָסִ֣יר מִקִּרְבֵּ֗ךְ עַלִּיזֵי֙ גַּאֲוָתֵ֔ךְ וְלֹא־תוֹסִ֧פִי לְגׇבְהָ֛ה ע֖וֹד בְּהַ֥ר קׇדְשִֽׁי׃ In that day,
You will no longer be shamed for all the deeds
By which you have defied Me.
For then I will remove
The proud and exultant within you,
And you will be haughty no more
On My sacred mount.^kOn My sacred mount I.e., in My holy land; cf. Isa. 11.9; 57.13; 65.25.

וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּ֣י בְקִרְבֵּ֔ךְ עַ֥ם עָנִ֖י וָדָ֑ל וְחָס֖וּ בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה׃ But I will leave within you
A poor, humble folk,
And they shall find refuge
In the name of GOD.

שְׁאֵרִ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל לֹֽא־יַעֲשׂ֤וּ עַוְלָה֙ וְלֹֽא־יְדַבְּר֣וּ כָזָ֔ב וְלֹֽא־יִמָּצֵ֥א בְּפִיהֶ֖ם לְשׁ֣וֹן תַּרְמִ֑ית כִּֽי־הֵ֛מָּה יִרְע֥וּ וְרָבְצ֖וּ וְאֵ֥ין מַחֲרִֽיד׃ {פ}
The remnant of Israel
Shall do no wrong
And speak no falsehood;
A deceitful tongue
Shall not be in their mouths.
Only such as these shall graze and lie down,
With none to trouble them.

רׇנִּי֙ בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן הָרִ֖יעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל שִׂמְחִ֤י וְעׇלְזִי֙ בְּכׇל־לֵ֔ב בַּ֖ת יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ Shout for joy, Fair Zion,
Cry aloud, O Israel!
Rejoice and be glad with all your heart,
Fair Jerusalem!

הֵסִ֤יר יְהֹוָה֙ מִשְׁפָּטַ֔יִךְ פִּנָּ֖ה אֹֽיְבֵ֑ךְ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל ׀ יְהֹוָה֙ בְּקִרְבֵּ֔ךְ לֹא־תִֽירְאִ֥י רָ֖ע עֽוֹד׃ {פ}
GOD has annulled the judgment against you,
And swept away your foes.
Israel’s Sovereign GOD is within you;
You need fear misfortune no more.

בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יֵאָמֵ֥ר לִירֽוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם אַל־תִּירָ֑אִי צִיּ֖וֹן אַל־יִרְפּ֥וּ יָדָֽיִךְ׃ In that day,
This shall be said to Jerusalem:
Have no fear, O Zion;
Let not your hands droop!

יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהַ֛יִךְ בְּקִרְבֵּ֖ךְ גִּבּ֣וֹר יוֹשִׁ֑יעַ יָשִׂ֨ישׂ עָלַ֜יִךְ בְּשִׂמְחָ֗ה יַֽחֲרִישׁ֙ בְּאַ֣הֲבָת֔וֹ יָגִ֥יל עָלַ֖יִךְ בְּרִנָּֽה׃ Your God the ETERNAL One is in your midst—
A warrior who brings triumph—
Who will rejoice over you and be glad,
Who will shout over you with jubilation
Who will lovingly soothe

נוּגֵ֧י מִמּוֹעֵ֛ד אָסַ֖פְתִּי מִמֵּ֣ךְ הָי֑וּ מַשְׂאֵ֥ת עָלֶ֖יהָ חֶרְפָּֽה׃ Those long disconsolate.^llovingly … disconsolate Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
I will take away from you the woe
Over which you endured mockery.^mthe woe … mockery Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

הִנְנִ֥י עֹשֶׂ֛ה אֶת־כׇּל־מְעַנַּ֖יִךְ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּ֣י אֶת־הַצֹּלֵעָ֗ה וְהַנִּדָּחָה֙ אֲקַבֵּ֔ץ וְשַׂמְתִּים֙ לִתְהִלָּ֣ה וּלְשֵׁ֔ם בְּכׇל־הָאָ֖רֶץ בׇּשְׁתָּֽם׃ At that time I will make [an end]
Of all who afflicted you.
And I will rescue the lame [sheep]
And gather the strayed;
And I will exchange their disgrace
For fame and renown in all the earth.

בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ אָבִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם וּבָעֵ֖ת קַבְּצִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אֶתֵּ֨ן אֶתְכֶ֜ם לְשֵׁ֣ם וְלִתְהִלָּ֗ה בְּכֹל֙ עַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ בְּשׁוּבִ֧י אֶת־שְׁבוּתֵיכֶ֛ם לְעֵינֵיכֶ֖ם אָמַ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה׃ At that time I will gather you,
And at [that] time I will bring you [home];
For I will make you renowned and famous
Among all the peoples on earth,
When I restore your fortunes
Before theirⁿtheir Heb. “your.” very eyes
—said GOD.