Zephaniah 3

₁Jerusalem will suffer.

The people who live there

rebel_against the Lord.

They are bad, and they oppress each other.

₂They do not listen

when the Lord talks to them,

and they are disobedient.

They think the Lord can not help them

and they don't serve Him.

₃The officials in the city are like lions that roar.

The leaders are like wolves

that get their food at night

and don't leave anything

for the next morning.

₄The prophets think only of themselves,

and people can not believe them.

The priests make all the holy things impure.

They do not listen to the laws of the Lord.

₅In this city it is only the Lord

who is Righteous.

He does not do anything that is wrong.

Every morning when the sun comes up,

He says who is right and who is wrong.

But the people who do wrong

are not ashamed about it.

‘I have caused people of many nations to die.

I have destroyed the strong walls

around their cities.

There is no one walking in their streets,

and no one goes near them.

I have destroyed the houses in those cities,

and no one lives there anymore.

₇I have told the people of Jerusalem:

“You must honour Me,

and you must listen when I talk to you.”

If they had listened,

I would not have destroyed their city

and punished them.

But they kept on doing wrong.

Everything they did was wrong.’

₈‘That is why you must wait for the day

when I will come to punish you.

I have decided to call all the nations

to come together.

I want them to feel how angry I am.

I will burn all the people on earth

in the fire because I am angry.’

₉‘But on that day I will change the nations.

All of them will worship only Me,

and they will serve only Me.

₁₀The people who live

on the other side of the rivers of Cush

will bring Me gifts.

They are my people who serve Me,

but they had to flee to that land.

Yes, they will come and serve Me.

₁₁I will take away the people among you

who think they are very important.

There will be no more proud people

living on my holy_mountain.

Then you will not be ashamed

of everything you did

against Me anymore.

₁₂I will let only humble and poor people

stay in my city.

They will trust Me and feel safe with Me.

₁₃The Israelites who will still be alive

will not do wrong

and they will not tell lies.

All will be well with them,

like sheep and goats that eat enough

and then lie down and rest,

and no one will make them afraid.’

₁₄People of Israel, you who live in Jerusalem,

you must rejoice and be happy

₁₅because the Lord has decided

not to punish you.

He has stopped your enemies.

He made them turn_around and go away.

The real King of Israel,

the Lord, is with you.

Do not be afraid anymore.

₁₆On that day they will tell the people in Jerusalem:

‘Do not be afraid, people of Jerusalem,

and do not be discouraged.

₁₇The Lord your God is with you.

He is the Great Soldier who will save you.

He is happy and pleased with you,

and He will sing and rejoice over you.

He loves you and He sings over you.’

‘I will bring back all my people

who are in other lands, who suffer

and can not celebrate the feasts of the Lord.

₁₉I will now punish everyone

who has oppressed you.

I will help the cripple people and those

who had to flee and live in other places.

The other nations said my people are worthless,

but now all the nations on earth

will respect my people.

₂₀On that day I will bring you back home

and you will be together.

All the people on earth

will respect and praise you.

They will see how I bless you.’