THE PROPHET
ZEPHANIAH
Zephaniah 3 ©
The prophet’s complaint of the sins among all sorts and conditions of the Jewish people, especially of their stubbornness, v. 1, etc. He threatens them with the judgments of God, 8. Thereafter he prophecies how God would bring the heathen unto the knowledge of Him and cleanse His church from her sins, protecting her, and destroying her enemies, till He would bring her to glory, 9, etc.
WOE to her 1that is filthy and 2polluted, to 3the oppressing city!
She obeyed not the 4voice; 5she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she 6drew not near to her God.
Hera princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are 7evening wolves; 8they gnaw not the bones 9till the morrow.
Herb prophets are light and 10treacherous persons: her priests 11have polluted the sanctuary, 12they have done violence to the law.
13The just LORD 14is in the midst 15thereof; he willc not do iniquity: 16every morning 17doth he bring his judgment to light, 18he faileth not; but the unjust 19knoweth no shame.
I have cut off the nations: 20their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, 21so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
22I said, 23Surely 24thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so 25their dwelling should not be cut off, 26howsoever I punished them: 27but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
¶Therefore 28wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: 29for my determination is to gather 30the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, 31to pour 32upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for 33all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
For 34then 35will I turn to the people a pure 36language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him 37with one consent.
From beyond the rivers 38of Ethiopia my 39suppliants, 40even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring 41mine offering.
In that day shalt 42thou 43not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy 44pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty 45because of my holy mountain.
I will also leave in the midst of thee 46an afflicted and 47poor people, and they shall trust 48in the name of the LORD.
49The remnant of Israel 50shall not do iniquity, 51nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for 52they shall feed and lie down, and 53none shall make them afraid.
¶Sing, Od daughter of Zion; 54shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, 55O daughter of Jerusalem.
The LORD hath taken away thy 56judgments, he hath 57cast out 58thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, 59is in the midst of thee: thou 60shalt not see evil any more.
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: 61and to Zion, 62Let not thine hands be slack.
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is 63mighty; he will save, he will rejoice 64over thee with joy; 65he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
I will gather them that are 66sorrowful for the solemn assembly, 67who are of thee, 68to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that 69halteth, and gather her that was 70driven out; and 71I will get them praise and 72fame 73in every land where they have been put to shame.
At that time will I bring 74you 75again, even in the time that I gather you: 76for I will make you a name and a praise 77among all people of the earth, when I turn back 78your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.