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The Lord wiped out nations
and left fortresses
    crumbling in the dirt.
Their streets and towns
were reduced to ruins
    and emptied of people.
God felt certain that Jerusalem
would learn to respect
    and obey him.
Then he would hold back
from punishing the city
    and not wipe it out.
But everyone there was eager
    to start sinning again.

Nations Will Turn to the Lord

The Lord said:
Just wait for the day
    when I accuse you nations.
I have decided on a day,
    when I will bring together
every nation and kingdom
and punish them all
    in my fiery anger.
I will become furious
    and destroy the earth.

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Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant

“I have destroyed nations;
    their strongholds are demolished.
I have left their streets deserted,
    with no one passing through.
Their cities are laid waste;(A)
    they are deserted and empty.
Of Jerusalem I thought,
    ‘Surely you will fear me
    and accept correction!’(B)
Then her place of refuge[a] would not be destroyed,
    nor all my punishments come upon[b] her.
But they were still eager
    to act corruptly(C) in all they did.
Therefore wait(D) for me,”
    declares the Lord,
    “for the day I will stand up to testify.[c]
I have decided to assemble(E) the nations,(F)
    to gather the kingdoms
and to pour out my wrath(G) on them—
    all my fierce anger.(H)
The whole world will be consumed(I)
    by the fire of my jealous anger.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:7 Or her sanctuary
  2. Zephaniah 3:7 Or all those I appointed over
  3. Zephaniah 3:8 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew will rise up to plunder