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“I have cut off nations;
    their strongholds are deserted.
I have laid waste their streets,
    so that none pass through.
Their cities have been destroyed
    and are without a man, without an inhabitant.
I have said, ‘Surely she will fear me;
    she will accept discipline.
Then her dwelling place will not be cut down,
    nor all that I have brought upon her.’
Surely they rise early;
    they make all their deeds corrupt.
“Therefore, wait for me”—a declaration of Yahweh—
    “for the day of my rising as a witness.
For my decision is to gather nations,
    to assemble[a] kingdoms,
    to pour out my wrath upon them, all my burning anger.
For by the fire of my anger all the land shall be consumed.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:8 The traditional Hebrew has “assemble me”; this translation follows LXX

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