Zephaniah 3:6-16

6 I lost folks, and the corners of them be destroyed; I made the ways of them desert, while there is not that shall pass. The cities of them be desolate, for a man is not left, neither any dweller. (The Lord saith, I have destroyed nations, and I have also destroyed their towers, or their fortresses; I have made their ways deserted, where there is no one who shall pass by. Their cities be desolate, for now no one is left there, not one inhabitant.)

7 I said, Nevertheless thou shalt dread me, thou shalt receive teaching; and the dwelling place thereof shall not perish, for all things in which I visited it; nevertheless full early they rising, have corrupted all their thoughts. (And I said, Now, my people, thou shalt fear me/thou shalt revere me, and thou shalt receive my discipline, or my correction; and thy dwelling place shall not perish, even after all the things which I did to it; but rising very early, they have continued to be corrupt in all their thoughts, and in all their doings.)

8 Wherefore abide thou me, saith the Lord, in the day of my rising again into coming. For my doom is, that I gather folks, and I shall gather realms; and I shall shed out on them mine indignation, and all the wrath of my strong vengeance; for in fire of my fervour all earth shall be devoured. (And so wait thou for me, saith the Lord, for the day to come of my rising again. For my judgement, or my justice, is, that I shall gather people, and I shall gather kingdoms; and then I shall pour out upon them my indignation, and all the anger of my strong vengeance; for in the fire of my fervour all the earth shall be devoured.)

9 For then I shall yield to peoples a chosen lip, that all call inwardly in the name of the Lord, and serve to him with one shoulder. (And then I shall give pure lips to the peoples, so that all of them can call upon the name of the Lord, and they shall serve him with one shoulder, or with one accord.)

10 Over the floods of Ethiopia, from thence my beseechers, the sons of my scattered men, shall bring gift to me. (Over the rivers of Ethiopia, from there my beseechers, the children of my scattered people, shall bring gifts to me.)

11 In that day thou shalt not be confounded on all thy findings, in which thou trespassedest against me; for then I shall take away from the middle of thee great speakers of thy pride, and thou shalt no more put to, for to be enhanced in mine holy hill. (On that day thou shalt no longer be ashamed for all thy doings, in which thou hast trespassed against me; for then I shall take away from thy midst all those who proclaim, or who declare, thy great pride, and thou shalt no more exalt, or no more raise up, thyselves upon my holy hill/and thou shalt no more rebel against me upon my holy hill.)

12 And I shall leave in the middle of thee a poor people and needy (And I shall leave in the midst of thee a poor and needy people); and they shall hope in the name of the Lord.

13 The remnants of Israel shall not do wickedness, neither shall speak leasing, and a guileful tongue shall not be found in the mouth of them; for they shall be fed, and shall rest, and there shall not be that shall make afeared. (The remnants of Israel shall not do wickedness, nor shall speak lies, and a deceitful tongue shall not be found in their mouths; for they shall be fed, and shall rest, and there shall not be anyone who shall make them afraid.)

14 These things saith the Lord, Daughter of Zion, praise thou heartily, sing thou, Israel; be thou glad, and make thou joy withoutforth in all thine heart, thou daughter of Jerusalem. (These things saith the Lord, Daughter of Zion, with a full heart praise thou, yea, sing thou, Israel; be thou happy, and rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.)

15 The Lord hath taken away thy doom, [he] hath turned away thine enemies; the king of Israel, the Lord, is in the middle of thee, thou shalt no more dread evil. (The Lord hath stopped thy judgement, or thy punishment, he hath turned away thy enemies; the King of Israel, the Lord, is in thy midst, thou shalt no more fear any evil.)

16 In that day it shall be said, Jerusalem, do not thou dread; Zion, thine hands be not benumbed. (On that day it shall be said, Jerusalem, do not thou fear; Zion, let not thy hands be benumbed, or be made limp.)

Zephaniah 3:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ZEPHANIAH 3

In this chapter the character of the city of Jerusalem, and its inhabitants in general, is drawn, as it would be, and as it was, in the times of Christ and his apostles, Zep 3:1,2 and of the principal persons of it in particular, its princes, judges, prophets, and priests, Zep 3:3,4. The hardness, impenitence, and shamelessness of this people, are exposed and aggravated by the just Lord being among them; who, by his example and doctrine, taught them otherwise; yet they were not amended or made ashamed, Zep 3:5 nor received instruction, nor took warning by the judgments of God on other nations, Zep 3:6,7 wherefore the followers of God are called upon to wait his time, who would gather many people together, and destroy the whole land of Judea, Zep 3:8 at which time he would send his Gospel among the Gentiles, who should thereby be brought to the true worship and service of God, Zep 3:9,10 though there should be a remnant among the Jews, according to the election of grace, that should be saved from that general calamity, Zep 3:11-13 and the spiritual Israel are encouraged with promises of better times, when the Jews in general should be converted and gathered into the church of God, have the presence and protection of God with them, and deliverance from all their enemies, and be a praise among all people of the earth, Zep 3:14-20.