- ZEPHANIAH
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3
Yahweh will some day restore Jerusalem, whose people have rebelled against him
1 Terrible things will also happen to Jerusalem,
that city whose people have rebelled against Yahweh
and who have become unacceptable to him because of the sins that they have committed.
They act violently toward others and they ◄oppress/treat cruelly► other people.
2 The people there do not pay attention to people who tell them the wrong things that they are doing
and try to ◄correct them/cause them to quit doing those things►.
The people in Jerusalem do not trust in Yahweh
or draw near to ask help from their God.
3 Their leaders are like [MET] roaring lions;
they are like [MET] wolves that attack other animals during the evening,
and eat everything that they kill,
with the result that the next morning there is nothing left of those animals to eat.
4 The prophets in Jerusalem are proud,
and they give messages that are not to be trusted.
Their priests cause the temple to be unholy
by doing things that are opposed to the laws of Moses.
5 But Yahweh is also in the city;
and he never does what is wrong.
He treats people justly/fairly;
he does that every day,
but wicked people are never ashamed about their doing what is wrong.
6 Yahweh says this:
“I have destroyed many nations;
I have destroyed their strong/high city walls and towers.
Now I have caused the streets in those cities to be completely deserted [DOU];
the cities are ruined.
There are no people still alive in the cities;
they are all dead [LIT].
7 So I thought to myself,
‘Because of what I have done to those other nations,
surely the people of Jerusalem will revere me now,
and they will accept ◄my correcting them/my telling them to quit doing what is wrong►.
If they do that, I will not destroy their houses;
I will not punish them like I said that I would do.’
But in spite of knowing how I punished those other nations,
they were still eager to get up early each morning
and continue to do evil things.
8 Therefore I, Yahweh, say,
‘Wait for the day in which I will testify in court about your evil things.’
I have decided to gather the people of the kingdoms of the earth [DOU]
and cause them to know that I am very angry with them.
All over the earth I will punish and destroy people;
my being angry with them because I ◄am jealous/want people to worship no other god► is like [MET] a ◄raging/very hot► fire.
9 When that happens, I will cause all people [MTY] to be changed
and enable them to speak only what is ◄pure/pleasing to me►,
in order that everyone can worship me [MTY]
and unitedly/together serve me [MTY].
10 Then my people who were forced to go to other countries, those who live along the upper part of the Nile River in Ethiopia
will come to me and bring offerings to me.
11 At that time, you people in Jerusalem will no longer be ashamed about what has happened to you,
because you no longer will be rebelling against me.
I will get rid of all the people among you who are very proud [DOU].
No one on Zion, my holy hill, will strut around proudly.
12 Those who are still alive in Israel will be poor and humble;
they will be people who trust in me [MTY].
13 Those people who are still alive there in Israel will not do things that are wrong;
they will not tell lies or deceive [MTY] people.
They will eat and sleep safely,
because no one will cause them to be afraid.”
14 You people who live in Jerusalem [DOU] and other places in Israel,
sing and shout loudly!
Be glad, and rejoice [DOU] greatly,
15 because Yahweh will stop punishing [MTY] you,
and he will send away from you the armies of your enemies!
And Yahweh himself, the king of us Israeli people, will live among us,
and never again will we be afraid that others will harm us.
16 At that time, other people will say to us people of Jerusalem,
“You people of [APO] Jerusalem, do not be afraid;
do not become afraid or discouraged,
17 because Yahweh your God is living among you.
He is mighty, and he will rescue/save you.
He will be very happy with you;
because he loves you, he will cause you to not be afraid;
he will sing loudly to rejoice over you.”
18 Yahweh says, “You people were sad and ashamed
because you were unable to attend your religious festivals;
but I will cause you to no longer be disgraced.
19 Truly, I will severely punish all those who ◄oppressed you/caused you to suffer►.
I will rescue those who are helpless
and those who were forced to go to other countries.
I will enable them to be praised and honored in every country to which they were ◄exiled/forced to go►,
places where they were disgraced.
20 At that time, I will gather you together
and bring you back home to Israel.
I will cause you to ◄have a good reputation/be honored► and be greatly praised
among all the nations of the earth.
You [MTY] will see me causing you to prosper again.
That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.”

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© 2008-2017 Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.