3:6 “I destroyed 1 nations;
their walled cities 2 are in ruins.
I turned their streets into ruins;
no one passes through them.
Their cities are desolate; 3
no one lives there. 4
3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 5 for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder. 6
I have decided 7 to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 8 the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
1 tn Heb “cut off.”
2 tn Heb “corner towers”; NEB, NRSV “battlements.”
3 tn This Hebrew verb (צָדָה, tsadah) occurs only here in the OT, but its meaning is established from the context and from an Aramaic cognate.
4 tn Heb “so that there is no man, without inhabitant.”
5 tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.
6 tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).
7 tn Heb “for my decision is.”
8 tn Or “certainly.”