Zephaniah 1:12

1:12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.

I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, ¹ 

those who think to themselves, ² 

‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’ ³ 

Zephaniah 1:18

1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them

in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

The whole earth ⁴  will be consumed by his fiery wrath. ⁵ 

Indeed, ⁶  he will bring terrifying destruction ⁷  on all who live on the earth.” ⁸ 

Zephaniah 3:11

3:11 In that day you ⁹  will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, ¹⁰ 

for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, ¹¹ 

and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill.

Zephaniah 3:13

3:13 The Israelites who remain ¹²  will not act deceitfully.

They will not lie,

and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth.

Indeed, they will graze peacefully like sheep ¹³  and lie down;

no one will terrify them.”

[1:12]  ¹ tn Heb “who thicken on their sediment.” The imagery comes from wine making, where the wine, if allowed to remain on the sediment too long, will thicken into syrup. The image suggests that the people described here were complacent in their sinful behavior and interpreted the delay in judgment as divine apathy.

[1:12]  ² tn Heb “who say in their hearts.”

[1:12]  ³ tn Heb “The Lord does not do good nor does he do evil.”

[1:18]  ⁴ tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.

[1:18]  ⁵ tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”

[1:18]  ⁶ tn Or “for.”

[1:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”

[1:18]  ⁸ tn It is not certain where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s words begin. It is possible that Zephaniah begins speaking in the middle of v. 17 or at the beginning of v. 18 (note the third person pronouns referring to the Lord).

[3:11]  ⁷ sn The second person verbs and pronouns are feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed here.

[3:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “In that day you not be ashamed because of all your actions, [in] which you rebelled against me.”

[3:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “the arrogant ones of your pride.”

[3:13]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the remnant of Israel.”

[3:13]  ¹¹ tn The words “peacefully like sheep” are supplied in the translation for clarification.