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 ¹  will be consumed by his fiery wrath. ² 

Indeed, ³  he will bring terrifying destruction ⁴  on all who live on the earth.” ⁵ 

Zephaniah 2:15

2:15 This is how the once-proud city will end up ⁶  –

the city that was so secure. ⁷ 

She thought to herself, ⁸  “I am unique! No one can compare to me!” ⁹ 

What a heap of ruins she has become, a place where wild animals live!

Everyone who passes by her taunts her ¹⁰  and shakes his fist. ¹¹ 

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.”

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

[1:18]  ² tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”

[1:18]  ³ tn Or “for.”

[1:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”

[1:18]  ⁵ 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).

[2:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “this is the proud city.”

[2:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “the one that lived securely.”

[2:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “the one who says in her heart.”

[2:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “I [am], and besides me there is no other.”

[2:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “hisses”; or “whistles.”

[2:15]  ¹¹ sn Hissing (or whistling) and shaking the fist were apparently ways of taunting a defeated foe or an object of derision in the culture of the time.

[3:13]  ¹¹ tn Or “the remnant of Israel.”

[3:13]  ¹² tn The words “peacefully like sheep” are supplied in the translation for clarification.