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 2:9

2:9 Therefore, as surely as I live,” says the Lord who commands armies, the God of Israel,

“be certain that Moab will become like Sodom

and the Ammonites like Gomorrah.

They will be overrun by weeds, ⁶ 

filled with salt pits, ⁷ 

and permanently desolate.

Those of my people who are left ⁸  will plunder their belongings; ⁹ 

those who are left in Judah ¹⁰  will take possession of their land.”

Zephaniah 2:14

2:14 Flocks and herds ¹¹  will lie down in the middle of it,

as well as every kind of wild animal. ¹² 

Owls ¹³  will sleep in the tops of its support pillars;

they will hoot through the windows. ¹⁴ 

Rubble will cover the thresholds; ¹⁵ 

even the cedar work ¹⁶  will be exposed to the elements. ¹⁷ 

Zephaniah 3:11

3:11 In that day you ¹⁸  will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, ¹⁹ 

for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, ²⁰ 

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

Zephaniah 3:13

3:13 The Israelites who remain ²¹  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 ²²  and lie down;

no one will terrify them.”

Zephaniah 3:20

3:20 At that time I will lead you –

at the time I gather you together. ²³ 

Be sure of this! ²⁴  I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you ²⁵ 

when you see me restore you,” ²⁶  says the Lord.

[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).

[2:9]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew text reads מִמְשַׁק חָרוּל (mimshaq kharul, “[?] of weeds”). The meaning of the first word is unknown. The present translation (“They will be overrun by weeds”) is speculative, based on the general sense of the context. For a defense of “overrun” on linguistic grounds, see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 347. Cf. NEB “a pile of weeds”; NIV “a place of weeds”; NRSV “a land possessed by nettles.”

[2:9]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text reads וּמִכְרֵה־מֶלַח (umikhreh-melakh, “and a [?] of salt”). The meaning of the first word is unclear, though “pit” (NASB, NIV, NRSV; NKJV “saltpit”), “mine,” and “heap” (cf. NEB “a rotting heap of saltwort”) are all options. The words “filled with” are supplied for clarification.

[2:9]  ⁸ tn Or “The remnant of my people.”

[2:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “them.” The actual object of the plundering, “their belongings,” has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “[the] nation.” For clarity the “nation” has been specified as “Judah” in the translation.

[2:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “flocks.” The Hebrew word can refer to both flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.

[2:14]  ¹² tn Heb “[and] all the wild animals of a nation.” How גוֹי (goy, “nation”) relates to what precedes is unclear. It may be a corruption of another word. See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 193.

[2:14]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew text reads here גַּם־קָאַת גַּם־קִפֹּד (gam-qa’at gam-qippod). The term קָאַת refers to some type of bird (see Lev 11:18; Deut 14:17) that was typically found near ruins (Isa 34:11); one of the most common translations is “owl” (cf. NEB “horned owl”; NIV, NRSV “desert owl”; contra NASB “pelican”). The term קִפֹּד may also refer to a type of bird (cf. NEB “ruffed bustard”; NIV, NRSV “screech owl”). Some suggest a rodent may be in view (cf. NASB “hedgehog”); this is not unreasonable, for a rodent or some other small animal would be able to sleep in the tops of pillars which would be lying in the ruins of the fallen buildings.

[2:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “a sound will sing in the window.” If some type of owl is in view, “hoot” is a more appropriate translation (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[2:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “rubble [will be] on the threshold.” “Rubble” translates the Hebrew word חֹרֶב (khorev, “desolation”). Some emend to עֹרֵב (’orev, “raven”) following the LXX and Vulgate; Adele Berlin translates, “A voice shall shriek from the window – a raven at the sill” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 104).

[2:14]  ¹⁶ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “cedar work” (so NASB, NRSV) is unclear; NIV has “the beams of cedar.”

[2:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “one will expose.” The subject is probably indefinite, though one could translate, “for he [i.e., God] will lay bare.”

[3:11]  ¹⁶ sn The second person verbs and pronouns are feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed here.

[3:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “In that day you not be ashamed because of all your actions, [in] which you rebelled against me.”

[3:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the arrogant ones of your pride.”

[3:13]  ²¹ tn Or “the remnant of Israel.”

[3:13]  ²² tn The words “peacefully like sheep” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:20]  ²⁶ tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.

[3:20]  ²⁷ tn Or “for.”

[3:20]  ²⁸ tn Heb “I will make you into a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth.” Here the word “name” carries the nuance of “good reputation.”

[3:20]  ²⁹ tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.