Zephaniah 1:6

1:6 and those who turn their backs on ¹  the Lord

and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.” ² 

Zephaniah 2:3

2:3 Seek the Lord’s favor, ³  all you humble people ⁴  of the land who have obeyed his commands! ⁵ 

Strive to do what is right! ⁶  Strive to be humble! ⁷ 

Maybe you will be protected ⁸  on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

Zephaniah 2:8

2:8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts

and the Ammonites’ insults.

They ⁹  taunted my people

and verbally harassed those living in Judah. ¹⁰ 

Zephaniah 3:7

3:7 I thought, ¹¹  ‘Certainly you will respect ¹²  me!

Now you will accept correction!’

If she had done so, her home ¹³  would not be destroyed ¹⁴ 

by all the punishments I have threatened. ¹⁵ 

But they eagerly sinned

in everything they did. ¹⁶ 

Zephaniah 1:1

Introduction

1:1 This is the prophetic message that the Lord gave to ¹⁷  Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. Zephaniah delivered this message during the reign of ¹⁸  King Josiah son of Amon of Judah:

Zephaniah 3:11

3:11 In that day you ¹⁹  will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me, ²⁰ 

for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast, ²¹ 

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

[1:6]  ¹ tn Heb “turn back from [following] after.”

[1:6]  ² tn Heb “who do not seek the Lord and do not inquire of him.” The present translation assumes the first verb refers to praying for divine help and the second to seeking his revealed will through an oracle. Note the usage of the two verbs in 2 Chr 20:3-4.

[2:3]  ³ tn Heb “seek the Lord,” but “favor” seems to be implied from the final line of the verse.

[2:3]  ⁴ tn Or “poor.” The precise referent of this Hebrew term is unclear. The word may refer to the economically poor or to the spiritually humble.

[2:3]  ⁵ tn The present translation assumes the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) here refers to God’s covenantal requirements and is a synonym for the Law. The word can mean “justice” and could refer more specifically to the principles of justice contained in the Law. In this case the phrase could be translated, “who have promoted the justice God demands.”

[2:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “Seek what is right.”

[2:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “Seek humility.”

[2:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”

[2:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “and they made great [their mouth?] against their territory.” Other possible translation options include (1) “they enlarged their own territory” (cf. NEB) and (2) “they bragged about [the size] of their own territory.”

[3:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “said.”

[3:7]  ⁸ tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.

[3:7]  ⁹ tn Or “dwelling place.”

[3:7]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.

[3:7]  ¹² tn Heb “But they got up early, they made corrupt all their actions.” The phrase “they got up early” probably refers to their eagerness to engage in sinful activities.

[1:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “The word of the Lord which came to.”

[1:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in the days of.” The words “Zephaniah delivered this message” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

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

[3:11]  ¹² tn Heb “In that day you not be ashamed because of all your actions, [in] which you rebelled against me.”

[3:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “the arrogant ones of your pride.”