Zephaniah 2:1

The Prophet Warns the People

2:1 Bunch yourselves together like straw, ¹  you undesirable ²  nation,

Zephaniah 3:15

3:15 The Lord has removed the judgment against you; ³ 

he has turned back your enemy.

Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!

You no longer need to fear disaster.

Zephaniah 3:19-20

3:19 Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.

I will rescue the lame sheep ⁴ 

and gather together the scattered sheep.

I will take away their humiliation

and make the whole earth admire and respect them. ⁵ 

3:20 At that time I will lead you –

at the time I gather you together. ⁶ 

Be sure of this! ⁷  I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you ⁸ 

when you see me restore you,” ⁹  says the Lord.

[2:1]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text combines a Hitpolel imperative of קָשַׁשׁ (qashash) with a Qal imperative of the same root. Elsewhere this root appears in the polel stem with the meaning “gather stubble.” Zephaniah’s command is ironic, implying the people are like stubble or straw. As such, they are vulnerable to the Lord’s fiery judgment that will quickly consume them (see 1:18). See Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 96.

[2:1]  ² tn Some relate this word to an Aramaic cognate meaning “to be ashamed.” With the negative particle it would then mean “unashamed” (cf. NIV “shameful”; NRSV “shameless”). However, elsewhere in biblical Hebrew the verb means “to desire,” or with the negative particle “undesirable.” Cf. also NEB “unruly.”

[3:15]  ³ tn Heb “your judgments,” that is, “the judgments directed against you.” The translation reflects the implications of the parallelism.

[3:19]  ⁵ tn The word “sheep” is supplied for clarification. As in Mic 4:6-7, the exiles are here pictured as injured and scattered sheep whom the divine shepherd rescues from danger.

[3:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “I will make them into praise and a name, in all the earth, their shame.” The present translation assumes that “their shame” specifies “them” and that “name” stands here for a good reputation.

[3:20]  ⁷ tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.

[3:20]  ⁸ tn Or “for.”

[3:20]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.