Zephaniah 2:3

Context

2:3 Seek the Lord’s favor,¹ all you humble people² of the land who have obeyed his commands!³

Strive to do what is right!⁴ Strive to be humble!⁵

Maybe you will be protected⁶ on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

Zephaniah 2:8

Context

2:8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts

and the Ammonites’ insults.

They⁷ taunted my people

and verbally harassed those living in Judah.⁸

Zephaniah 3:7

Context

3:7 I thought,⁹ ‘Certainly you will respect¹⁰ me!

Now you will accept correction!’

If she had done so, her home¹¹ would not be destroyed¹²

by all the punishments I have threatened.¹³

But they eagerly sinned

in everything they did.¹⁴

[2:3] ¹tn Heb “seek the Lord,” but “favor” seems to be implied from the final line of the verse.

[2:3] ²tn 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] ³tn 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] ⁴tn Heb “Seek what is right.”

[2:3] ⁵tn Heb “Seek humility.”

[2:3] ⁶tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”

[2:8] ⁷tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:8] ⁸tn 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] ¹³tn Heb “said.”

[3:7] ¹⁴tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.

[3:7] ¹⁵tn Or “dwelling place.”

[3:7] ¹⁶tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:7] ¹⁷tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.

[3:7] ¹⁸tn 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.