Zephaniah 2:8

2:8 “I have heard Moab’s taunts

and the Ammonites’ insults.

They ¹  taunted my people

and verbally harassed those living in Judah. ² 

Zephaniah 3:9

3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable

the nations to give me acceptable praise. ³ 

All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, ⁴ 

and will worship him in unison. ⁵ 

[2:8]  ¹ tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[2:8]  ² 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.”

[3:9]  ³ tn Heb “Certainly [or perhaps, “For”] then I will restore to the nations a pure lip.”

[3:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “so that all of them will call on the name of the Lord.”

[3:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “so that [they] will serve him [with] one shoulder.”