Zephaniah 3:2

3:2 She is disobedient; ¹ 

she refuses correction. ² 

She does not trust the Lord;

she does not seek the advice of ³  her God.

Zephaniah 3:7

3:7 I thought, ⁴  ‘Certainly you will respect ⁵  me!

Now you will accept correction!’

If she had done so, her home ⁶  would not be destroyed ⁷ 

by all the punishments I have threatened. ⁸ 

But they eagerly sinned

in everything they did. ⁹ 

[3:2]  ¹ tn Heb “she does not hear a voice” Refusing to listen is equated with disobedience.

[3:2]  ² tn Heb “she does not receive correction.” The Hebrew phrase, when negated, refers elsewhere to rejecting verbal advice (Jer 17:23; 32:33; 35:13) and refusing to learn from experience (Jer 2:30; 5:3).

[3:2]  ³ tn Heb “draw near to.” The present translation assumes that the expression “draw near to” refers to seeking God’s will (see 1 Sam 14:36).

[3:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[3:7]  ⁵ tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.

[3:7]  ⁶ tn Or “dwelling place.”

[3:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.

[3:7]  ⁹ 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.