Zephaniah 3:20

3:20 At that time I will lead you –

at the time I gather you together. ¹ 

Be sure of this! ²  I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you ³ 

when you see me restore you,” ⁴  says the Lord.

Zephaniah 3:19

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

I will rescue the lame sheep ⁵ 

and gather together the scattered sheep.

I will take away their humiliation

and make the whole earth admire and respect them. ⁶ 

Zephaniah 1:12

1:12 At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps.

I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, ⁷ 

those who think to themselves, ⁸ 

‘The Lord neither rewards nor punishes.’ ⁹ 

[3:20]  ¹ tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.

[3:20]  ² tn Or “for.”

[3:20]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.

[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.

[1:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “who thicken on their sediment.” The imagery comes from wine making, where the wine, if allowed to remain on the sediment too long, will thicken into syrup. The image suggests that the people described here were complacent in their sinful behavior and interpreted the delay in judgment as divine apathy.

[1:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “who say in their hearts.”

[1:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “The Lord does not do good nor does he do evil.”