Zephaniah 3:7

3:7 I thought, ¹  ‘Certainly you will respect ²  me!

Now you will accept correction!’

If she had done so, her home ³  would not be destroyed ⁴ 

by all the punishments I have threatened. ⁵ 

But they eagerly sinned

in everything they did. ⁶ 

Zephaniah 1:18

1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them

in the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

The whole earth ⁷  will be consumed by his fiery wrath. ⁸ 

Indeed, ⁹  he will bring terrifying destruction ¹⁰  on all who live on the earth.” ¹¹ 

[3:7]  ¹ tn Heb “said.”

[3:7]  ² tn Or “fear.” The second person verb form (“you will respect”) is feminine singular, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed.

[3:7]  ³ tn Or “dwelling place.”

[3:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “cut off.”

[3:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “all which I have punished her.” The precise meaning of this statement and its relationship to what precedes are unclear.

[3:7]  ⁶ 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.

[1:18]  ⁷ tn Or “land” (cf. NEB). This same word also occurs at the end of the present verse.

[1:18]  ⁸ tn Or “passion”; traditionally, “jealousy.”

[1:18]  ⁹ tn Or “for.”

[1:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “complete destruction, even terror, he will make.”

[1:18]  ¹¹ tn It is not certain where the Lord’s words end and the prophet’s words begin. It is possible that Zephaniah begins speaking in the middle of v. 17 or at the beginning of v. 18 (note the third person pronouns referring to the Lord).