Zephaniah 3 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Jerusalem, your people fought against God! Your people hurt other people, and you have been stained with sin!

² Your people didn’t listen to me! They didn’t accept my teachings. Jerusalem didn’t trust the Lord. Jerusalem didn’t go to her God.

³ Jerusalem’s leaders are like roaring lions. Her judges {\cf2\super [19]} are like hungry wolves that come in the evening \{to attack the sheep\}—and in the morning nothing is left.

⁴ Her prophets {\cf2\super [20]} are always making their secret plans to get more and more. Her priests have treated holy things like they are not holy. They have done bad things to God’s teachings.

⁵ But God is still in that city. And he continues to be good. God does not do anything wrong. He continues to help his people. Morning after morning he helps his people make good decisions. But those bad people are not ashamed of the bad things they do.

⁶ \{God says,\} “I have destroyed whole nations. I destroyed their defense towers. I destroyed their streets and now no one goes there any more. Their cities are empty—no one lives there any more.

⁷ I tell you these things so you will learn a lesson. I want you to fear and respect me. If you do this, then your home won’t be destroyed. If you do this, then I won’t have to punish you the way I planned.” But those bad people only wanted to do more of the same bad things they had already done!

⁸ The Lord said, “So just wait! Wait for me to stand and judge you. I have the right to bring people from many nations and use them to punish you. I will use those people to show my anger against you. I will use them to show how upset I am—and the whole country will be destroyed!

⁹ Then I will change people from other nations so they can speak the language clearly and call out the name of the Lord. They will all worship me together, shoulder to shoulder, as one people.

¹⁰ People will come all the way from the other side of the river in Ethiopia. My scattered people will come to me. My worshipers will come and bring their gifts to me.

¹¹ “Then, Jerusalem, you will no longer be ashamed of the bad things your people do against me. Why? Because I will remove all of those bad people from Jerusalem. I will take away all of those proud people. There won’t be any of those proud people on my holy mountain. {\cf2\super [21]}

¹² I will let only meek and humble people stay in my city (Jerusalem). And they will trust the Lord’s name.

¹³ The survivors {\cf2\super [22]} of Israel won’t do bad things. They won’t tell lies. They won’t try to trick people with lies. They will be like sheep that eat and lie down in peace—and no one will bother them.”

¹⁴ Jerusalem, sing and be happy!\par Israel, shout for joy!\par Jerusalem, be happy and have fun!\par

¹⁵ Why? Because the Lord stopped\par your punishment!\par He destroyed your enemies’ strong towers!\par King of Israel, the Lord is with you.\par You don’t need to worry\par about anything bad happening.\par

¹⁶ At that time, Jerusalem will be told,\par “Be strong, don’t be afraid!\par

¹⁷ The Lord your God is with you.\par He is like a powerful soldier.\par He will save you.\par He will show how much he loves you.\par He will show you how happy he is\par with you.\par He will laugh and be happy about you,\par

¹⁸ like people at a party.”\par The Lord said,\par “I will take away your shame.\par I will make those people stop hurting you. {\cf2\super [23]} \par

¹⁹ At that time, I will punish the people\par that hurt you.\par I will save my hurt people.\par I will bring back the people\par that were forced to run away.\par And I will make them famous.\par People everywhere will praise them.\par

²⁰ At that time, I will bring you back.\par I will bring you back together.\par I will make you famous.\par People everywhere will praise you.\par That will happen when I bring back the prisoners before your very own eyes!”\par The Lord said those things.\par