Zephaniah 3
EasyEnglish Bible
The Lord will punish Jerusalem
3 It will be very bad for the city!
It is like something that is dirty.
Its people will not obey me. They like to fight weak people. They also like to do bad things.
2 They do not listen to anyone's voice.
Nobody can warn them that they are doing wrong things.
They do not trust in the Lord.
They do not come near to their God.
3 The rulers of the city make a very loud noise with their voices like big wild animals.
Its judges are like hungry wolves.
They are like wolves that have even eaten all an animal's bones before morning.
4 Its prophets do not know what to think.
People cannot trust them.
Its priests have done wrong things,
even in God's holy house.
They have also made changes to God's rules.
They have made changes that they want.
5 But the Lord is among all the people in the city.[a]
He will do what is right.
He is always the honest judge.
He never fails.
But the bad people do not know how to be ashamed.
6 ‘I have destroyed nations,’ the Lord says.
‘There is nobody in their strong towers now.
I have made their streets empty, so no people are there.
I have destroyed their cities.
So nobody lives in them now.
7 I said, “Now people in the city will respect me!
Now they will agree when people warn them.”
The people would have been safe if they had accepted it.
Then I would not have to destroy them.
But it did not happen. I had to punish them.
Still, the people got up early to do bad things.
8 So wait for me,
I will stand up and I will punish the nations.
I have decided to bring together the nations and the people that kings rule over.
Then I will punish them very, very much.
They will see how angry I am.
They will see it because, on that day, I will burn all the earth.’
That is what the Lord says.
The Lord will make the people pure
9 ‘Then I will give to people lips that I have made pure.
With those lips, they will call me Lord.[b]
And then, all the people will agree to work together for me.’
10 ‘Some people live a long way beyond the rivers of Cush.
Yes, my people who pray went away to many other countries.
They will return and they will carry their gifts to me.
11 At that time, you will not have to be ashamed
of the wrong things that you have done against me.
But I will take away those who do not see anything wrong in themselves.
Those people will not call each other
“the people who live on God's holy mountain”.
12 But I will let the poor people remain there.
These are the people who have had bad times.
These are the people who will trust me. And they will call me Lord.
13 I will let those people stay there.
They will not do any bad things.
They will only say things that are true.
They will say honest things.
They will eat well and they will sleep well.
Nobody will make them afraid.’
The Lord will be with his people
14 Sing, you people in Zion. You are my own people, like my own daughter.
Shout, you people in Israel!
Be very, very happy, my people in Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has not punished you as he would have done.
He has sent your enemy away.
I, the King of Israel, am with you!
The bad times have gone.
They will not happen again!
16 On that special day, this will be my message for Jerusalem.
‘Do not be afraid now! Do not be weak now!
17 The Lord, your God, is with you.
He is strong. He will save you.
He will be very happy about you!
He will quietly love you.
He will sing, because he is so happy about you!
18 I will bring together those people among you who want to meet together again.
You want to meet again to pray. And you want to meet again to praise God.
You have had enough cruel words from your enemies.
19 Look! At that time, I will punish
all those people who hurt you.
I will save those who cannot walk well.
I will bring back the people that the enemy has sent away.
I will cause people in every country to know about you. I will cause them to praise you.
20 At that time, I will bring you back to your home.
I will bring you back together.
I will give you a good name among all the people on the earth.
That is what I will do. I will stop your troubles. And you will see it happen.’
That is what the Lord says.
Footnotes
- 3:5 ‘But the Lord is among all the people in the city’: He is always present. He sees everything. He knows everything. He is with his people. He will do what is right for them.
- 3:9 God will cause people to use words that are honest. And he will cause them to worship him in the right way. See Ezekiel 11:17-20; 36:24-28.
西番雅书 3
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
指摘耶路撒冷的罪
3 这叛逆、污秽、欺压人的城有祸了！
2 她不听话，
也不受管教；
她不倚靠耶和华，
也不亲近她的 神。
3 城中的领袖都是咆哮的狮子，
城中的审判官是夜间的豺狼，
甚么都不留到早晨。
4 城中的先知都是轻浮诡诈的人；
城中的祭司亵渎圣物，
违犯律法。
5 耶和华在城中是公义的，
决不行不义的事；
他每日早晨都显明公正，
永不止息。
不公义的人却不知廉耻。
6 我耶和华已经剪除列国，
他们的城楼被毁；
我已经使他们的街道荒凉，
以致杳无人迹；
他们的城市荒废，以致无人存留，无人居住。
7 我说：“她定要敬畏我，
接受管教。”
这样，她的住所
必不会照着我原定对她的惩罚被剪除。
可是他们殷勤行恶，
败坏了自己一切所作的。
耶路撒冷必蒙拯救
8 耶和华说：“因此，你们要等候我，
等候我起来指证（按照《马索拉文本》，“指证”作“掳掠”；现参照《七十士译本》翻译）的日子，
我已经决定集合万邦，
召聚列国，
把我的盛怒，
就是我的一切烈怒，都倾倒在他们身上；
因为全地都必被我的妒火吞灭。
9 那时我要使万民有洁净的嘴唇，
他们全都可以呼求耶和华的名，
同心合意事奉耶和华。
10 敬拜我的人，就是我所分散的人，
必从古实河外而来，
给我献上礼物。
11 到了那日，
你必不因你背叛我所作的一切感到羞愧，
因为那时我必从你中间
除掉那些自高自大的人。
在我的圣山上，
你必不再高傲。
12 但我要在你中间
留下谦虚卑微的人；
他们必投靠耶和华的名。
13 以色列的余民必不再行不义，
也必不说谎；
他们的口里也没有诡诈的舌头。
他们吃喝躺卧，
没有人惊吓他们。”
欢乐之歌
14 锡安的居民（“居民”原文作“女子”）哪！你们要高歌。
以色列啊！你们要欢呼。
耶路撒冷的居民哪！你们要满心欢喜快乐。
15 耶和华已经除去你们的刑罚，
赶走你们的仇敌。
以色列的王，耶和华在你们中间，
你们必不再惧怕灾祸。
16 到了那日，
必有人对耶路撒冷说：
“锡安哪！不要惧怕；
你的手不要下垂。
17 耶和华你的 神在你中间，
他是施行拯救的大能者，
必因你欢欣快乐，
必默然爱你，
而且必因你喜乐欢唱。”
18 “那些属你，为了切慕大会而忧愁的人，
他们担当了羞辱；
我必招聚他们。
19 看哪！那时我必对付一切苦待你的人；
我必拯救那些瘸腿的，
聚集那些被赶散的；
在全地受羞辱的，
我必使他们得称赞，有名声。
20 那时我必把你们领回，
那时我必把你们齐集；
我使你们被掳的人归回的时候，
必在你们眼前，
叫你们在地上的万民中得称赞，
有名声。”
这是耶和华说的。
Zephaniah 3
King James Version
3 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.
4 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
5 The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
6 I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
11 In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
12 I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
15 The Lord hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.