Zephaniah 3 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Grief is coming for the city that fights back, the stained city, the city that leans on its own people.

She listened to no one. She took no correction. She did not trust Yahweh. She did not come near her God.

Her officials in the middle of her are lions, roaring. Her judges are wolves at evening that leave nothing to gnaw by morning.

Her prophets are reckless, men who cannot be trusted. Her priests dirty what belongs to God and do violence to the teaching.

Yahweh in the middle of her does right. He does nothing twisted. Morning after morning he brings his justice into the light, and it never fails. But the twisted man feels no shame.

I have cut off nations. Their corner towers stand in ruins. I emptied their streets so that nobody walks through. Their cities are wrecked, with no one, nobody living there.

I said, surely now you will be afraid of me, surely now you will take correction, and her home will not be cut off, whatever I decide against her. Instead they got up early to go on ruining everything they did.

So wait for me, declares Yahweh, for the day I stand up to give evidence. I have decided to gather the nations, to bring the kingdoms in together, and pour my rage over them, all my burning anger. The fire of my jealousy will eat the whole earth.

Then I will give the peoples clean lips, so that every one of them calls on the name of Yahweh and serves him shoulder to shoulder.

From past the rivers of Cush my worshipers, the daughter of my scattered people, will carry my offering to me.

On that day you will not have to carry the shame of everything you did, every time you broke faith with me, because I will take out of the middle of you your swaggering celebrators, and you will never again hold yourself high on the mountain that belongs to me.

I will leave in the middle of you a people low and poor, and they will take shelter in the name of Yahweh.

What is left of Israel will do nothing twisted and tell no lies. No tongue that deceives will be found in their mouths. They will graze and lie down and nothing will frighten them.

Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad, celebrate with your whole heart, daughter of Jerusalem!

Yahweh has lifted the sentence against you. He has turned your enemy back. The king of Israel, Yahweh, is in the middle of you. You will never be afraid of harm again.

On that day they will say to Jerusalem: Do not be afraid, Zion. Do not let your hands go limp.

Yahweh your God is in the middle of you, a warrior who saves. He will take joy in you and be glad. His love will hold him silent. He will dance around you, singing.

I will gather up the ones who grieve, kept away from the festival. They came from you. Her shame was a weight they carried.

Look, at that time I will deal with everyone who crushed you. I will rescue the lame and gather in the ones who were driven off. Everywhere they were put to shame, I will make them a name people praise.

At that time I will bring you home, at the time I gather you in. I will make you a name people praise among all the peoples of the earth when I bring back everything you lost, right in front of your own eyes, says Yahweh.