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Zephaniah 3

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Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!

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She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.

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Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow.

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Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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10

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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14

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

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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.

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In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Zephaniah 3:7

“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.”

Study Summary

I said, 'Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction.' Then her dwelling would not be cut off nor all her punishments come upon her. But they rose early and corrupted all their doings—the conditional statement shows that divine discipline aims at repentance and reformation. Had Jerusalem responded to correction, judgment could have been avoided. Instead, the people's steadfast corruption despite divine correction ensures comprehensive judgment. The verse establishes that judgment serves justice, not arbitrary punishment.

Community Reflections

1
Adam Smith (test user)1d ago
The heart of worship — Zephaniah 3

His timing, His methods, His purposes — all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. The promise here is not conditional on our strength but on His character.. I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's choosing to believe despite it.. It implies covenant loyalty, steadfast love that never wavers.. His timing, His methods, His purposes — all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good.. I notice the repetition here is deliberate — the author wants us to feel the…

Read the note →
1
Omar Hassan (Test User)9h ago
Hope in suffering — Zephaniah 3

God meets us exactly where we are — broken, uncertain, yet chosen. God is faithful in every circumstance.. It implies covenant loyalty, steadfast love that never wavers.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. My grandmother used to quote this verse every morning. God is faithful in every circumstance.. This connects directly to the promise made to Abraham. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. There's something deeply comforting about knowing that the same God who spoke these words is the same yesterday, today, and forever.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. The imagery here is agricultural — the original audience would have immediately understood the metaphor of sowing, waiting, and harvesting.. God is faithful in every…

Read the note →

Zephaniah 3:7

“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.”

Study Summary

I said, 'Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction.' Then her dwelling would not be cut off nor all her punishments come upon her. But they rose early and corrupted all their doings—the conditional statement shows that divine discipline aims at repentance and reformation. Had Jerusalem responded to correction, judgment could have been avoided. Instead, the people's steadfast corruption despite divine correction ensures comprehensive judgment. The verse establishes that judgment serves justice, not arbitrary punishment.

Community Reflections

1
Adam Smith (test user)1d ago
The heart of worship — Zephaniah 3

His timing, His methods, His purposes — all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. The promise here is not conditional on our strength but on His character.. I think this is a call to trust beyond what we can see. What a reminder that God's ways are not our ways. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Their context of persecution gives these words a weight we often miss.. Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's choosing to believe despite it.. It implies covenant loyalty, steadfast love that never wavers.. His timing, His methods, His purposes — all beyond our comprehension, yet perfectly good.. I notice the repetition here is deliberate — the author wants us to feel the…

Read the note →
1
Omar Hassan (Test User)9h ago
Hope in suffering — Zephaniah 3

God meets us exactly where we are — broken, uncertain, yet chosen. God is faithful in every circumstance.. It implies covenant loyalty, steadfast love that never wavers.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. My grandmother used to quote this verse every morning. God is faithful in every circumstance.. This connects directly to the promise made to Abraham. God is faithful in every circumstance.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. There's something deeply comforting about knowing that the same God who spoke these words is the same yesterday, today, and forever.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. The imagery here is agricultural — the original audience would have immediately understood the metaphor of sowing, waiting, and harvesting.. God is faithful in every…

Read the note →

Zephaniah 3:7

I said, 'Surely you will fear me; you will accept correction.' Then her dwelling would not be cut off nor all her punishments come upon her. But they rose early and corrupted all their doings—the conditional statement shows that divine discipline aims at repentance and reformation. Had Jerusalem responded to correction, judgment could have been avoided. Instead, the people's steadfast corruption despite divine correction ensures comprehensive judgment. The verse establishes that judgment serves justice, not arbitrary punishment.