ZEPHANIAH.
Chapter 3.
Woe! thou city, stirrer to wrath, and bought again a culver. 
It heard not the voice of the Lord, and received not teaching, either chastising; it trusted not in the Lord, it nighed not to her God. 
Princes thereof in middle thereof were as lions roaring; judges thereof were wolves, in the eventide they left not into morrow. 
The Prophets thereof were wild, and unfaithful men; the priests thereof defouled holy thing, they did unjustly against the law. 
The Lord is just in the middle thereof, and shall not do wickedness; early, early he shall give his doom in light, and it shall not be hid; forsooth the wicked people knew not confusion. 
I lost folks, and the corners of them be destroyed; I made the ways of them desert, while there is not that shall pass. The cities of them be desolate, for a man is not left, neither any dweller. 
I said, Nevertheless thou shalt dread me, thou shalt receive teaching; and the dwelling place thereof shall not perish, for all things in which I visited it; nevertheless full early they rising, have corrupted all their thoughts. 
Wherefore abide thou me, saith the Lord, in the day of my rising again into coming. For my doom is, that I gather folks, and I shall gather realms; and I shall shed out on them mine indignation, and all the wrath of my strong vengeance; for in fire of my fervour all earth shall be devoured. 
For then I shall yield to peoples a chosen lip, that all call inwardly in the name of the Lord, and serve to him with one shoulder. 
Over the floods of Ethiopia, from thence my beseechers, the sons of my scattered men, shall bring gift to me. 
In that day thou shalt not be confounded on all thy findings, in which thou trespassedest against me; for then I shall take away from the middle of thee great speakers of thy pride, and thou shalt no more put to, for to be enhanced in mine holy hill. 
And I shall leave in the middle of thee a poor people and needy; and they shall hope in the name of the Lord. 
The remnants of Israel shall not do wickedness, neither shall speak leasing, and a guileful tongue shall not be found in the mouth of them; for they shall be fed, and shall rest, and there shall not be that shall make afeared. 
These things saith the Lord, Daughter of Zion, praise thou heartily, sing thou, Israel; be thou glad, and make thou joy withoutforth in all thine heart, thou daughter of Jerusalem. 
The Lord hath taken away thy doom, he hath turned away thine enemies; the king of Israel, the Lord, is in the middle of thee, thou shalt no more dread evil. 
In that day it shall be said, Jerusalem, do not thou dread; Zion, thine hands be not benumbed. 
Thy Lord God is strong in the middle of thee, he shall save thee; he shall make joy on thee in gladness, he shall be still in thy loving, he shall make joy withoutforth on thee in praising. 
I shall gather the fools, either vain men, that went away from the law, for they were of thee, that thou have no more shame on them. 
Lo! I shall slay all men that tormented thee in that time, and I shall save him that halteth, and I shall gather her that was cast out; and I shall put them into praising, and into name in each land of confusion of them, 
in that time in which I shall bring you, and in the time in which I shall gather you. For I shall give you into name, and into praising to all peoples of earth, when I shall convert your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord. 
