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Zephaniah chapter 3 in Hebrew and English

20 verses, about 3 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

הוֹי מֹרְאָה וְנִגְאָלָה הָעִיר הַיּוֹנָֽה׃

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

לֹא שָׁמְעָה בְּקוֹל לֹא לָקְחָה מוּסָר בַּיהוָה לֹא בָטָחָה אֶל־אֱלֹהֶיהָ לֹא קָרֵֽבָה׃

She hearkened not the voice, She received not correction; She trusted not in the LORD, She drew not near to her God.

שָׂרֶיהָ בְקִרְבָּהּ אֲרָיוֹת שֹׁאֲגִים שֹׁפְטֶיהָ זְאֵבֵי עֶרֶב לֹא גָרְמוּ לַבֹּֽקֶר׃

Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; Her judges are wolves of the desert, They leave not a bone for the morrow.

נְבִיאֶיהָ פֹּחֲזִים אַנְשֵׁי בֹּגְדוֹת כֹּהֲנֶיהָ חִלְּלוּ־קֹדֶשׁ חָמְסוּ תּוֹרָֽה׃

Her prophets are wanton And treacherous persons; Her priests have profaned that which is holy, They have done violence to the law.

יְהוָה צַדִּיק בְּקִרְבָּהּ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה עַוְלָה בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּטוֹ יִתֵּן לָאוֹר לֹא נֶעְדָּר וְלֹא־יוֹדֵעַ עַוָּל בֹּֽשֶׁת׃

The LORD who is righteous is in the midst of her, He will not do unrighteousness; Every morning doth He bring His right to light, It faileth not; But the unrighteous knoweth no shame.

הִכְרַתִּי גוֹיִם נָשַׁמּוּ פִּנּוֹתָם הֶחֱרַבְתִּי חוּצוֹתָם מִבְּלִי עוֹבֵר נִצְדּוּ עָרֵיהֶם מִבְּלִי־אִישׁ מֵאֵין יוֹשֵֽׁב׃

I have cut off nations, Their corners are desolate; I have made their streets waste, So that none passeth by; Their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, So that there is no inhabitant.

אָמַרְתִּי אַךְ־תִּירְאִי אוֹתִי תִּקְחִי מוּסָר וְלֹא־יִכָּרֵת מְעוֹנָהּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־פָּקַדְתִּי עָלֶיהָ אָכֵן הִשְׁכִּימוּ הִשְׁחִיתוּ כֹּל עֲלִילוֹתָֽם׃

I said: ‘Surely thou wilt fear Me, Thou wilt receive correction; So her dwelling shall not be cut off, Despite all that I have visited upon her’; But they betimes corrupted all their doings.

לָכֵן חַכּוּ־לִי נְאֻם־יְהוָה לְיוֹם קוּמִי לְעַד כִּי מִשְׁפָּטִי לֶאֱסֹף גּוֹיִם לְקָבְצִי מַמְלָכוֹת לִשְׁפֹּךְ עֲלֵיהֶם זַעְמִי כֹּל חֲרוֹן אַפִּי כִּי בְּאֵשׁ קִנְאָתִי תֵּאָכֵל כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Therefore wait ye for 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.

כִּי־אָז אֶהְפֹּךְ אֶל־עַמִּים שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה לִקְרֹא כֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה לְעָבְדוֹ שְׁכֶם אֶחָֽד׃

For then will I turn to the peoples A pure language, That they may all call upon the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one consent.

מֵעֵבֶר לְנַהֲרֵי־כוּשׁ עֲתָרַי בַּת־פוּצַי יוֹבִלוּן מִנְחָתִֽי׃

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia Shall they bring My suppliants, Even the daughter of My dispersed, As Mine offering.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֹא תֵבוֹשִׁי מִכֹּל עֲלִילֹתַיִךְ אֲשֶׁר פָּשַׁעַתְּ בִּי כִּי־אָז אָסִיר מִקִּרְבֵּךְ עַלִּיזֵי גַּאֲוָתֵךְ וְלֹא־תוֹסִפִי לְגָבְהָה עוֹד בְּהַר קָדְשִֽׁי׃

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 Thy proudly exulting ones, And thou shalt no more be haughty In My holy mountain.

וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּי בְקִרְבֵּךְ עַם עָנִי וָדָל וְחָסוּ בְּשֵׁם יְהוָֽה׃

And I will leave in the midst of thee An afflicted and poor people, And they shall take refuge in the name of the LORD.

שְׁאֵרִית יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־יַעֲשׂוּ עַוְלָה וְלֹא־יְדַבְּרוּ כָזָב וְלֹא־יִמָּצֵא בְּפִיהֶם לְשׁוֹן תַּרְמִית כִּי־הֵמָּה יִרְעוּ וְרָבְצוּ וְאֵין מַחֲרִֽיד׃

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.

רָנִּי בַּת־צִיּוֹן הָרִיעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׂמְחִי וְעָלְזִי בְּכָל־לֵב בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

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

הֵסִיר יְהוָה מִשְׁפָּטַיִךְ פִּנָּה אֹיְבֵךְ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה בְּקִרְבֵּךְ לֹא־תִירְאִי רָע עֽוֹד׃

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 fear evil any more.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יֵאָמֵר לִירוּשָׁלִַם אַל־תִּירָאִי צִיּוֹן אַל־יִרְפּוּ יָדָֽיִךְ׃

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack.

יְהוָה אֱלֹהַיִךְ בְּקִרְבֵּך גִּבּוֹר יוֹשִׁיעַ יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ בְּשִׂמְחָה יַחֲרִישׁ בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ יָגִיל עָלַיִךְ בְּרִנָּֽה׃

The LORD thy God is in the midst of thee, A Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will be silent in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.’

נוּגֵי מִמּוֹעֵד אָסַפְתִּי מִמֵּךְ הָיוּ מַשְׂאֵת עָלֶיהָ חֶרְפָּֽה׃

I will gather them that are far from the appointed season, who are of thee, That hast borne the burden of reproach.

הִנְנִי עֹשֶׂה אֶת־כָּל־מְעַנַּיִךְ בָּעֵת הַהִיא וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּי אֶת־הַצֹּלֵעָה וְהַנִּדָּחָה אֲקַבֵּץ וְשַׂמְתִּים לִתְהִלָּה וּלְשֵׁם בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃

Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; And I will save her that is lame, And gather her that was driven away; And I will make them to be a praise and a name, Whose shame hath been in all the earth.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא אָבִיא אֶתְכֶם וּבָעֶת קַבְּצִי אֶתְכֶם כִּי־אֶתֵּן אֶתְכֶם לְשֵׁם וְלִתְהִלָּה בְּכֹל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ בְּשׁוּבִי אֶת־שְׁבוּתֵיכֶם לְעֵינֵיכֶם אָמַר יְהוָֽה׃

At that time will I bring you in, And at that time will I gather you; For I will make you to be a name and a praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I turn your captivity before your eyes, Saith the LORD.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 3 of the 3 chapters of Zephaniah
  • Zephaniah is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets
  • 20 verses, 276 words, about 3 minutes to read

Zephaniah has 3 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Zephaniah·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Zephaniah chapter 3 have?

Zephaniah chapter 3 has 20 verses and 276 words.

How does Zephaniah chapter 3 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words הוי מראה ונגאלה העיר.

Where does Zephaniah chapter 3 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 3 of the 3 chapters of Zephaniah, which is one of the Twelve Minor Prophets.

How long does it take to read Zephaniah chapter 3?

About 3 minutes, at a steady pace.