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Zephaniah 3

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1 ὦ ἡ ἐπιφανὴς καὶ ἀπολελυτρωμένη ἡ πόλις ἡ περιστερά 2 οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν φωνῆς οὐκ ἐδέξατο παιδείαν ἐπὶ τῷ κυρίῳ οὐκ ἐπεποίθει καὶ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν αὐτῆς οὐκ ἤγγισεν 3 οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῆς ἐν αὐτῇ ὡς λέοντες ὠρυόμενοι οἱ κριταὶ αὐτῆς ὡς λύκοι τῆς Ἀραβίας οὐχ ὑπελίποντο εἰς τὸ πρωί 4 οἱ προφῆται αὐτῆς πνευματοφόροι ἄνδρες καταφρονηταί οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῆς βεβηλοῦσιν τὰ ἅγια καὶ ἀσεβοῦσιν νόμον 5 ὁ δὲ κύριος δίκαιος ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς καὶ οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ ἄδικον πρωὶ πρωὶ δώσει κρίμα αὐτοῦ εἰς φῶς καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρύβη καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω ἀδικίαν ἐν ἀπαιτήσει καὶ οὐκ εἰς νεῖκος ἀδικίαν 6 ἐν διαφθορᾷ κατέσπασα ὑπερηφάνους ἠφανίσθησαν γωνίαι αὐτῶν ἐξερημώσω τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν τὸ παράπαν τοῦ μὴ διοδεύειν ἐξέλιπον αἱ πόλεις αὐτῶν παρὰ τὸ μηδένα ὑπάρχειν μηδὲ κατοικεῖν 7 εἶπα πλὴν φοβεῖσθέ με καὶ δέξασθε παιδείαν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξολεθρευθῆτε ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῆς πάντα ὅσα ἐξεδίκησα ἐ{P'} αὐτήν ἑτοιμάζου ὄρθρισον διέφθαρται πᾶσα ἡ ἐπιφυλλὶς αὐτῶν

1 Out on the rebellious city, the defiled city, so full of wrong![1] 2 Never the call heard, the warning heeded; trust in the Lord is none; nay, they would keep God at a distance. 3 Here be rulers no better than ravening lions, judges like wolf that prowls at night, and not a bone left on the morrow; 4 prophets that are heedless men and treacherous, priests that profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law. 5 And all the while the Lord is there in the midst of it! Not his the blame; never morning passes but he makes known his award for their enlightening, without fail; and still injustice goes on unashamed! 6 Short work I have made of other nations; crumbling battlements, unfrequented streets, with never a foot-fall, their cities lie ruined and forlorn, with none to dwell in them; 7 Ah, thought I, now at least thou wilt learn to fear me, wilt profit by the warning! Here at least is a city that may be left habitable, send them what plagues I may! But no, early and late they would be at their perverse doings still!

1

Væ provocatrix, et redempta civitas, columba! 2
non audivit vocem,
et non suscepit disciplinam;
in Domino non est confisa,
ad Deum suum non appropinquavit. 3
Principes ejus in medio ejus quasi leones rugientes;
judices ejus lupi vespere, non relinquebant in mane. 4
Prophetæ ejus vesani, viri infideles;
sacerdotes ejus polluerunt sanctum,
injuste egerunt contra legem. 5
Dominus justus in medio ejus non faciet iniquitatem;
mane, mane judicium suum dabit in lucem, et non abscondetur;
nescivit autem iniquus confusionem. 6
Disperdidi gentes,
et dissipati sunt anguli earum;
desertas feci vias eorum,
dum non est qui transeat;
desolatæ sunt civitates eorum,
non remanente viro, neque ullo habitatore. 7
Dixi: Attamen timebis me,
suscipies disciplinam;
et non peribit habitaculum ejus,
propter omnia in quibus visitavi eam:
verumtamen diluculo surgentes corruperunt omnes cogitationes suas.

8 διὰ τοῦτο ὑπόμεινόν με λέγει κύριος εἰς ἡμέραν ἀναστάσεώς μου εἰς μαρτύριον διότι τὸ κρίμα μου εἰς συναγωγὰς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἰσδέξασθαι βασιλεῖς τοῦ ἐκχέαι ἐ{P'} αὐτοὺς πᾶσαν ὀργὴν θυμοῦ μου διότι ἐν πυρὶ ζήλους μου καταναλωθήσεται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ 9 ὅτι τότε μεταστρέψω ἐπὶ λαοὺς γλῶσσαν εἰς γενεὰν αὐτῆς τοῦ ἐπικαλεῖσθαι πάντας τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου τοῦ δουλεύειν αὐτῷ ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἕνα 10 ἐκ περάτων ποταμῶν Αἰθιοπίας οἴσουσιν θυσίας μοι 11 ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇς ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων σου ὧν ἠσέβησας εἰς ἐμέ ὅτι τότε περιελῶ ἀπὸ σοῦ τὰ φαυλίσματα τῆς ὕβρεώς σου καὶ οὐκέτι μὴ προσθῇς τοῦ μεγαλαυχῆσαι ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιόν μου 12 καὶ ὑπολείψομαι ἐν σοὶ λαὸν πραῢν καὶ ταπεινόν καὶ εὐλαβηθήσονται ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος κυρίου

8 Hope, then, is none,[2] till the day, long hence, when I will stand revealed;[3] what gathering, then, of the nations, all kingdoms joined in one! And upon these, my doom is, vengeance shall fall, fierce anger of mine shall fall; the whole earth shall be consumed with the fire of my slighted love. 9 And after that, all the peoples of the world shall have pure lips, invoking one and all the Lord’s name, straining at a single yoke in the Lord’s service. 10 From far away, beyond Ethiop rivers, my suppliants shall come to me, sons[4] of my exiled people the bloodless offering shall bring. 11 No need, then, to blush for wayward thoughts that defied me; gone from thy midst the high-sounding boast; no room, in that mountain sanctuary of mine, for pride henceforward; 12 a poor folk and a friendless I will leave in thy confines, but one that puts its trust in the Lord’s name.

8
Quapropter exspecta me, dicit Dominus,
in die resurrectionis meæ in futurum:
quia judicium meum ut congregem gentes,
et colligam regna,
et effundam super eos indignationem meam,
omnem iram furoris mei:
in igne enim zeli mei devorabitur omnis terra. 9

Quia tunc reddam populis labium electum,
ut invocent omnes in nomine Domini,
et serviant ei humero uno. 10
Ultra flumina Æthiopiæ, inde supplices mei;
filii dispersorum meorum deferent munus mihi. 11
In die illa non confunderis super cunctis adinventionibus tuis,
quibus prævaricata es in me,
quia tunc auferam de medio tui magniloquos superbiæ tuæ,
et non adjicies exaltari amplius in monte sancto meo. 12
Et derelinquam in medio tui populum pauperem et egenum:
et sperabunt in nomine Domini.

13 οἱ κατάλοιποι τοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ οὐ ποιήσουσιν ἀδικίαν καὶ οὐ λαλήσουσιν μάταια καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν γλῶσσα δολία διότι αὐτοὶ νεμήσονται καὶ κοιτασθήσονται καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἐκφοβῶν αὐτούς 14 χαῖρε σφόδρα θύγατερ Σιων κήρυσσε θύγατερ Ιερουσαλημ εὐφραίνου καὶ κατατέρπου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου θύγατερ Ιερουσαλημ 15 περιεῖλεν κύριος τὰ ἀδικήματά σου λελύτρωταί σε ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν σου βασιλεὺς Ισραηλ κύριος ἐν μέσῳ σου οὐκ ὄψῃ κακὰ οὐκέτι 16 ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ ἐρεῖ κύριος τῇ Ιερουσαλημ θάρσει Σιων μὴ παρείσθωσαν αἱ χεῖρές σου 17 κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἐν σοί δυνατὸς σώσει σε ἐπάξει ἐπὶ σὲ εὐφροσύνην καὶ καινιεῖ σε ἐν τῇ ἀγαπήσει αὐτοῦ καὶ εὐφρανθήσεται ἐπὶ σὲ ἐν τέρψει ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἑορτῆς

13 The remnant of Israel, strangers now to treachery and wrong, the true word ever on their lips! Yonder flock may graze and lie down to rest, none to dismay it. 14 Break into song, fair Sion, all Israel cry aloud; here is joy and triumph, Jerusalem, for thy royal heart. 15 Thy doom the Lord has revoked, thy enemy repulsed; the Lord, there in the midst of thee, Israel’s king! Peril for thee henceforth is none. 16 Such is the message yonder day shall bring to Jerusalem: Courage, Sion! What means it, the unnerved hand? 17 Thou hast one in the midst of thee, the Lord thy God, whose strength shall deliver thee. Joy and pride of his thou shalt be henceforward; silent till now in his love for thee, he will greet thee with cries of gladness.

13
Reliquiæ Israël non facient iniquitatem,
nec loquentur mendacium,
et non invenietur in ore eorum lingua dolosa,
quoniam ipsi pascentur, et accubabunt,
et non erit qui exterreat. 14
Lauda, filia Sion; jubila, Israël:
lætare, et exsulta in omni corde, filia Jerusalem. 15
Abstulit Dominus judicium tuum;
avertit inimicos tuos.
Rex Israël Dominus in medio tui:
non timebis malum ultra. 16
In die illa dicetur Jerusalem:
Noli timere; Sion: Non dissolvantur manus tuæ. 17
Dominus Deus tuus in medio tui fortis, ipse salvabit:
gaudebit super te in lætitia,
silebit in dilectione sua,
exsultabit super te in laude.

18 καὶ συνάξω τοὺς συντετριμμένους οὐαί τίς ἔλαβεν ἐ{P'} αὐτὴν ὀνειδισμόν 19 ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ποιῶ ἐν σοὶ ἕνεκεν σοῦ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ λέγει κύριος καὶ σώσω τὴν ἐκπεπιεσμένην καὶ τὴν ἀπωσμένην εἰσδέξομαι καὶ θήσομαι αὐτοὺς εἰς καύχημα καὶ ὀνομαστοὺς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ 20 καὶ καταισχυνθήσονται ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ ὅταν καλῶς ὑμῖν ποιήσω καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ὅταν εἰσδέξωμαι ὑμᾶς διότι δώσω ὑμᾶς ὀνομαστοὺς καὶ εἰς καύχημα ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς λαοῖς τῆς γῆς ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέφειν με τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν ὑμῶν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν λέγει κύριος

18 Truants that were lost to the covenant I will reclaim; of thy company they are, thou shalt be taunted with them no longer;[5] 19 only for thy persecutors that hour shall be the hour of doom. Lame sheep medicined, and strayed sheep brought home! Lands that despised them shall hear name and fame of them now. 20 Name and fame you shall have, all the world over, the Lord says, when I call you back and gather you in; when you see the fortunes of Israel retrieved at last.

18
Nugas, qui a lege recesserant,
congregabo, quia ex te erant:
ut non ultra habeas super eis opprobrium. 19
Ecce ego interficiam omnes qui afflixerunt te in tempore illo:
et salvabo claudicantem,
et eam quæ ejecta fuerat congregabo:
et ponam eos in laudem, et in nomen,
in omni terra confusionis eorum, 20
in tempore illo quo adducam vos,
et in tempore quo congregabo vos.
Dabo enim vos in nomen,
et in laudem omnibus populis terræ,
cum convertero captivitatem vestram coram oculis vestris,
dicit Dominus.

[1] The Latin version gives ‘the redeemed city, the dove’, but this seems due to a faulty understanding of the Hebrew text. Cf. Jer. 25.38.

[2] Literally, ‘Therefore thou must wait for me’, but the verb commonly expresses an attitude of pious longing, and it looks as if the faithful remnant, not the generality of the Jewish people, were being addressed.

[3] Literally, ‘the day when I will rise up thenceforward’; the Hebrew text has ‘the day when I will rise up and catch my prey’, the Septuagint Greek, ‘the day when I will rise up to bear witness’.

[4] In the Hebrew text, ‘daughters’; there is some ground for suspecting a faulty reading in the manuscripts.

[5] Here again, in verses 17 and 18, most modern editors question the soundness of the Hebrew text; in the Latin version, the difficulties are partly disguised.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd