New Living Translation (NLT)
Zephaniah 2
11 The LORD will terrify them as he destroys all the gods in the land. Then nations around the world will worship the LORD, each in their own land.
12 “You Ethiopians will also be slaughtered by my sword,” says the LORD.
13 And the LORD will strike the lands of the north with his fist, destroying the land of Assyria. He will make its great capital, Nineveh, a desolate wasteland, parched like a desert.
14 The proud city will become a pasture for flocks and herds, and all sorts of wild animals will settle there. The desert owl and screech owl will roost on its ruined columns, their calls echoing through the gaping windows. Rubble will block all the doorways, and the cedar paneling will be exposed to the weather.
15 This is the boisterous city, once so secure. “I am the greatest!” it boasted. “No other city can compare with me!” But now, look how it has become an utter ruin, a haven for wild animals. Everyone passing by will laugh in derision and shake a defiant fist.
Zephaniah 3
1 What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime!
2 No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction. It does not trust in the LORD or draw near to its God.
3 Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.
4 Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.
5 But the LORD is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day he hands down justice, and he does not fail. But the wicked know no shame.
6 “I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers. Their streets are now deserted; their cities lie in silent ruin. There are no survivors— none at all.
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