הוֹי מֹרְאָה וְנִגְאָלָה הָעִיר הַיּוֹנָה

Woe! It is filthy, or rebellious, and polluted, contaminated with sin, the city that is the dove, Jerusalem, which causes others to suffer. The dove is generally a symbol of peace, perfection, and beauty, whereas here the Hebrew term hayyona is used as an adjective that bears the opposite meaning.

לֹא שָׁמְעָה בְּקוֹל לֹא לָקְחָה מוּסָר בַּה' לֹא בָטָחָה אֶל־אֱלֹהֶיהָ לֹא קָרֵבָה

It did not listen to the voice of God; it did not accept rebuke and warning; it did not trust in the Lord; it did not approach its God.

שָׂרֶיהָ בְקִרְבָּהּ אֲרָיוֹת שֹׁאֲגִים שֹׁפְטֶיהָ זְאֵבֵי עֶרֶב לֹא גָרְמוּ לַבֹּקֶר

Its princes in its midst are like roaring lions; its judges are like wolves of the evening, not leaving a bone [lo garemu] of their prey for the morning. Alternatively, the words lo garemu mean that the wolves never finish consuming their prey. Either way, the meaning is that the corrupt leaders of the city act like beasts of prey that are never sated.

נְבִיאֶיהָ פֹּחֲזִים אַנְשֵׁי בֹּגְדוֹת כֹּהֲנֶיהָ חִלְּלוּ־קֹדֶשׁ חָמְסוּ תּוֹרָה

Its prophets are impetuous, flighty, men of treachery; its priests desecrated the sacred; they have been villainous to the Torah, as they do not fulfill their duty to teach it to the people.

ה' צַדִּיק בְּקִרְבָּהּ לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה עַוְלָה בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּטוֹ יִתֵּן לָאוֹר לֹא נֶעְדָּר וְלֹא־יוֹדֵעַ עַוָּל בֹּשֶׁת

The Lord, who is righteous, is dwelling in its midst, He will not perform injustice; each morning He brings His judgment to light, He judges virtuously, and it, His judgment, does not fail. But although the wicked are punished, the unjust one in the city knows no shame. Such people are not even embarrassed about their deeds.

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

God declares: I eliminated nations before your eyes. Their corners, of their towers, are desolate; alternatively, their prominent leaders have been cut off. I destroyed their streets so that they are without a passerby; their cities became desolate, without a man, with no inhabitant.

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

I said, I thought to Myself: After seeing what I have done to other nations, just fear Me, accept rebuke, and consequently, its dwelling, the houses of Jerusalem, will not be eliminated, all that I have reckoned for it will be. Alternatively, this means: All the good I wish to visit upon the city will come to pass. Instead, rather than change their ways, they, the residents of Jerusalem, arose early, and corrupted all their exploits. They rose early and eagerly, not to repent, but to engage in new acts of corruption.

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

Therefore, wait for Me – the utterance of the Lord – for the day of My rising up forever, that is, until the day that I arise and reveal Myself forever; for My judgment will be to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour My fury upon them, to pour all My enflamed wrath upon them, for with the fire of My zealotry the entire earth will be consumed. If you act wickedly you too will be destroyed together with them.

כִּי־אָז אֶהְפֹּךְ אֶל־עַמִּים שָׂפָה בְרוּרָה לִקְרֹא כֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם ה'לְעָבְדוֹ שְׁכֶם אֶחָד

For then, when My word comes to pass and I have removed all impurity, I will convert all the peoples to a pure and accurate language, for all of them to call in the name of the Lord, to serve Him with a common effort, together with their combined strengths.

מֵעֵבֶר לְנַהֲרֵי־כוּשׁ עֲתָרַי בַּת־פּוּצַי יוֹבִלוּן מִנְחָתִי

Even from beyond the rivers of Kush, which was considered the southern edge of the world, far beyond the border of Egypt, Atarai, and Bat Putzai, they will bring My gift. The latter two refer to either one or two far-flung places.

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

On that day you will not be ashamed of all your exploits with which you transgressed against Me, for then I will remove from your midst the exultant in your pride, all those wealthy individuals of distinguished lineage, the lustful and the robbers, and you will not continue to be haughty on My holy mountain any longer.

וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּי בְקִרְבֵּךְ עַם עָנִי וָדָל וְחָסוּ בְּשֵׁם ה'

I will leave in your midst a poor and impoverished people, who will not be able to boast of its wealth, and they will take shelter in the name of the Lord.

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

The remnant of Israel of that time will not perform iniquity and will not speak falsehood, and a deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouth, as they will graze and lie down, in other words, they will live in peace like a flock grazing in the field, and there will be none to frighten them.

רָנִּי בַּת־צִיּוֹן הָרִיעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׂמְחִי וְעָלְזִי בְּכָל־לֵב בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִָם

Sing, daughter of Zion, cheer, Israel, at the time of the redemption; rejoice and delight wholeheartedly, daughter of Jerusalem.

הֵסִיר ה' מִשְׁפָּטַיִךְ פִּנָּה אֹיְבֵךְ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל ה' בְּקִרְבֵּךְ לֹא־תִירְאִי רַע עוֹד

For the Lord removed your judgments, the judgments against you, or the enemies who executed them; He took away your enemy, the nations that plotted against you, from their places; the King of Israel, the Lord, is found in your midst. All the nations will be subjugated to Him, and therefore you will not fear evil any longer. All those Israelites who performed evil will also be expelled, and only the upright will remain. Although they may have been poor and pitiful previously, from that point onward, they will live quiet, peaceful lives.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יֵאָמֵר לִירוּשָׁלִַם אַל־תִּירָאִי צִיּוֹן אַל־יִרְפּוּ יָדָיִךְ

On that day it will be said by God to Jerusalem: Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands weaken.

ה' אֱלֹהַיִךְ בְּקִרְבֵּךְ גִּבּוֹר יוֹשִׁיעַ יָשִׂישׂ עָלַיִךְ בְּשִׂמְחָה יַחֲרִישׁ בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ יָגִיל עָלַיִךְ בְּרִנָּה

The Lord your God is in your midst, and He is the Valiant One who will rescue; He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be silent in His love, as it will not be necessary for Him to express His love in words; He will exult over you with song.

נוּגֵי מִמּוֹעֵד אָסַפְתִּי מִמֵּךְ הָיוּ מַשְׂאֵת עָלֶיהָ חֶרְפָּה

God continues to speak to Jerusalem: I have gathered, or healed upon their revival, those who sorrow for the festivals, who are despondent due to the lack of the festivals or who mourn for you at regular times; they, those mourners, were from you, and they bore the burden of your disgrace.

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

Behold, at that time I will crush all those who afflict you, and I will rescue the lame, and the outcasts and the lost I will assemble. The poor and unfortunate will be gathered together, and I will set them for praise and for public acclaim; in all the land they will be shamed by them. The other nations will be ashamed when they see that the poor and unfortunate have been elevated. Alternatively, the final clause means that those who were formally cast away and shamed will subsequently be praised.

בָּעֵת הַהִיא אָבִיא אֶתְכֶם וּבָעֵת קַבְּצִי אֶתְכֶם כִּי־אֶתֵּן אֶתְכֶם לְשֵׁם וְלִתְהִלָּה בְּכֹל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ בְּשׁוּבִי אֶת־שְׁבוּתֵיכֶם לְעֵינֵיכֶם אָמַר ה'

At that time will I bring you in to the land, and at that time assemble you, as I will render you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captivity before your eyes, said the Lord. As he reproves Jerusalem for its leaders’ corruption and its inhabitants’ evil behavior, Zephaniah also foresees the day of God, when He will come and subdue the wicked, including the sinners of Israel. Only the honest and worthy will remain under God’s protection, and the exiles that return to the Land of Israel will live there humbly and with joy.