Bible Time

¹OH, the famous city, the saved city; the city of Jonah. ²She did not obey the voice; she did not receive discipline; she did not trust in Yahvah; she did not draw near to her God. ³Her princes inside her are roaring like lions; her judges are like evening wolves; they did not wait for the morning. ⁴Her prophets are wanton and treacherous persons; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. ⁵But the just Yahvah is in her middle; he will not do iniquity; every morning he brings his justice to light, he is never late; but the wicked knows no shame. ⁶I have destroyed the nations and removed the misery; I have made their streets waste, so that no one walks in them; their cities are desolate, without a man and without the inhabitants. ⁷I said, Surely they will worship me, they will accept discipline from me; and she will not fail to see of all that I have decreed concerning her; but they hurried and corrupted all their actions.

⁸Therefore, wait for me, says Yahvah, until the day when I rise up to give testimony; for my judgment is at hand, to gather the nations and to bring the kingdoms near, to pour out my indignation on them, even all my fierce anger; for in the fire of my zeal will all the earth be devoured. ⁹For then I will restore to the people a pure speech, that they may call on the name of Yahvah to serve him with one consent. ¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia they will bring me sacrifices. ¹¹In that day you will not be ashamed of all your actions in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will remove from the middle of you the might of your pride, and you will not be haughty any longer because of my holy mountain. ¹²I will also leave in the middle of you an afflicted and humble people, and they will trust in the name of Yahvah. ¹³The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity, nor speak lies; nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they will feed and lie down, and no one will harm them.

¹⁴Sing, oh daughter of Zion; sound a trumpet, oh Israel; be glad and rejoice with all your heart, oh daughter of Jerusalem. ¹⁵Yahvah has taken away your judgments, he has cast out your enemies; the King of Israel, even Yahvah, is in the middle of you; you will not see evil any longer. ¹⁶In that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Do no fear; and to Zion, Do not let your hands be weak. ¹⁷Yahvah your God in the middle of you is a mighty Savior; he will make you to rejoice with gladness; he will renew you with his love, he will make you joyful with a praise as in the day of a feast. ¹⁸I will remove from you those who spoke disgrace against you. ¹⁹Look, at that time I will humble all that are in the middle of you; and I will save her that has been subjugated, and gather her that was cast far off; and I will make them for fame and for praise in every land where they had been put to shame. ²⁰At that time I will bring you again, and at that very time I will gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth, when I bring back your captivity in the presence of your enemies, says Yahvah.