A. 1 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
the oppressing city!
2 She listens to no voice;
she accepts no correction. 
She does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.

B. 3 Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are evening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.
4 Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
her priests profane what is holy;
they do violence to the law.

B’. 5 The Lord within her is righteous;
he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but the unjust knows no shame.

A’. 6 “I have cut off nations;
their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
so that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
without a man, without an inhabitant.

7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
you will accept correction. 
Then your dwelling would not be cut off
according to all that I have appointed against you.’
But all the more they were eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.

Zephaniah 2:1-5:

A (1) Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O NATION not desired;

B (2) Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce ANGER of Yahweh come upon you, before the day of Yahweh’s ANGER come upon you.

C (3) SEEK YE Yahweh, ALL YE MEEK <06035> of the earth, which have wrought his judgment;

D (3) seek righteousness,

C′ (3) SEEK MEEKNESS <06038>:

B′ (3) it may be ye shall be hid in the day of Yahweh’s ANGER.

A′ (4, 5) For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, THE NATION of the Cherethites! the word of Yahweh is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

Zephaniah 2:4-13:

A (4) For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon A DESOLATION: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

B (5) Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of Yahweh is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I WILL EVEN DESTROY thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

C (6, 7) And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for Yahweh THEIR GOD shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

D (8) I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby THEY HAVE REPROACHED MY PEOPLE, and MAGNIFIED  THEMSELVES against their border.

E (9) Therefore as I live, saith Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

D′ (10) This shall they have for their pride, because THEY HAVE REPROACHED AND MAGNIFIED THEMSELVES AGAINST THE PEOPLE of Yahweh of hosts.

C′ (11) Yahweh will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all THE GODS of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.

B′ (12, 13) Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword. And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and DESTROY Assyria;

A′ (13) and will make Nineveh A DESOLATION, and dry like a wilderness.

Zephaniah 2:5-9:

A (5) Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, THE NATION <01471> of the Cherethites! the word of Yahweh is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

B (6, 7) And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks. And the coast shall be for THE REMNANT <07611> of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening:

C (7) for Yahweh THEIR GOD shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

D (8) I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

C′ (9) Therefore as I live, saith Yahweh of hosts, THE GOD of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation:

B′ (9) THE RESIDUE <07611> of my people <05971> shall spoil them, and the remnant <03499>

A′ (9) OF MY PEOPLE <01471> shall possess them.

Zephaniah 2:11-3:2:

A (2:11, 12) Yahweh will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all THE GODS of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen. Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.

B (2:13) And he will stretch out HIS HAND against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

C (2:14) And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, ALL THE BEASTS of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.

D (2:15) This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me:

C′ (2:15) how is she become a desolation, a place FOR BEASTS to lie down in!

B′ (2:15) every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag HIS HAND.

A′ (3:1, 2) Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in Yahweh; she drew not near to HER GOD.

A (10) And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Yahweh, that there shall be THE NOISE <06963> of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second,

B (10) and a GREAT crashing from the hills.

C (11) Howl, YE INHABITANTS <03427> of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

D (12) And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil.

C′ (13) Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but NOT INHABIT <03427> them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.

B′ (14) The GREAT day of Yahweh is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly,

A′ (14) even THE VOICE <06963> of the day of Yahweh: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.