Zephaniah

⁶“I destroyed nations;their walled cities are in ruins.I turned their streets into ruins;no one passes through them.Their cities are desolate;no one lives there. ⁷I thought, ‘Certainly you will respect me!Now you will accept correction!’If she had done so, her home would not be destroyedby all the punishments I have threatened.But they eagerly sinnedin everything they did. ⁸Therefore you must wait patiently for me,” says the Lord,“for the day when I attack and take plunder.I have decided to gather nations togetherand assemble kingdoms,so I can pour out my fury on them – all my raging anger.For the whole earth will be consumedby my fiery anger. ⁹Know for sure that I will then enablethe nations to give me acceptable praise.All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray,and will worship him in unison. ¹⁰From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,those who pray to me will bring me tribute. ¹¹In that day you will not be ashamed of all your rebelliousness against me,for then I will remove from your midst those who proudly boast,and you will never again be arrogant on my holy hill. ¹²I will leave in your midst a humble and meek group of people,and they will find safety in the Lord’s presence.