Zefanya 2:2

2:2 before God’s decree becomes reality ¹  and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff, ² 

before the Lord’s raging anger ³  overtakes ⁴  you –

before the day of the Lord’s angry judgment overtakes you!

Zefanya 3:8

3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently ⁵  for me,” says the Lord,

“for the day when I attack and take plunder. ⁶ 

I have decided ⁷  to gather nations together

and assemble kingdoms,

so I can pour out my fury on them –

all my raging anger.

For ⁸  the whole earth will be consumed

by my fiery anger.

[2:2]  ¹ tn Heb “before the giving birth of a decree.” For various alternative readings, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 187-88.

[2:2]  ² tn The second half of the line reads literally, “like chaff it passes by a day.” The translation above assumes the “day” is the brief time God is giving the nation to repent. The comparison of this quickly passing opportunity to chaff is consistent with the straw imagery of v. 1.

[2:2]  ³ tn Heb “the fury of the anger of the Lord.” The synonyms are combined to emphasize the extreme degree of the Lord’s anger.

[2:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “comes upon.” This phrase occurs twice in this verse.

[3:8]  ⁵ tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.

[3:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).

[3:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “for my decision is.”

[3:8]  ⁸ tn Or “certainly.”